Women, Work & Success: Balancing Work Success and Family Success
By Janae Brewster

Stacey Kamm Smith, '86, juggles being a wife and mother of two, and being Whitworth's associate vice president for institutional advancement.

She started working in institutional advancement/development in 1992, and has worked full-time ever since. Her husband currently works a night shift as a nurse, while she works during the day.

"For many people, work can be a source of pride and a way to feel successful," Smith said.

In the 1960s, only 20 percent of women worked outside the home. Now the number has risen to 60 percent, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.  Not only are working women holding higher-paying jobs, they are raising families at the same time.

Gail (Peebles, '92) Brock has found her niche as the branch manager at a U.S. Bank in Spokane. Along with being a successful businesswoman, she is also a single mother to her 5-year-old son.

She returned to Spokane from a successful career at a bank in Colorado two years ago. For her son's sake, she wanted to be closer to her family. Brock started her job managing a product line, and then eventually moved to branch manager.

Since she is raising her son alone, she doesn't have the option of being a stay-at-home mom. To her, a mother who is not working still has a full-time job.

"Work is the easy part. Being a mom is the difficult part. Sometimes I'm glad when Monday comes," Brock said.

Both Brock and Smith agree that running a household is easier said than done. Smith and her husband have created a non-traditional household model.

"In the traditional model, the house is the woman's sphere; she is in charge," Smith said.  "In the new model, we both share responsibilities. Roles aren't clearly defined; each couple has to work it out for themselves."

Smith commends Whitworth's allowance for flexibility in her job. She is able to telecommute and stays active in her children's lives.

"Studies show that more flexibility equals more production," she said. "The key is flexibility."

Although her job does allow for some flexibility, Brock said that one of the biggest struggles is wanting more time to spend with her son.

"There are not enough hours in the day," she said. "I wish I could spend more time hanging out with him, reading, playing or even watching a movie."

Smith's biggest challenge in the workplace is feeling like she's not accomplishing as much as she could if she didn't have a family. Smith tries not to be consumed by her work, and knows that she has to call it quits at some point.

However, Smith does not look down on women who choose to stay home full time. She has friends who stay at home and some who work; both are happy and living fulfilled lives. She believes that society needs to address the possibility that women can be fulfilled without having a career.  

However, Smith said she never saw not working as an option. Her parents were divorced, and both her mother and stepmother worked. In college, she never considered not having some sort of career.

"No one talked about not having a career. I wish they would have," Smith said. "The older I get, the more questions I ask about the decision to work."

Although she doesn't want to discourage women from having a job, she thinks it is important to know that working and being a mother can be complicated.

Economic trends point to many factors contributing to the influx of working mothers in the marketplace, according to the Department of Labor. Women have more earning opportunities, greater possibilities to climb the corporate ladder, and the chance for higher standards of living.

These trends also correlate with the fact that more women are attaining higher levels of education than ever before. Currently, over 29 percent of women ages 25-34 have attained a bachelor's degree or higher. More younger women are going to college. As women's ages increase, the level of educational achievement decreases, according to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau.

Throughout all the struggles between balancing home and the office, Brock said that her son always comes first. Her job is incentive-based, and her incentive is providing financially for her son.

She has started stressing less than she used to and allows herself to appreciate the rewards and incentives she receives from her job. Over time, Brock has realized that she can't feel guilty about working and raising a son.

"I've decided if I am going to work, I am going to be the most successful I can be," Brock said.