Berkshire Magazine Fall 2026 | Page 57

It lets students see possibilities. I never saw female college presidents when I was in college. This wasn’ t a path I imagined for myself. Now students can see it. They can say,“ That’ s something I could do.” And I think that’ s important.

Charlier: I wish we didn’ t have to keep talking about it. I really do. I wish society were at a point where it was no longer significant or unusual. But the fact is, we’ re not there. We’ re simply not there. When you look at wages, when you look at people in positions of power, women continue to be underrepresented. Until that changes, I think we still have to talk about it— not just with women, but with all underrepresented groups. I hope we get to a point in my lifetime where we don’ t have to talk about it anymore, because we’ ve arrived. But right now, I think it is significant. And I’ m really proud to be part of this group. I’ m really proud to be here in Berkshire County

Mandel: It’ s an interesting question, because I was the first female president

of Williams. But( turning to Charlier and Rogers-Adkinson) in both of your institutions, you’ re not the first woman president. So, in some ways, it’ s a perfectly reasonable question, because we’ re not necessarily breaking through glass ceilings in quite the same way anymore. I’ ve also been here a long time now. Bennington is bringing in another female leader, but they’ ve had women leaders before, as well. So, I also think it’ s both. To the extent that people around us understand that women, men, and people from all kinds of backgrounds can do these jobs well, then we’ ve achieved something. At that point, maybe we stop talking about that and start talking about the new challenges that we all face together. At the same time, I completely agree with what Diana said about modeling what’ s possible. And that’ s not just for women. It’ s for people from all kinds of backgrounds. Sometimes people don’ t imagine a path until they see someone walking it. I was very fortunate to have extraordinary role models in my

own life who never allowed me to doubt that I could do whatever I wanted to do. If we’ re helping provide that example for the next generation— for young women, certainly, but also for young men and for anyone else— then that’ s something valuable we can contribute. Part of the reason the question makes me a little uncomfortable is because, to your point, I’ d like to think I can be a role model for anybody. But it’ s also true that if someone has never seen a person like themselves in a particular role, seeing that example matters.

Thank you for those very insightful answers. Before we end, is there anything else you’ d like to share about what’ s happening at BCC or about your vision for the institution? Since this is really your introduction to many readers, I’ d love to give you that opportunity.

Charlier: That’ s very kind. I would simply say that Berkshire Community College was the first community college

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