Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Weston.
Hi Sara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story starts in college, where I was one of very few women in my Information Sciences and Technology major, a major that led me to a job at an engineering firm as a consultant for public safety systems. Being a 22-year-old young woman in a technical profession was a huge eye-opener for me. It was extremely difficult for me to find my footing. For years I always felt like I was treated differently and didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. I had amazing male mentors who taught me so much about public safety technology, but I would have benefited from a female mentor in so many ways. It would have been extremely helpful to have someone in my professional life who understood me, understood what I was going through, had been through it, and could advise me without judgment.
A few years after I started, our firm hired another young woman on my team. Her name was Wendy and she was fresh out of law school; and she changed my life. She was the first person to make me feel that I didn’t “deserve” to be treated a certain way because I was a woman. She taught me that I didn’t have to act a certain way or talk a certain way, that I could be myself, and the authentic me is really pretty awesome. Going through a personal transformation over several years made me want to help others do the same. At the same time, I was spending time in 911 centers as part of my job and meeting incredible women who were also life-saving heroes with incredibly stressful jobs. Because of my work, I traveled the country, working with hundreds of 911 centers and finally began meeting women in leadership. I truly believe that I grew professionally and personally from being around these women leaders, seeing myself in them, modeling their behavior, learning how to lead. I don’t know if I would have found success in my career if it weren’t for the women I was able to meet through my work.
About two and a half years ago, Wendy and I were invited to speak at a national conference, a session we titled “Empowering the Wonder Women of 911”, a name that was the seed to the name of our organization, 911der Women. Later that year, Wendy’s cancer reappeared, and we lost her a few months after that. I was devastated. She was not only my best friend but my partner in everything I was doing. She was my coworker, my support system, my guru in all things women’s empowerment. She was the reason I had gotten to this point and I wondered how I would do this without her. I felt alone. But that’s the thing. I wasn’t alone. I had my squad of women around me to lift me up, to comfort me and support me. Two months after Wendy passed, I was up on the stage, speaking at the conference and launching 911der Women – not alone – but with the help of my family and the amazing women in my life.
911der Women started as a Facebook page supporting a group of women in public safety who want to learn from and inspire one another. I wanted them to see that we work with and among amazing women every day where we see and aspire to certain skill sets, attitudes, and successes of the women around us. As the 911 community evolves toward the next generation of 911 and the next generations of leaders, we can influence the direction of our industry. We can lift each other up by building a community of women in public safety who support and empower one another to stay motivated to grow and succeed.
I started 911der Women hoping women would join. I hoped we would get 100 women who could be inspired and effect change. I hoped 100 women would gain camaraderie and confidence through community. I couldn’t even dream that we would have over 7,200 women in our Facebook group, that there would be a constant stream of inspiration and hope flowing through the group every single day. I watch before my eyes connections being made, women celebrating victories big and small, getting questions answered that they did not want to ask people who “knew” them. I watch women gaining confidence by realizing they were always qualified. I see women realizing that other women believe in them, that they can do hard things. Women learning that they are not alone – not in their struggles, not in their victories. Other women struggle with the same things. Other women can help us overcome the same obstacles. In our 911 community, I believe in the importance of women having a “squad” because women lookout for other women. This is our code. This is how we draw more strength. This is what 911der Women has become, an amazing squad. 911der Women is a group of women in our industry coming together despite all of the millions of differences. Different backgrounds, different jobs, different religions, they come from 911 centers, from industry partners, from state or federal positions, they vote differently, pray in different ways, they speak in different ways, but with at least one thing in common; they are amazing women in public safety who have found the calling of public service in the community. They have embraced and celebrated their differences and decided that we are more alike than we are different.
It was evident that the Facebook Group was meeting a need. Our group was filling a void by connecting women to each other that they otherwise would not have access to. I knew I had to take 911der Women beyond social media. I knew there was more we could do and I knew Wendy was right there with me. I decided to turn 911der Women into a nonprofit. I wasn’t sure at that point what we would do or how we would do it, but I knew we were needed. At the end of 2020, we received our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the IRS and we’ve hit the ground running. We’ve been fundraising and setting up programming throughout the spring and are so excited for what’s to come for the remainder of 2021.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would call my road to running a nonprofit anything but smooth. When I decided to turn our social media community into a nonprofit, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea what I was getting into or how much work it would be. This was a blessing because had I known what it would take, I would have probably been too scared to travel down this road. I learned everything I know about establishing a nonprofit from a book that Legal Zoom sent me when I applied. None of it was easy; all of it was worth it.
I really struggled with whether or not I was making the best decision for my family and as a career. I think many women go through this when faced with a big career decision. It is not just about the work, it is about everyone in my life who is affected by how much time I spend in the office as opposed to running errands, cleaning, cooking, being a mother, a wife and a friend. There was a lot to consider and it was sort of a leap of faith for my entire family. I was encouraged and discouraged and it was difficult to tune out the noise and listen to what was in my heart. Once I was able to do that, the decision was clear.
I struggle with self-doubt often. I am questioning my skill set and ability to lead a nonprofit on more days than I feel confident. But it’s important to have people in your life that you can turn to when the negative self-talk starts so you don’t let that negative voice inside your head win.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about 911der Women?
911der Women, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization raising money to provide mental health resources, training, outreach, research and other programs to our telecommunicators who are the public safety lifeline to those who call in need of help.
Our mission is to strengthen and support the Women of 911 and equip them with the tools to foster professional and personal growth. 911der Women is a nonprofit and a community where women are empowered to contribute significantly to the public safety industry and work through barriers in pursuit of their goals.
We envision an industry where women in 911 have expanded pathways to career advancement, leadership, and personal growth. An organization built from experience, 911der Women, creates the opportunity for every woman to achieve her fullest potential through networking, peer support, mentoring, and education. Confident women in 911 benefit the public safety community by showcasing their unique talents, professionalism and experiences. When women in 911 find their voice, they find their power.
I am most proud to bring valuable and very much-needed resources to women who otherwise would not have access to them. I want everyone to know that if we invest in our public safety heroes’ well-being, mental health and happiness, our 911 system will be better as a result. These dispatchers are the lifeline to those who call for help. These first responders are incredible people who not only deserve to be celebrated as heroes but also deserve to get the resources that are essential to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The Covid-19 pandemic has taught me so many important lessons. First and foremost, we are incredibly resilient and incredibly strong. As a mother of two small boys, getting through the first several very scary months of the pandemic was incredibly hard. It was hard for me and I got to shelter in place. I learned from our public safety heroes that no matter what we are going through, there is someone out there that is fighting for you. They continued to go into work, day after day, in close quarters, not knowing if they were going to contract the virus and risk-taking it home to their family. I also learned that no matter how much we think we are in control of our lives, we actually aren’t. A year and a half ago, we could not have imagined what 2020 would bring. But that’s not a reason to lose hope. I learned that even if I’m not in control of everything, I can do my best every day and work for what’s right. As horrible as 2020 was at times, it birthed this nonprofit and for that, I couldn’t be more proud.
Contact Info:
- Email: 911derWomen@gmail.com
- Website: 911derWomen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/911derwomen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/911derWomen
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/911derwomen
Image Credits
Macbeth Studio
