Be assertive, get an education and take risks.
These were some of the thoughts tossed around Tuesday during the "What Makes A Powerful Woman" forum at Westminster College. Six prominent women talked about the steps and struggles they took to get where they are now.Peggy Stock, president of Westminster College, says women should discover what they love to do. That's the first step.
"When you love what you do, it doesn't matter if you work 50 hours a week," Stock said. " It's hard to stop when you're getting satisfaction from it."
The next step is to get an education, said Stock, who has a doctorate in counseling psychology. The more education, the better.
Pamela Atkinson, president of Intermountain Health Care's mission services, said she came from an extremely poor family. She went to school wearing torn shoes and her family couldn't afford toilet paper, she said.
Atkinson said she spent most of her childhood feeling inferior to other kids because of her income level, a demon that took years to overcome.
"Nobody is superior and nobody is inferior. We're all actually equal," she said. "We all just have different roles and we work within those roles. . . . (Realizing that) was how I got rid of my demon and that was a big one."
Atkinson earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California and a master's from the University of Washington. She coordinates services for low-income and homeless populations in Utah.
She said she's proof women can accomplish anything regardless of their backgrounds. Women shouldn't ever feel inferior to anybody else, Atkinson said.
Thinking and coming up with new ideas helped Kathleen Clarke get where she is. Gov. Mike Leavitt just appointed her director of the Utah Department of Natural Re-sources.
"Ideas are power. Ideas change the world," she said. "If you want to move up and make money . . . you have to have ideas."
Clarke said she never asked for special treatment from employers because she is a single mother with two children. She would ask for time off when she needed to care for her family but wouldn't tell supervisors why. Expecting special treatment is a turnoff to employers, she said.
Taking risks is a must, according to the panelists. Women should try new fields rather than get stuck in the same career for 20 years - even if there is risk involved.
Success and power do come at a price, the panelists said. Women should prepare for that as they begin their careers.
"It's not easy to be a good mom and have a demanding job," Clarke said. "There is a cost."