I first met Dr. Wioleta Fedeczko in August of 2016 just a few weeks after moving across the country from New York City to Utah. My partner had accepted a tenure track position at UVU and I was eager to get back to teaching after several years of working in the non-profit sector. At the time, adjunct teaching seemed to be a way to open the door and make some connections so I nervously applied and interviewed to become an adjunct instructor in the English and Literature Department. 

 

Wioleta was the first person I met at UVU and she welcomed me wholeheartedly. We became more than colleagues over that first year as we developed a friendship and support system and when a full time lectureship opened up she encouraged me to apply. The applicant pool was extensive and I thought it was a lost cause until I got a phone call from Wioleta telling me to “sit tight” that she was advocating strongly for me to be hired. A day later I got an email offering me a one year contract which meant that I had a full time job and I could stop worrying so much. Because of her conviction that I was a capable and strong addition to the department worthy of being hired I have spent the past 3 years as a full time lecturer at UVU and have grown personally and professionally as a result. 

 

I firmly believe that when women encourage and support other women great things can happen. As a result of Wioleta’s willingness to speak up in support of me I have been able to re-establish my teaching career and be part of a community of scholars whom I like and admire. I have been encouraged to do more than I thought possible when I first got to Utah because Wioleta believed in me and that made me believe in myself. When women sponsor other women we build each other up and create a culture of success. This kind of uplifting is a reminder that when we use our voices to advocate for one another we make space for powerful growth and change, individually and institutionally.