The League's Board unanimously approved and welcomed Briahna LeFave as a new Board member and Public Relations Chair at our in-person meeting on September 10.
To get to know our newest Board Member better, Briahna LeFave was interviewed by e-mail and asked to answer several questions including, “Why am I a member of the LWV-Whitewater Area?”
Briahna is the oldest of three siblings and was born and raised in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Attending college in Whitewater was a no-brainer for her, as she wanted to stay close to her family. Briahna now lives in Sun Prairie with her fiancé, daughter, and three dogs as she finishes her senior year. Last spring, Briahna took an amazing opportunity to hone her writing skills as the Business & Technology Editor of the “Royal Purple,” UW-Whitewater’s campus newspaper, in which she gained valuable experience in journalism, media relations, and the production process. This semester, Briahna became the assistant poetry editor for UW-Whitewater’s literary and art magazine, “The Muse.”
While Briahna officially declared Women & Gender Studies as her major in college, studying women and gender had always been second nature to her. Raised by an incredibly smart and independent single mother, the sheer force and will of women were never lost on her. As Briahna grew older, she took advanced women studies classes in middle school and high school. These classes solidified what Briahna had already known: Women are incredible! She decided to make it her life’s work to bolster women and fight for gender equality.
Having her daughter, who is now six years old, encourages and motivates Briahna to try and make positive changes in her community and beyond. Briahna was given the opportunity to become an intern for the League by Professor Janine Tobeck. The internship quickly turned into a position on the Board of Directors as she fell in love with the integral work the League was doing. Briahna feels that these women have their boots on the ground; organizing, educating, and accomplishing tasks. It is an honor for her to be a small part of that. Joining the League of Women Voters-Whitewater Area is an incredible opportunity to advocate for everyone, especially women and other marginalized groups so that they can have their voices heard by practicing the right to vote, said Briahna. The work the League does inspires Briahna and reminds her of what great progress we can achieve when we come together.
Submitted by Kathy Brimmer, Membership Chair
