Valpo Wonder Women

In 1987, Congress declared March to be National Women’s History Month, but women’s contributions to our University existed long before and extend well beyond both the year 1987 and the month of March.

At Valpo, women have been part of our history since its establishment in 1859. In 1858, one year before Valpo’s inception, Methodist regional leaders met and decided to launch a college in the up-and-coming town of Valparaiso, Indiana. A board of five trustees was formed and layman Azariah Freeman sold the board a tract of land southeast of the town’s center. A temporary wooden building was erected, and in September 1859, the Valparaiso Male and Female College opened. By inviting women to enroll, the College was part of a new social vanguard that embraced co-education – the first of many steps on the path of progress for Valpo women.

Since 1859, women at Valpo have continued to blaze new trails, showing younger generations what is possible and inspiring women of all ages to wonder what they can do, too. We call these figures Valpo Wonder Women. Although highly accomplished and undeniably gifted, these women are not wonderful simply for their achievements. They are wonderful because of who they are – women full of wonder with the courage to dream big, start small, keep at it, and bring others up with them as they rise, recognizing that we become better and go further together.

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Just a few examples of the countless Valpo Wonder Women in our community making strides, inspiring many, and leaving lasting impact are…

Megan Salrin ’18, who majored in political science and now serves as the legislative representative for the United Steelworkers, using her strong foundation in education and powerful professional platform to advocate for change at the congressional level. Just last month, Megan gave testimony to the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Highways and Transit during a hearing on the Biden Administration’s implementation of Buy America provisions.

Julie Vick ’25 and Lydia Stumme-Berg ’24, who are the first students in our social work program’s history to present a bill to the state legislature. Their bill advocates for the creation and implementation of digital citizenship literacy for young people in response to the shocking statistics linking the increase of social media use to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm, especially among teenagers.

Brook Burbridge ’24, who presented and won an award at the Conference of Undergraduate Women in Physics held at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Cory Griffith ’19, who was not only a star student-athlete of the College of Business and Valpo women’s soccer team, but was also named one of the Insurance Business America’s 2023 Rising Stars. Laying the foundation for other female student-athletes, Cory wants to share the success she’s experienced by helping create a talent pipeline for College of Business graduates to begin a similar journey at RT Specialty and receive mentorship from her along the way.

Jill Sifuentes ’04 Schur, M.S., who serves as our first female Latina vice president of enrollment and marketing and is dedicated to Valparaiso University’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level of the enrollment process.

Jeanette Gray ’03, who was recently inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. She has been instrumental in the implementation of Project Lead the Way at Lake Central High School, using her Valpo mechanical engineering degree to introduce students to design concepts and prepare them for STEM careers before they begin college. In addition to her bachelor’s degree, Jeanette earned an MBA from Ball State University while serving as an assistant women’s basketball coach. She then went on to earn a master of education degree from Valpo and become the first woman to coach high school football in Indiana.

Becky Smith, who serves as our assistant director of graduate outreach and communications by day and is an aspiring artist by night. Becky’s creative expression takes form in beautiful designs she creates and sells on her Etsy page, with some of her designs currently featured on the lids of Sand + Fog candles, a popular brand often sold at HomeGoods.

Colleen Seguin, Ph.D., who teaches the social and religious history of early modern Europe, particularly the histories of women, and has received several awards for her commitment and excellence in the field. Her students speak highly of her and note that in a typically male-dominated field, Professor Seguin leads her classes with poise, kindness, and humor. She encourages students both inside and outside the classroom, making sure to comment on any accomplishment a student may have, no doubt fanning the flame of wonder within each of them, fueling them with inspiration to take the next step and reach for the next level. 

Flavia Mendonca, Ph.D., who brings together her passion for teaching and her expertise in the field of civil engineering to Valpo as the first female Latin American professor. As a female professor of engineering, Professor Mendonca realizes the pressure and stress that is placed on women in the field and encourages all women to not be intimidated but rather, “believe in yourself, believe in your strength and intelligence, and move forward.”

Missi Rogers, M.S., who serves as associate director of transfer admission but daily goes beyond the requirements of the role to personally care for the needs of our transfer students. Countless transfer students note that Missi played a pivotal role in helping them find their new home at Valpo, ensuring they had access to every resource and opportunity to succeed and enjoy the journey, too.

…and the list goes on. We couldn’t possibly capture all the women in our community who inspire us to wonder, but we sure can try! We just need your help. Who would you add to this list? Celebrate Women’s History Month with us by submitting your own Valpo Wonder Women to feature throughout March on our Valpo Stories site and social media. Click here to tell us all about the women in our community who have inspired you to wonder! And if it’s you, we want to hear that, too.