Victoria Bayerl
About Me
I built much of my expertise through years of experience in areas of work, life, and parenting. While growing up, I wanted to be a world cup soccer player, a mathematician, and maybe a race car driver. I have always been active with lofty goals. However, some options were still not available for women. I started college out of high school, but my interests changed and I did not finish. On my path, I became a Mom raising 3 Black children. I experienced the shame of not being married as many women before me, but this was not my only identity. My main goal then became to give my children a stable home so that they had different opportunities than I. And they did!
My motto has always been, "If you help the Mothers, you will help the children." Some of my first activism started with creating daycare funding with Senator Wellstone. We realized how difficult it was for young mothers to enter the workforce and take control of their lives. That point forward, I was always working toward equity for women and an ally to find resources for whatever lifepoint they are currently in. Every woman's path is different, and I try to support that in myself and others. My Mother started college in her forties, and that became my path too. I returned to work at the University of Minnesota, where I left decades earlier, and I finished my college degree.
Much of my college research studies focused on Indigenous people, Black history, diverse cultures, different religions, and the activism history of the U. Decades of learning more about racism and inequities came to be my passion. I volunteered in areas of schools, education, and the prison system, but often these were band aid solutions. I needed to help the women, to help the children. Now my work at CARHE supports expertise and the depth of work needed to change institutions. I hope to help reach that tipping point.
I earned my BA in Multidisciplinary Studies (Technical Writing & Hispanic Studies) with a minor in Social Justice with the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, CCAPS, University of Minnesota.
Email: [email protected]