Creston girl's essay on MP woman wins statewide contest

Editor?s note: Emily Robinson, a Creston eighth grader, won first place in a statewide essay contest, sponsored by the Iowa Department of Human Rights, the Iowa Department of Education and the State Historical Society. Robinson won her award in the Science and Engineering for 8-9 grade divisions. The contest is called ?Write Women Back into History? and Robinson?s essay was on Barb Welander, Mt. Pleasant. Welander, the first certified woman architect in Iowa, is building and zoning administrator for the City of Mt. Pleasant. Robinson?s unedited essay follows.

By Emily Robinson

?If you have an interest, go with it. You don?t know until you try.?

In today?s society, we are very lucky. Women, and men, are both able to enroll in any high school program they choose. However, in the 1940?s and 1950?s, women were not as lucky. I heard this first hand from Barbara Welander. She was the first woman architect to be certified in the state of Iowa, and trust me, it wasn?t easy.

Barbara Welander grew up in Mt. Pleasant, in a loving family. Her parents were both very supportive and encouraging in everything she did. This came in handy throughout all of her education.

When Mrs. Welander was in junior high school, she took standardized tests, just like we do today. These tests show your strengths, and Barbara was definitely strong in English, math, science, and art. After talking to her parents about it, she decided to try and go into architecture.

Mrs. Welander hit a rough spot when she tried to sign up for mechanical drawing classes. The school?s superintendent was not willing to let a girl take a class that was thought of for boys, and of course, Barbara?s family revolted. Her parents went to the school board to discuss the issue. The teacher of the class that Barbara wanted to take was willing to have her in class. When the superintendent stepped up to the stand, however, things changed. He convinced the board that was a bad idea, and Barbara was not allowed to take the classes. Things changed, though. After the superintendent left the school, a new one was hired. The new superintendent told Barbara that it was a public school, and he didn?t see why there was a problem with it.

Needless to say, Barbara was now officially enrolled in the drawing classes she needed to work into the field of architecture. After high school, she sent in her application to Iowa State University. She was accepted, and started into her new school. At the beginning of her freshman year, there were about 200 students in the architecture program. Out of these 200 students, 11 were women. By her sophomore year, Barbara was the only woman remaining, meaning 10 women had left the program. Of course, there was about that same percentage of men that dropped out as well, but Barbara was now alone in a major of men.

Mrs. Welander finished out her school years strongly, and graduated from Iowa State University. She then went on to do her three years of required experience before becoming licensed by the state of Iowa. What I think makes her special is that she was the first woman architect certified here!

When I asked Mrs. Welander if she thought of herself as a role model for women, she said ?Yes and No.? When I asked her why, she said that she hoped that she was a role model for both men and women. She wants to remind others that there should not be anyone that tells them that they can?t do something. ?If you have an interest, go with it,? she said. ?You don?t know until you try.?

Mrs. Barbara Welander has, because of all this, made a huge difference in my life. She has endured so much just to make her dreams come true. Throughout all of this, she stood up for herself. She did not let anyone bring her down, or crush her dreams. Sometimes, kids would come up to her and say, ?Why are you taking mechanical drawing?? Barbara always had a way to respond. She did not let anyone destroy her. She used logical answers, and always told them that she was doing what she wanted to do.

I believe that Mrs. Welander should definitely be a role model for any person, not just students that want to go into architecture or design. She is all about letting students, and adults, know that you can do whatever you want to do.

I am a student that wants to go into architecture. The thought of designing buildings has always appealed to me. On January 24, 2012, I got the pleasure of having a phone conversation with Mrs. Welander. She was so inspiring! All of her stories about getting support from her fellow students (and discrimination from some) inspired me to keep moving forward. Mrs. Welander told me about everything she went through, from struggling to learn about architecture because of her gender to working and still being there for her children. This conversation has made a lifelong impact on me, and has also directed me toward classes I need to take to achieve my dreams.

Even though a lot of women went through struggles to get their freedom, I think Barbara Welander should be written into history as one of the greatest women to overcome a learning obstacle. She persevered, and when things didn?t go right, she never gave up. I hope her story will inspire others, not just me, and leave an impact on society.