Who made you the woman you are today?
Topic: In Honor of National Women’s History Month, residents at Wellington at Hershey’s Mill in West Chester were asked to identify an individual who has helped mold them into the woman they are today.
Jacqueline Nemec: The greatest influence on my life was my father. He was an early proponent of equality for women. From day one of my life he encouraged me to be a doctor, despite the fact that only 8% of physicians at that time were female. He was also an advocate of flying during the early 1930’s. With this in mind, I was named Jacqueline after Jacqueline Cochran, an aviatrix, who won a national air race for woman at that time. I am forever grateful to my father for his unending love, support and encouragement. Always believing that women can accomplish anything they put their minds too.
••• R osemary Tucker: I feel I was influenced by many teachers in school, but no one taught me like my dad. He was proud when I was just a little girl receiving merit cards at Our lady of Lourdes. I was the oldest of five children. I had three younger sisters and one brother who was the middle child, but I was always the apple of my father’s eye. As a sevenyear-old child he taught me to swim in the bay in Ocean City, NJ. He loved swimming and I too, enjoyed it frequently. Surprisingly in college it was a requirement to graduate. In high school, I went to a large girl’s high school called West Catholic. My father played the violin and owned a very good one. He inspired me to sign up for violin lessons. In the city of Philadelphia, they had a large combined orchestra which I participated in as an upper classman. We performed at the academy of music in Philadelphia. As a senior in high school I applied to Immaculata and was accepted. My father took me to the campus to register for fall classes. He was a big influence in my life. Always being there for life’s important moments and Inspiring me to become the woman I am today. I was so fortunate to have him as my dad. J osephine Pellicano: There were two women in my life that helped me become the person I have tried to be. Neither gave me the route to fame and fortune, but they did give me the tools on how to live and love. Sr. Ellen Frawleya cenacle nun, my retreat leader. My educated teacher who taught me and helped me to grow, to understand and live in my faith.
My mother - the uneducated teacher who by word and example helped me to live my life in faith and how to love. She taught me how to live in this world as a wife, mom and as a person. Both women by example, taught me to be strong, be honest, be yourself and so much more. Reminding me that the world is not about us, but happiness is available to all of us. My mother’s greatest gift, how to love, love unconditionally, love with understanding and to give of yourself and give of your love.
Two women, who lived two different J oan Conway: I must say out of all the people I’ve met throughout my life; my family has been most influential in making me the woman I am today. Starting from my childhood years growing up on a dairy farm in Massachusetts, my father encouraged me to work on the farm to instill a good work ethic within me. This same work ethic which I passed along to my own three children; All whom have made me proud by graduating from college and becoming top professionals within the field of pharmacology. As life’s challenges began my children are there being my right hand. For them I am thankful and can truly say I love unconditionally. Not just for being my children, but for also making a positive impact on the world. Watching them has helped made me be my best!