Mary E. Dilworth joined Many Hands just over a year ago—she served last year and is serving this year on the Education FAC. Mary holds a doctoral degree in Higher Education, and is a nationally recognized author, educator, and researcher. Currently she is an independent researcher and a member of several advisory boards on education policy.
We asked Mary to share a little about herself and her connection to Many Hands.
What is your personal elevator pitch?
I’m an aging hippie—retired with a small “r.” I’m passionate about the work needed in this world to advance equity and ethnic diversity. I truly appreciate music—jazz in particular. I’m a very bad dancer (jazz and ballet) but have been working at it for nearly 40 years. I’m also the coordinator of about 100 kids and 15 volunteer faculty for my church’s Sunday school.
What has been a highlight of your involvement in Many Hands?
Serving on the Education FAC and understanding the varied perspectives of a phenomenal group of women has proven invaluable to my own research. It is fascinating how these accomplished women in some instances perceive education differently than I and my research colleagues do. Their observations give me a better perspective on some real-world issues that fall outside of the realm of education research.
What is also extremely important to me is that Many Hands has clearly made an effort to engage younger women. They need to be in the conversation and we need to hear their voices.
What inspires you to get going each day, and how do you sustain your inspiration?
My work has focused on matters of diversity and equity. I challenge myself constantly to be constructive and remain productive. There are a lot of kids in our area who don’t receive the guidance or get the resources they need to be successful. As an advisor and board member, I’m aware that these struggles have become especially difficult in recent times, because some organizations have had to delay or slow their work due to loss of funding. I try to do whatever I can to help.