Gabby

“I struggled having to define what it means to be a woman. Of course it’s more than one things - it’s what our society tells us to be and it’s what we as individuals believe it is. So, for me I guess being a woman means being persistent. it’s being determined and passionate. It’s being strong and being kind. It’s being aggressive and it’s being gentle. Being a woman means constantly navigating and negotiating who you have to be on any given day. The word that describes me and the quality I am proud of are the same. Perseverant. Life is often difficult and unexpecting. I’ve spent a lot of time being disheartened by my failures - which I’ll admit is often problematic. But, I do end up pushing through those failures to keep going. I used to say I was simply stubborn, which is also true, but it doesn’t explain it best. If I were to give other women and my younger self advice - It would be to be aggressive, be bossy, be assertive and be bitchy. Be all the things you were told not to be and never compromise your values.”

Gabby Lotarski

Occupation: Grad student + TA

Age: 25