EDITORS NOTE: This feature is part of a regular series of interviews by the WNC Western Womens Council. It highlights members of the Western family who have been recognized by colleagues, classmates and peers for being an inspiration and a support, and who have been a strength to the communities in which they serve. The goal of the Spotlight is to shine a light of gratitude and recognition on those who may have been working hard behind the scenes, and to provide us opportunities to celebrate the energy within our community. If you have someone that you would like to Spotlight, fill out the nomination form to nominate your inspirational person for an upcoming Spotlight story!

Western Womens Council is pleased to feature our own Dr. Jennifer Verive for our inaugural Spotlight Story!
Dr. Verive is an energetic adjunct faculty member in psychology who has served the Western Nevada College community for the last 15 years. She loves the opportunity to work closely with students, faculty and staff in the intimacy that a small school environment provides. We love that she identifies her favorite characteristic as being her ability to tolerate uncertainty We are sure that this trait has served her well this year!
Dr. Verive is particularly inspired by people who are invested in pursuing their OWN goals [and] being fully who they are, and we can see this in the women that she recognizes as her professional inspirations. As she says, I have a host of girls and women past, present, and fictional who inspire me who show how effective and powerful it is to combine strength, courage and compassion (i.e., Mary, Wonder Woman, Ruby Bridges, Alice Paul, Kamala Harris). My personal favorite is the artist Georgia OKeeffe she lived life on her own terms with passion, creativity, and certainty about her desires and goals.
Dr. Verive is herself an inspiration to those around her and is committed to providing resources and strength to those who are striving to meet their fullest potential. As a representative of the Capital Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), she has spent years educating and connecting students and professionals to the knowledge and the tools they need to advocate for their paths and to secure their futures. As she says: My passion is to support people in figuring out and pursuing their own goals. To do that, we need to have equal opportunities and to be able to be fully who we are. So, I invite others to join my fight for gender equity with AAUW, and to make play matter what we do for fun informs how we work.
We at Western Womens Council are truly inspired by Dr. Verive. Thank you for all of the passion and dedication!
For those who are interested in learning more about AAUW, its resources, and its initiatives, please visitwww.aauw.org.