With the steady stream of traffic, blaring radios and tantalizing smells wafting from Baja Bean and Frank's Pizza, the University Women's Center, located on the corner of 14th Street and University Avenue, easily is overlooked.
On the north side of the street, the Women's Center houses the needed resources every woman in Charlottesville might seek.
Unaware of this valuable source of information, inspiration and support, and surrounded by so much else on one of Charlottesville's busiest intersections, very few students wander in off the street.
But don't let the neighboring street's activity distract you.
Upon entering through the double doors, a new client first encounters a student secretary who smiles warmly as she offers the next available appointment.
In addition to a few comfortably overstuffed chairs, the waiting room boasts a wall with a vast number of informational pamphlets and booklets on a wide range of subjects: breast cancer awareness, teenage runaway centers, eating disorders and Madison House volunteer opportunities.
To limit oneself to this wall of information, however, is barely to scratch the surface of resources that the Women's Center offers its clients.
The physical limitations of the building restrict the center to a few small offices branching off a narrow hallway. It's almost inconceivable that some 20,000 faculty members, undergraduate and graduate counselors and mentors, interns and clients frequented the modest-sized center last year.
Every morning, as she jump-starts the day with her radiant smile and boundless enthusiasm, Women's Center Founding Director Sharon Davy makes it her goal to keep those numbers on the upswing.
"What I like most about the center is having an effect on the culture of the University," Davy said. "We want to make it a place where every woman can be her best - without any barriers."
Davy pushes open the door to her invitingly messy office, apologizing profusely for being late for the 10:30 a.m. appointment. It's 10:25 a.m.
She immediately launches into an extensive explanation about what the center is all about. She credits her staff and interns with making her experience "exhilarating."
"The most amazing people with great spirit come in every day," Davy said. "We enjoy coming to work."
She can't mask her excitement about the project she proudly can call her own.
Despite its humble size, Davy considers today's center to be a significant step up from the original that she established in 1989. The first Women's Center, consisting of two small rooms in Minor Hall, set up shop after multiple requests from school-wide organizations for a "strong, multi-faceted center to serve both the University and community," Davy said.
Davy, theonly full-time employee at the center, spearheaded the project. She shared the responsibilities and stress with only one graduate student and a secretary, both of whom worked part-time hours.
But by the end of its inaugural year, 5,000 people had utilized the center, and women came to recognize it as their one-stop option for information on how to improve their physical, emotional and academic situations.
She boils down her own personal mission for the center.
"I want an inviting atmosphere that promotes all kinds of wellness," Davy said.
Thirteen years later, and thousands more women stronger, the center still greets every guest with a warm welcome. The staff smiles like they mean it, and their energy stems from the enthusiasm and vitality of Davy, their leader.
"I base our continued success on the consistently good feedback that we get from our anonymous evaluations," Davy said.
Since its inception, the center has continued to expand and improve. The Studies in Women and Gender program continues to work in conjunction with the center on many programs. A group of undergraduate students are involved in publishing the Women's Center magazine, IRIS, through a yearlong seminar and internship program.
In addition, Coordinator of Counseling Services Jana Scarborough is thrilled that the counseling services have evolved into a vital aspect of the center. Scarborough, a doctoral candidate in the Education school's counselor education program, stepped up to fill the role of coordinator last year.
"I was excited at the opportunity to work in a place that is considered to have an energetic and accepting atmosphere," Scarborough said. Scarborough discovers that many women seek counseling upon request from close friends or family. Major transitions after deaths or breakups, or switches in academic or career focuses are recurring reasons for counseling.
The current counseling services consist of about 10 counselors, who conduct 15 free counseling sessions to anyone over the age of 18. Counseling serves a pool of clients, of which two-thirds are University students, and the remaining third are Charlottesville residents. The majority of clients prefer one-on-one counseling.
Once over their initial fear of "pouring their hearts out to a room full of strangers", however, Scarborough notes many familiar faces returning for group therapy and workshops. This spring, four groups will focus on topics such as "Fostering Healthy Relationships," "Coping With Recently Separated or Divorced Parents" and "Women in Transition: Rebuilding Lives After Domestic Violence."
The center also offers traveling workshops to sororities, club organizations and residence halls. Workshop leaders discuss a variety of topics pertaining to University students, including sexual assault and body issues.
Another popular facet of the center is HUES, a mentoring program for "women of color."
"Although our name implies exclusivity, we're really not," HUES Graduate Coordinator Joy Asekun said. "However, I do feel that the protegees use the program to discuss racial issues."
HUES pairs up undergraduate students with compatible graduate-level mentors, who are prepared to offer academic and professional advice. Asekun particularly is proud of the genuine friendships that form between her mentors and their protegees - the girls whom she affectionately refers to as "HUEttes," pronounced with a British accent.
"I like to see the relationships forming naturally, without any forced rules," Asekun said.
The underlying goal that led to the 1989 Women's Center remains intact today.
However, only on rare occasions do men explore the center's library, even though the stacks of books prove to be just as useful to them as for women.
Scarborough is all too familiar with the particularly tentative expressions on men's faces as they brave group counseling, even though many sessions advertise their support for men and women alike.
In the future, Davy and her staff will look to establish a new, informal mission: to expand the center's clientele to accommodate more than just University women. Down the line, she hopes that men will participate in counseling, the First Year Resource Center and sexual assault education, and will consider the Women's Center to be more than a resource for their girlfriends, wives and sisters.
"Basically we just want to find the services that are best for everybody," Davy said.
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