Where Is the Ceiling?
Recently, I spoke to the Association of Woman in Science (AWIS), a group of highly intelligent professional women. To my surprise, one member asked the question about glass ceiling that I didn't expect from this group of highly accomplished women. The young lady, a Ph.D. Student at Stanford asked me what I think about it and how I broke it.
Some very accomplished women were raised by their families that they were less important than their brothers. They carry that concept with them, and accept unfair treatment and blame their gender for all their lost opportunities. Gradually, they fail to pursue their opportunities aggressively and eventually lose their drive to compete with men. Over the time, their glass ceiling becomes a concrete ceiling or a steel ceiling, totally blocking their vision, drive and opportunity of career advancement. They live with the resentment and bitterness of not having equal opportunities.
My answer has always been, "The whatever ceiling first resides in your mind, then in the reality. To break the ceiling of any kind, you have to remove it from your own mind first, then you will have a chance to penetrate it by your intelligence and hard work.
My father once told me,"Girls and boys are equal, except that girls can wear pretty dresses." I carry that advice with me always. It gives me confidence whenever I fell less than equal to my male colleagues.
Elizabeth Xu
Some very accomplished women were raised by their families that they were less important than their brothers. They carry that concept with them, and accept unfair treatment and blame their gender for all their lost opportunities. Gradually, they fail to pursue their opportunities aggressively and eventually lose their drive to compete with men. Over the time, their glass ceiling becomes a concrete ceiling or a steel ceiling, totally blocking their vision, drive and opportunity of career advancement. They live with the resentment and bitterness of not having equal opportunities.
My answer has always been, "The whatever ceiling first resides in your mind, then in the reality. To break the ceiling of any kind, you have to remove it from your own mind first, then you will have a chance to penetrate it by your intelligence and hard work.
My father once told me,"Girls and boys are equal, except that girls can wear pretty dresses." I carry that advice with me always. It gives me confidence whenever I fell less than equal to my male colleagues.
Elizabeth Xu
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