Every community begins with a few people willing to imagine something larger than themselves.
Becoming is a collection of portraits and reflections from the inaugural Sisterhood Initiative cohort. It captures more than a milestone. It holds the stories of women who found one another, carried one another, and discovered new possibilities for who they could become.
Within these voices are lessons in courage, friendship, joy, perseverance, and belonging. They remind us that no one arrives fully formed. We become ourselves through connection, through care, and through communities that make room for us to grow.
The women featured here are the first authors of this story. Their words are both a reflection and an offering: a light left on for those still finding their way. Each new cohort will add its own chapter, carrying forward a legacy of sisterhood that grows richer with every voice, every dream, and every scholar who joins.
Sihaam Ahmed
(’26, BS, Psychology)
“The Sisterhood Initiative has made possible for me to go to grad school.”
Devon Castillo
(’26, BS, Human Centered Design and Engineering)
The love and support from the Sisterhood Initiative really pushed me to conitnue to do my passion. I’ve really seen myself blossom here.
Asanatou Ceesay
(’26, BA, English Language Arts, Literature and Law)
The Sisterhood Initiative really created a space where we can honor each other and ourselves and our intersectionalities.
Tamara Grigsby
(’26, BS, Sociology)
The Sisterhood Initiative has provided me a community where I can feel comfortable within my racial identity as well as being a woman of color.
Nyla Hassan
(’26, BS, Public Health)
One of the things I am taking away from Sisterhood is the ability to be a leader and reestablishing what mentorship could look like.
Kelis Hightower
(’26, BS, Informatics)
Being able to see so many role models in so many different states and careers and fields, has opened my eyes that we can do anything.
Julia Neville
(’26, BBA, Marketing)
The Sisterhood Initiative has inspired me to be a mentor.
Aleia Santos
(’26, BS, Public Health)
I now have countless of Sisters and I have the staff and so many people that they’ve been able to connect with me who cares about my story.
Lorena Vegas
(’26, BBA, Human Resources Management and Services)
…[We] are all ambitious, hardworking, talented and capable of whatever we set our minds too.
The Door Stays Open
The legacy of the Sisterhood Initiative lives in the relationships built here and in the community that continues to nurture it. Whether you are a future scholar searching for a place where your whole self is welcomed, an alumna carrying these connections forward, or a supporter who believes in the power of women investing in one another, you are part of what comes next.
The women featured in Becoming have left the door open. Their stories are an invitation to join a community rooted in belonging, possibility, and collective care. Come find your place in the story.
Learn more about the Sisterhood Initiative, connect with our team and help shape the next chapter.
contact: sisterhoodinitiative@uw.edu