Eighty-nine years ago, women were fighting merely for the right to vote. Today, we might be casting that vote for the first female President of the United States. We’ve come so far that many young women perceive equality among the sexes to be imminent, if not a given.
While there’s still a long way to go—women get paid on average only 80 percent of what men earn for the same work and only 2 percent of all CEOs are female—there’s no doubt that our mothers, with the help of their mothers before them, have blazed a trail, managing to successfully break through glass ceilings at work while ensuring the ceilings at home stay intact.

Christine Pelosi: A Path in Family Priorities

Today, for the first time in history, the single most powerful person in Congress is a woman. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has held the position known as “Two Heartbeats From the Presidency” since 2006 and has proven that a woman’s place is in the House as well as the home. Pelosi has raised her daughter, Christine, to feel the same.

“I think my mom’s decision of raising her children first and then going into elective office shows people that there is a non-traditional path to power,” Christine, 41, says. “You don’t necessarily have to choose between your family and your career. You can find the right blend that works for you.”

An attorney, author, platform chair for the Democratic party and Superdelegate, Christine has recently been under the public spotlight both with regard to her position on the superdelegate votes, (she warns of massive disillusionment of voters should Democratic Party officials back a nominee that didn’t win the popular vote) and her new book Campaign Boot Camp (a handbook for successful campaigning).

Here in Orange County, Christine recently spoke at a Young Democrats of America Meeting held in Anaheim at the Disneyland Hotel this past March. There, young OC Democrats were also given the opportunity to sign up for her “Boot Camp,” a comprehensive training session Christine holds on how to run a successful political campaign.

Christine chalks up much of her success to the woman who was most influential in her life. Mom.

“She gave us the best opportunities possible, promoting education as a way of providing more opportunities, and that’s exactly what she’s doing now for others in public life,” she says.

And of course the admiration between mother and daughter is mutual.

“I could not be more proud of Christine and the work she has been doing on behalf of the Democratic Party,” says Nancy Pelosi. “As a mother, it is exciting to see her pursue her passion for politics, and as a Speaker, I value her hard work and enthusiasm; they are a remarkable resource for our party.”

Most recently, Christine has become a wife. She recalls her mother’s ability to remain a mom during the months leading up to the wedding, despite all the political demands.

“When I was getting ready for my wedding, I was also on the road doing a tour for Campaign Boot Camp and doing leadership boot camps for non-profits and campaigns around the country,” she recalls. “I called in and I’d say ‘Well I’m blogging the debates in Nevada’ and Mom would say ‘Did you set your fitting for your wedding dress? Did you order your thank you notes?’”

Raised in a family of confident, strong women and loving parents (Nancy and Paul Pelosi have been married 44 years), Christine remembers events for civil rights organizations being held in their San Francisco home. From a young age, she had a sense that it was her responsibility as well as her three sisters and brother to do their part.

“But we weren’t directed to be in politics,” she says.

Even so, Christine was always interested in current events. But, it wasn’t until a close family friend advised Christine to get a law degree to “have something to fall back on,” that she decided to go to law school.

“When I passed the bar exam and sent my grandmother an invitation to the swearing-in ceremony, she told me, ‘I’m the second happiest person next to you, seeing you pass the bar exam. I’m so happy to see you accomplish what I could not 55 years ago’.”

It was only then that Christine learned that her grandmother had been taking law classes as a young woman, but she was also raising her children (Nancy and her five brothers) at the time, so she had to give up her dream.

While it may be more possible to juggle work and family today than in her grandmother’s day, Christine has rather traditional advice for the wife and mother who goes for it all.

“You need to know where you stand with your family before you step out there,” she says. “There are spouses who will say ‘No, I’d prefer you stay home.’”

Her advice to young women hoping to climb the career ladder: “Find a match between the work you want to do and the work you’re good at. Share credit, find someone to emulate, then mentor another.”

“And do your homework!” she says firmly. “My mother always said ‘Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.’”

What I Learned From My Mother

Holly M. Sitko, 33, Newport Island

Sitko, co-owner of American Yacht Charters in Newport Beach, says her mother taught her that cleaning the house is cleansing to the soul and cooking is the way to a man’s heart.
“I was raised in the Midwest and like to think of myself as a little preppy, but mostly a pretty simple girl who loves to redecorate, watch Wheel of Fortune and go out for Sunday brunch,” says Sitko, who co-owns Newport Beach-based American Yacht Charters with her husband, Stuart. “Before my daughter Alexandra was born, I was a bit of a Wild Child and enjoyed the nightlife. Then she came along and my heart filled up with so much love that sometimes I think it might pop!”

The busy young mother balances her work at the office with with time at home, taking pleasure in feeding her 4-month-old, burping her and simply just watching her sleep.
“She is my angel who truly changed my life,” she says.
Some things Sitko plans to teach her daughter: The 1922 classic Emily Post's Etiquette, French, how to raise a spinnaker on a sailboat, her sense of wonder and her grandmother's spaghetti sauce recipe.

Debra Richardson, 54, Irvine

Richardson, a professor of Informatics and Dean of computer sciences at UC Irvine, says her mom, a former kindergarten teacher, taught her to share knowledge with others.

“Though Women’s Rights were never discussed per say, the right of a woman to do anything a man might choose to do was definitely ingrained in me,” Richardson says.

What began as a love of math and teaching became a life dedicated to improving the world through technology and by integrating more women into every aspect of its development. And for much of it, Richardson has one special woman to thank.

“My mother was also a great pianist who encouraged me not only to take up the piano at age 5, but later the clarinet and the flute,” she says. “Since math and music go together, I’m sure this guided my future.”

Georgi Spirtos, 39, Laguna Beach

Spirtos, a wife and mother of two (ages 5 and 8) with another child on the way, recently earned a Ph.D. in Teaching Education, and says that her mother taught her the importance of a good education.

“My mother actually wanted me to be anything but a teacher,” Spirtos says. “Being a teacher herself, I think she realized how hard it was. But I also know she must have enjoyed it because she resumed her teaching career at age 52, once we were grown.”

The grandchild of Greek immigrants, Spirtos says she and her three sisters remember a childhood influenced by Greek women with modern views.

“My grandmother lived with us growing up,” Spirtos says. “She only finished the seventh grade. But I don’t remember her or my mother ever discussing marriage when it came to our future. Instead, there was always a lot of discussion of going to school and doing something with our lives.”

Today Spirtos is working at the Federal Level to alter the way gifted children are taught in the classroom.

Anne Wortmann, 50, Newport Beach

A former Rose Queen and Rams Cheerleader, Anne Wortmann is a wife and mother of two (ages 12 and 15), who learned early on that true beauty comes from within.

“I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever heard my mother say a bad word about anybody,” Wortmann says. “She’s so very loyal to all of her friends and she was always so good to us.”
Wortmann remembers a mother who was there every day before and after school and who always encouraged them to be their best, which included being good to others.

“My mother used to bring breakfast in bed to my brother and me and that’s something I do for my kids,” she says. “I also want to be there for my kids. My mom didn’t start working in real estate until I turned 16. Family was always very important to her. She was the oldest of 12 children. She’s thought of others her whole life.”