Jennifer Rey Introduction

Hello everyone!  My name is Jennifer Rey and I am a transfer student from Valencia.  While I already received my AA in General Education making me a junior, this is my first year at UCF.  My major is Latin American Studies and my minor is Women's Studies.  My goal upon graduation is to become an ESOL teacher.  I will be celebrating my 6th year wedding anniversary in September with my husband. Our son, Vinny, just started kindergarten in Seminole County.  In addition to family life and school, I also work part time in the Oviedo Mall.  I enjoy travelling, bike riding and dancing.
My mom passed away three years ago this October and having her gone made me realize how much I counted on her for guidance.  She is the greatest influence in my understanding of how men and women behave.  We did not always agree, especially as the years progressed and I forged my own way in the world, but now when I need her guidance I use the example of her life.  I can see how she is a product of how her mother raised her and that my grandma is the product of her mother raised her and so on.  Thus, I have come to view myself as a product of having my mother raise me.
I have a picture in my son's room that says "How children see things depends on what we teach them" and I have come to accept that if I want my son to not be afraid of strong women then I need to be a strong woman for him.  I need to live my life as an example just as my mom did for me.  Yet at the ripe age of five, I have already heard my son say “girls can’t do that” and I realize that my battle has just begun.
I personally abide by the philosophy that I can’t change anyone, only myself.  I don’t expect my idea of what being a woman will match everyone else’s but I hope that encourages real honest debates.  Having said that, I believe one of the major ways gender influences my daily life is the fact that I need to pay attention to messages aimed at women more carefully.  For example, since I work at a women’s clothing store, I find it especially disturbing that the choice of music is filled with questionable lyrical content.  I have to stand up for how I want to be treated while fighting images and assumptions pressured upon me by popular culture.  On the same token, I do not want to say all men are a certain way because that is a gross injustice to feminist men everywhere as they also face pressure from culture stereotypes.

I have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus and the blogging protocols.

-          Jennifer Rey