Meet women leaders at the University of Idaho

When out on the slopes, skiing and breathing in the cold air, Morgan Shaver picked up the phone to discuss what it means to be a medical student.  

Shaver, a WWAMI medical student from the University of Washington and an athlete, revealed what it’s like to operate in a male dominated field.  

Taking in breaths of thin mountain air before each question, she took off her skis. Shaver is one of many women leaders at the University of Idaho who work hard and find joy in the work they do.  

As a medical student and competitive skier for 10 years, she knows the pressure that comes from working with predominantly male counterparts. For every 10 boys, she was one of three girls competing.  

“At some point, I had to learn how to hold my own and not feel intimidated,” Shaver said. “I’d think, ‘I’m a girl, and I can do whatever they’re doing.’ In medicine, it’s the same way.”  

Being an athlete taught her things she incorporates as a medical student. The more work put in, the better it gets, according to Shaver, and nothing can be perfect. Sports helped her become adaptable and have a flexible mindset to push her to do better.  

For Christian Elsberry, associate vice president at Advancement Services, entering the workforce as a woman made it harder to seek out leadership positions. “I sought out interesting work and skill sets I wanted to learn, and it was within these sorts of contexts that I’ve never been afraid,” Elsberry said.  

Elsberry comes from a background in psychology and never expected it to lead her to a high role in finance. But she’s always found herself in leadership positions, even at her first job in high school. After deciding to change career paths from social work to payroll, she found work more rewarding.  

“I was in those positions where I realized, okay, if I’m not in charge, then I have to accept certain things aren’t going to be the way I want to be, and I can only imagine them being better,” Elsberry said. “One piece of advice I have, is to learn how to articulate what your needs are, and do it often, as many times and as loud as you need to.” 

The UI graduate is also a second-generation immigrant.  

“I have a lot of pieces and parts to me,” Elsberry said. “When you stop defining yourself as one story, you become many stories and it’s the accumulation of all those things that you take into the world.”  

According to Elsberry, building relationships can only happen by having conversations with individuals in the room.  

Mindy McAllister, director of recruitment and stakeholder engagement at the College of Natural Resources and a UI graduate, worked for many clubs and organizations during her time at the university that shaped her future career decisions.  

In natural sciences, McAllister works in a male dominated field and knows other women in the college who continue to challenge the norm.  

“There are some fields that are really balanced and some that are skewed more male than female,” McAllister said. “But I do see positive changes even from when I was a student 15 years ago.”  

Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce