Why This Exists
I created “Letters to a Future Feminist” because I kept watching students dismiss or ignore Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies without even understanding what it is. When I arrived at Lehigh, I genuinely had no idea WGSS existed as a program. Once I discovered it - honestly kind of by accident - it transformed how I think about everything. But the problem is that too many students never get that chance because WGSS remains invisible on campus, or worse, they hear stereotypes and dismiss it without ever learning what it actually offers.
I realized the best way to change this wasn’t through me making arguments or showing statistics about why WGSS is valuable. People tune that out. What actually matters is hearing from real people who’ve experienced WGSS - what it taught them, how it changed their thinking, where it led them. This website is that collection of voices. Every letter here is real. Every story shows what gender studies actually teaches and why it matters.
When I talked to students around campus for this project, I kept hearing the same things over and over: “I don’t know what WGSS is,” “It’s not practical,” “It’s only for women,” “You can’t get a job with that.” Meanwhile, I’m watching my classmates and WGSS alumni work in law, healthcare, education, policy, tech, advocacy, consulting - literally everywhere - using the critical thinking skills WGSS taught them every single day.
The misunderstanding between what people assumed and what WGSS actually is was so huge that I knew something had to change. This website is my attempt to close that gap by letting the WGSS community speak for themselves. Because honestly, their voices are so much more powerful than anything I could say.
How I Collected These Letters
Students in upper-level courses - specifically WGSS 352 (Feminist & Queer Theory) with Professor Mary Foltz - wrote letters as part of extra credit coursework. These letters show what it’s like to really dive deep into feminist theory, queer studies, and gender advocacy at an advanced level.
I reached out to Lehigh WGSS alumni through the department, alumni relations, faculty connections, and just personal networks. I created a Google Form where anyone who’d taken WGSS courses could submit a letter about their experience. Alumni wrote about how WGSS shaped their careers, their thinking, their lives after Lehigh - all the things you can only see looking back.
On March 3, 2026, I hosted this campus-wide pop-up event at the University Center and Fairchild-Martindale Library. I had tables set up where students could write letters on the spot, learn about WGSS if they’d never heard of it, meet faculty, talk about gender studies. This event was also really important for my assessment because it let me document what students who’d never encountered WGSS actually thought it was - capturing those misconceptions that the letters directly address.
I also reached out to friends and people in my communities who’ve had any experience with WGSS or gender studies, even if they didn’t major or minor in it. Some took one class that stuck with them. Some have been involved with GLE or Pride Center. Some just have thoughts about feminism and what they know about gender studies. All of those perspectives matter.
In total, I collected ___ letters from __ contributors representing students, alumni, faculty, and community members across multiple years of Lehigh’s WGSS program and beyond.
I want this website to do three specific things.
Make WGSS visible.
Too many students go through four years at Lehigh without ever knowing WGSS exists. That’s a problem. This website puts gender studies in front of people who might not otherwise encounter it - whether you’re just browsing, researching majors, looking for interesting courses, or trying to understand what your friend is studying. WGSS should be something every student at least knows about, even if they choose not to pursue it.
Counter misconceptions with real experiences.
People have all these ideas about what WGSS is - that it’s impractical, too niche, just activism, only for women, not rigorous. These letters show that none of that is true. WGSS teaches serious analytical skills, leads to incredibly diverse careers, and prepares you to think critically about a complex world. But instead of me telling you that, you’ll hear it directly from people who’ve lived it.
Create something that lasts.
This website isn’t just for this semester or this year. It’ll be here for future students who are curious about WGSS, trying to decide if they should take a class, wondering if the major or minor is right for them. Faculty can use it for advising and recruitment. And hopefully, it becomes a model for how to amplify other underrepresented or misunderstood programs at Lehigh - by centering authentic student voices instead of just promotional materials.
Honestly, I want prospective students to know WGSS exists before they’re halfway through college like I was. I want students who are curious about gender studies to hear directly from people who’ve actually experienced it, not just course descriptions or assumptions. I want WGSS to be recognized as the rigorous, relevant, transformative program it actually is - not dismissed based on stereotypes people picked up somewhere.
Most importantly, I want students to have real information so they can make actual informed choices about their education. If you read these letters and decide WGSS isn’t for you, that’s completely fine. But at least you’ll know what it actually is. And if you read these letters and think “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for” or “I had no idea this is what it was about,” then this project did what it was supposed to do.