Interviews with Molly Moreau, Class of 2016, and Amanda Berk, Class of 2020

Will You Actually Remember Your 8:00 a.m. Humanities Classes in 20 Years?

By Garrison Morrill

For two Vanderbilt alumnae, the lessons learned in their Gender and Sexuality Studies courses continue to guide how they think, lead, and build more equitable futures in their careers. Molly Moreau, Class of 2016, and Amanda Berk, Class of 2020, pursued majors in Medicine, Health, and Society and minors in Women’s and Gender Studies, since renamed to Gender and Sexuality Studies (GSS). Both credit Vanderbilt for developing their passions for health equity and social impact and expressed gratitude for the skills they strengthened in GSS classrooms: compassion, collaboration, and critical analysis.

Moreau currently serves as the Director of Community and Social Impact at Comma, an integrated period care company based in Nashville. Before that, she worked for Planned Parenthood as manager of a comprehensive adolescent pregnancy prevention program, overseeing educators, grants, and curriculum design. “In a lot of industries, you don’t get to see firsthand what you’re building. The most rewarding part of my career is getting to see the direct impact of the work that I do.”

There is an immediate connection between Moreau’s work and her academic background, as the feminist theory she learned guides her real-world experiences. “WGS shaped the lens through which I view and analyze almost everything that I do at work. It is one of the ways that I’m able to make the work that I do as equitable as possible.” She credits professors like Rory Dicker and Katie Crawford for igniting her interests and supporting her growth. On Dicker, “she was just such an incredible professor. She nominated several of my papers for the undergraduate writing symposium and helped me develop my thesis. She challenged me. Some professors may be scared to do that, or they take the easy way out, whereas Rory never did.” When sitting in her first WGS class with Professor Crawford, she remembers thinking, “Oh my god, this is so fun. I totally like this.”

For Amanda Berk, GSS provided a similar path to confidence and discovery and continues to guide her work as a graduate student in Social Work and Public Health at the University of Texas. “WGS blended beautifully with MHS,” she said about her Vanderbilt experience. “I’ve always loved women’s health. But I realized it wasn’t medicine that interested me. I was more drawn to public health and health policy.” As a co-founder and COO of a telehealth startup focused on women’s health, Berk still relies on the conversational and argumentative skills she learned in her GSS classes, along with her understanding of feminist theory. These classes also taught her the value of human connection and emotional engagement, something that can be missed in thelessonsofherprimarymajor.

The interdisciplinarity of GSS is reflected in our Senior Seminar, as we have students who study Philosophy, Biochemistry, Cognitive Science, Law, Media, Philosophy, Political Science, Human and Organizational Development, and, like these two alumni, Medicine, Health, and Society. We each find value in how Gender and Sexuality studies intersect with our main disciplines, deepen our understanding of how gender shapes our world, and challenge us to approach our everyday work more critically and empathetically. Berk put this into perspective: “I took a pop culture class that was amazing. We analyzed TV shows and social media with a critical lens. That’s where I learned about intersectionality, which is essential in social work. It affects how I analyze policies and understand that different identities shape people’s experiences. Those more touchy-feely classes improved my conversational skills and ability to make connections, which are essential in any job.”

Both alumnae reflected fondly on the strong community within GSS. “A big reason I loved WGS was the community,” said Berk. Most of my classes were full of women, and I thrived in that environment.” Similarly, Moreau explained, “All of the students became friends because the classes really encouraged conversation and debate. It gave me the confidence to be able to talk about things without second-guessing myself. I’ll still have moments where it strikes me how lucky I was to get to be in that space with people who have similar ideas. It was a lot of fun.”

From non-profit service to startup innovation, both alumnae illustrate how the study of gender and sexuality extends far beyond the classroom, building a dynamic toolkit of empathy, open dialogue, critical analysis, and leadership in any field. In a time when gender studies face misunderstanding and scrutiny, these stories are proof that these lessons are applicable, empowering, and durable.