“Why not me?” Rosalyn Cooperman, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, asked during the second-annual Women in Politics panel.
It was a question that came up repeatedly during Friday’s panel, which was hosted by UMW’s Day on Democracy Club, an organization that promotes engagement with the democratic process across the campus community.
Other panelists included Fredericksburg Mayor Kerry Devine and Lorita Daniels, a current member of the Spotsylvania County school board.
The panel offered insight into being a woman in politics and the complexities that come with that journey.
During the panel, the women discussed how they became involved in politics, what it means to be a woman in politics and the value that can result from networking and ambition.
When talking about her journey into politics from undergrad and her current position as the chair of the political science department at UMW, Cooperman highlighted her non-linear path.
“Did I want to become a professor? I don’t know,” she said. “If you ask my parents, I told them, at some point I wanted to be a butterfly or a doctor.
“I walked up the campus at Indiana University Bloomington as a 21-year-old and was like, ‘I’d love to be a professor.’ And then my life circumstances were such that I moved around and did a number of different things.”
Another theme discussed during the panel was women not taking opportunities due to self-doubt.
“Females tend to count themselves out too soon, before you get started,” Devine said.
According to Devine, women are more likely to avoid jobs that they believe they’re not qualified for, even if they could have gotten the job despite not fulfilling every requirement.
“Don’t count yourself out. You know, go in and you may get rejected but that’s part of the deal,” the mayor said.
The importance of networking was also highlighted throughout the panel.
“You’re going to get information from everybody and whatever works for you, take it, and wherever it doesn’t, you leave it,” she said. “But for the most part, you need as many mentors as you can get.”
(From left to right): Panelists Kerry Devine, Rosalyn Cooperman, and Lorita Daniels spoke at the second-annual Women in Politics forum at the University of Mary Washington on Friday. (Photo by Martina Nicholson)
According to Devine, mentors are not only useful resources for information; they’re people who are able to witness the growth of a person and act as a support system during a career transition.
“How can I ask for this in a way that can get me closer to ‘Yes,’ particularly if you’re dealing with the folks that will delight in telling you no,” Cooperman said.
Though the women on the panel shared positive experiences, they didn’t shy away from negative interactions they’ve had in the past. Daniels recounted her experience of facing skepticism when she announced her candidacy in 2019.
“She can’t do it. She’s quiet. She’s just not there,” Daniels recalled of the criticism.
The critiques, however, did not stop Daniels from accomplishing her goal. According to Daniels, she continued to show up and learn from those within her community — in spite of her skeptics.
“I was learning, I took the mantle and weighed in, and I won that,” Daniels said.
“So to be just yourself, be honest, be open, be willing to talk to people,” said Cooperman, in response to a member of the audience’s question regarding how a person should market themselves when trying to get into politics.
“I think if you’re here listening to us today, you’re probably already more than halfway there,” she added.
