Her Story
About Kyra Eden
Kyra Whitehead serves as an English professor and director of the Writing Center at the University of Jamestown in Jamestown, North Dakota. She has held this position for 13 years after transitioning from nearly a decade of teaching English at a Sino-American joint venture institution in China, where she developed several program initiatives and built connections through her involvement in the local artist community. Whitehead completed all of her degrees at Drew University, earning an undergraduate degree in sociology and psychology before pursuing a master's and doctorate in writing studies and writing and global studies. Prior to her time in China, she taught English in New Jersey with her master's degree. She also spent a year in India working at a battered women's and children's shelter editing case studies. Although she initially resisted a career in teaching due to discomfort with public speaking, Whitehead gradually overcame this through presenting at academic conferences and adjunct teaching, ultimately developing a passion for the profession. She is fluent in Chinese, which she began learning while living abroad.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kyra Eden
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think it's that first of all to reach our goals as women we need to be the inspiration for the women around us and we have to be willing to accept trusted guidance when we return and limitations. We are unlimited. I think that we need each other to support our goals. Everyone has their own limitations but we need the other women around us who get it and have been through it and have faced the adverse adversity and have their own stories and their own things that they've had to overcome so I think being willing I'm open to except trusted guidance is important and you know we have to somewhere in us find the confidence to forge forward when the world just says no. Another yeah I just think other people's limitations shouldn't define our own.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It's important for women to fight for the things they've already accomplished and to make them and to not be afraid to speak up and say no I'm not an imposter I put this work in. I'll show you that I'm not an imposter. I had to lead with action. My voice at a certain point wasn't enough. I had to show them who I was. I started really building these you know I had already been involved in building initiatives and whatever. I became a face on campus and I made sure everyone knew it. I kind of rose from the ashes. I built up these big programs I became a member of the leadership team I made myself visible and I made my work visible so that no one could feel it from me and they would know what I was doing.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.