SIUE’s Learning Resource Center on the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus Hosts Sheroes in Education for Women’s History Month
Honoring Legacy. Celebrating Leadership. Inspiring the Next Generation.
During Women's History Month, communities across the country reflect on the women who have shaped institutions, movements, and futures. This March, the Learning Resource Center (LRC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s East St. Louis Center on the Wyvetter H. Younge Higher Education Campus (WHYHEC), hosts the East St. Louis Sheroes in Education series to honor four distinguished educators from East St. Louis School District 189.
“The series brings together four distinguished educators whose leadership helped shape generations of students,” said Amber Davis, LSW, LRC coordinator. “Their stories are not just memories of the past. They are living testimony to what it means to lead with conviction, compassion, and vision in East St. Louis.”
The following four educators will have a weekly presentation hosted on the campus. They share their views on women leaders in education.
Ethel Shanklin, EdD, the first female principal of East St. Louis Senior High School, describes teaching as more than a profession. “Teaching has always felt like more than a career to me. It was my calling.” From childhood classroom games with her siblings to restoring order and pride during one of the most challenging periods in the high school’s history, Shanklin led with “firmness, fairness and compassion,” proving that leadership is defined by resolve, not gender.
Wanda P. LeFlore, EdD, expands the meaning of the word “Sheroe” beyond recognition. “A sheroe in education is an educator who believes in women, uplifts them, and walks alongside them throughout their educational journeys.” She reminds us that changemaking requires vision, courage, and community, especially in this pivotal post pandemic moment when compassionate leadership is essential.
For Doris Massenburg, Sheroes in Education are “women who possess prowess in their chosen fields, tenacity to devise and revise, implement and redesign strategies to effect and inspire growth.” She reflects on a time when women were prominent in classrooms but not in the highest levels of administration, and she celebrates the undeniable academic and creative excellence that has long existed within East St. Louis schools.
Edna Farmer grounds her definition in love and integrity. “Sheroes in Education are teachers who love teaching, their students, their students’ well-being and their growth into productive citizens.” Her career reflects both the rewards and the realities of the profession, and her advice is simple and clear: “Follow your dream.”
This free community event will be hosted weekly at LRC on the East St. Louis campus, 601 James R. Thompson Boulevard, Bldg B. Room 2074, in East St. Louis, and is presented in collaboration with Redimed Performance Plus. The daytime program offers students, retirees, community members, and professionals with flexible schedules an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and reflection.
“Together, these women speak to barriers faced, narratives challenged, pride restored, and excellence often overlooked. They remind us that East St. Louis has always been rich with talent, discipline, creativity, and resilience,” said Davis. “Come listen. Come learn. Come celebrate the Sheroes who carried classrooms, schools, and community forward.”
PHOTO: Sheroes in Education flyer
