This Sunday, in honor of International Women’s Day, King’s Academy hosted a special assembly. Keynoting our very own principal, Mrs. Penny Townsend, the day focused on the role of women in leadership positions.

Mrs. Townsend spoke eloquently about the slow but marked improvement of female inclusion in leadership positions. Citing an investigation at Princeton University, Mrs. Townsend spoke at length about how women at the university were often seen in high-ranking roles—like secretary or VP—but were not presidents, either in clubs or departments. While this study was discouraging, further examination revealed three things. First, while there was still disparity between sexes in positions of power, there were more women in the boardroom overall than there had been twenty-five years prior. Secondly, Mrs. Penny addressed what is colloquially known as the ‘Confidence Gap’—in which women are more likely to undersell themselves than their male counterparts. The final identified cause was societal expectations of women. These were things Mrs. Penny went on to discuss.

The ‘Confidence Gap,’ as it is known, was addressed through an anecdote. Mrs. Penny spoke about how, during her tenure as a high schooler, a field hockey coach had pulled her aside to demand she try out for the school team. Mrs. Penny said that it had not seemed possible to try out for the team as a mere freshman but did so when encouraged. To her surprise, she made the varsity—as a ninth grader. Mrs. Townsend pointed out that this was an example of that dreaded lack of confidence—but that it was resolved by the presence of a mentor. Mentorship, Mrs. Townsend elaborated, ameliorates this disadvantage. While Mrs. Townsend elected to leave the team the following year, her point remained this—that having a female mentor as a guide opened the door to new opportunities for her.

As for societal expectations, Mrs. Townsend again pulled from her own experiences. Speaking about her time as a working mother, she enumerated the difficulties of balancing work and children. Despite the long hours and the juggling of schedules, it was worth it—not just for Mrs. Townsend, but for her children as well. Indeed, Mrs. Townsend spoke candidly about the benefits of her career for her family and children, and the unusual and advantageous opportunities her employment afforded them. Just this year, Mrs. Townsend welcomed a granddaughter into her family, to whom she will most assuredly serve as a role model.

Today, Mrs. Townsend stands before King’s Academy as its first female Head of School, an experienced teacher, and a mentor for new generations of students. This International Women’s Day, we are grateful to her and to all the women who inspire us, empower us, and on whom King’s Academy and our students so heavily rely.