Women Making History Share Insight Surrounding Professional Journeys

April 5, 2024

Ellen Van de Mark ’03, Dr. Kellyn Arnold ’13, Dr. Kirsten (Bartleson) Doebel ’01, and Joanne Sebby ’97 served as guests and presenters in Buena Vista University’s annual Women Making History event on campus in Storm Lake on March 21.

The quartet offered insight on their experiences during their time as undergraduates as well as the many highlights they’ve earned in their successful careers. The event was made possible through the generosity of BVU graduates Laura (Grandstaff) Horn ’73, a former BVU Trustee, and her husband, Hasty Horn ’71.

Dr. Annamaria Formichella, Professor of English and Director of Gender Studies, served as moderator, asking questions prepared for the panelists by students in the Introduction to Gender Studies class.
Some examples of questions and responses follow.

What do you think is the most important thing you left BVU with that helped with your career path?

“My internship helped launch my career,” said Van de Mark, who serves as a Producer for ABC News in Washington, D.C. “I remember it being scary to go to Washington as an intern, but I wanted to try something new.”

“My mother was a single mother who set her own path working in the male-dominated agricultural field. She was my first hero.”

-Ellen Van de Mark, BVU Class of 2003

Are there any classes you took at BVU, outside of those in your major, that had a specific impact on you or your career?

“I tried to NOT take something,” said Sebby, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer with Fiserv in Omaha, Neb. “And this logic class seemed to be the lesser of two evils, so I registered for the class. As an accounting major who saw things as exact, I remember being in logic, participating in an exercise where we had to explain how it is you can speed (go over the speed limit) and still be considered safe. I returned to that exercise later in life.”

“I needed a science credit, so I took a 400-level geology class,” said Van de Mark. “Now, I’ve had the opportunity to cover volcanoes and earthquakes.”

During your time at BVU, what extracurricular activities were you involved in, and did you find it difficult to balance those activities with academics?

“I played soccer and participated in the Student-Athlete Advisory Council,” said Arnold, a Consultant in Epidemiology for IQVIA in London, England. “I remember the late-night bus rides to and from matches, and studying on the bus. But through that experience, I was able to experience teamwork while getting exercise and having the joy of playing. As an adult, I’ve learned how hobbies are such an important part of your life and well-being.”

Doebel, who serves as Spencer High School Principal, related how travel experiences to New York City and Israel highlighted her academic and co-curricular experiences. She regrets not being able to travel to Vietnam as her senior capstone project centered on the Vietnam War.

On topics related to gender in the workplace, Sebby related how she once had a colleague insinuate she (Sebby) would earn a position because she’s a woman. Rather than agree with the faulty premise, Sebby said she asserted herself and listed reasons she should receive a promotion, all of which were reasons having to do with performance, such as sales growth, productivity, and efficiencies achieved for the company.

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Doebel said to students in Anderson Auditorium. “Studies show how women are likely to not apply for a job if they don’t believe they have every quality sought for the position. Men, on the other hand, will apply for a job if they have just a couple of the qualities sought.”

Van de Mark has been derisively referred to as “Sweetie” by male colleagues who were trying to dismiss her point of view. Those types of sexist labels are now unacceptable, and, thankfully, not readily observed in 2024. “Part of it involves us advocating for ourselves, too,” Van de Mark said.

Doebel noted that while most educators are females, most administrators are males. That is changing. She’s currently in a higher-education cohort where half of the group seeking their superintendent’s licensure are women, half are men.

Who are some of your women role models and how have they impacted your professional life?

“My mother was a single mother who set her own path working in the male-dominated agricultural field. She was my first hero,” Van de Mark remembered, adding she has also gotten to work with some incredible barrier-breaking women and professionals such as Candy Crowley, who have served as mentors and advisers in her life and career.

“Dr. Dixee Bartholomew-Feis (Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Professor of History) changed the trajectory of my life,” Doebel said. “And Dr. Stacey (Weaver) Cole ’96 (Superintendent, Storm Lake Community School District) has been a mentor for me all along. She’s the Iowa Superintendent of the Year!”

“One of my earliest memories is watching the USA women win the World Cup in 1999,” said Arnold, who still plays some competitive soccer. “They would be role models of mine, as are many of the women I work with.”
Arnold also spoke to students about anxiety they may feel as deadlines and milestones approaching Commencement creep forward.

“I work in epidemiology and as a junior or senior at BVU ten years ago, I had no idea what epidemiology was,” she said with a laugh. “Don’t worry. Enjoy your experiences here. Get the most out of your time at BVU. It’s a wonderful, safe place where you can learn about you!”

Sebby concurred, noting how she’d grown as an uptight freshman and sophomore always worrying about the next exam and project, to someone who relaxed and threw herself into a wealth of activities. Those co-curriculars would help inform her, too.

In fact, she helped conclude the panel with her observations on how men and women enjoyed equal opportunities as students at Buena Vista, a concept that seemed to be the norm. “Both men and women served as presidents and leaders of our organizations on campus,” she said. “Because of that, I think I expected to see equality in the workplace, too.”