#HerStory: Ashley Westgate - Becoming a Part of the Community

Before this summer, I had trouble identifying myself as a Woman of Toledo. I was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, just about five hundred miles from Toledo, and I have lived in that area my whole life.

When I began attending the University of Toledo, it was not hard to identify as a Rocket because of all of the spirit and pride at sporting events and due to my high involvement in the extracurricular activities at the University. What I realized over this last semester was that I have been in Toledo for almost two years, and yet, I know nothing about the community. I had gone downtown maybe twice, I had never gone to Toledo events, and I had never explored what the city had to offer. Worst of all, though, I know nothing about the people outside of my campus bubble. This needed to change. 

When I first heard about the Community Impact Feminist Fellowship, a summer fellowship program organized by the University of Toledo’s Center for Women, I thought it would be a great opportunity to finally go out into the community and hopefully make a difference. I was ecstatic when I was formally accepted into the program, and I could not wait to find out what agency I had been paired with for the summer. There were six different non-profits that fellows could be paired with, and I truly did not have much preference for where I would end up because of how impactful each one was. However, the moment I was paired with Women of Toledo, I immediately knew I was in the right place. 

Unfortunately, some unexpected circumstances arose in my personal life towards the end of the spring semester, and I no longer wanted to stay in Toledo for the summer. I just wanted to go home, but I knew that I had made a commitment to the fellowship, and I did not feel justified in dropping my responsibility. I am so happy that I pushed through and stayed because, walking into my first day of work, I immediately felt welcome. I felt like I was part of the team, and Women of Toledo was what I needed this summer.

Every day, I was excited to come to work and surround myself with such a wonderful group of women. Words cannot describe how impactful my experience with the Women of Toledo has been. From those that I worked with to others I met at programs or events, it was incredibly inspiring to see so many empowered women. Each and every one of them has truly inspired me to work harder, to know my worth as an individual, both personally and professionally, and to make a difference in my community. Seeing how much Women of Toledo does for the community was eye-opening. I did not realize how much such a small team could do. Anytime someone needed help, all hands were on deck, and everything ended up as a success. 

I could write a novel about all of the memories I made and everything I did and learned while at Women of Toledo, but my biggest takeaway is that I am a part of the Toledo community, and I have so many opportunities to make a difference, I just need to seek them out. I will certainly be returning to Women of Toledo to attend programs and forums along with helping out in any way I can.

Thank you to the task team for welcoming me and making me feel at home when I needed it most. This experience has made a greater impact on my life than I ever thought possible.

**Thank you, Ashley, for sharing your story and choosing our LeadHerWay program to give your time & talent. Partnering with the Eberly Center for Women - Community Impact Feminist Fellowship at the University of Toledo, Ashley joined the Women of Toledo LeadHerWay Class 2024 during the summer and was involved in supporting our leadership with the Girls Hub Summer program, leading the Ambassador program project, and assisting with our HerHub Initiative.