Growing up, The Brennity at Daphne Assisted Living & Memory Care resident Evelyn H. was told that she could not be an engineer. At the time, it was a male-dominated field, one that people told her was “no place for a woman.” Even her instructor was telling her that. But Evelyn wouldn’t hear it. She wanted to follow her dreams and make an impact in an industry using her knowledge of mathematics and science.
“I have a brain,” she thought. “I’d better use it.”
Evelyn says she wasn’t trying to prove anything when she went to college to study aeronautical engineering, a major in which she was the only woman. She just wanted to use that brain and intellect to be all that she could be in life. If that led her to places that no other woman had gone before her, then so be it.
As a little girl, Evelyn used to make paper airplanes with her older brothers on their family farm. By the time she was established in her career, she had graduated to rockets and space capsules as she worked for the fledgling US Space Program in its attempt to win the Space Race. Along the way, she assisted some of the first astronauts as they made history and tested the limits of what was humanly possible.
She was the only woman in the program, but that didn’t matter to the astronauts. Because of her work ethic, endurance and knowledge, they saw her as an equal.
“I felt honored that they accepted me,” she said.
While they accepted her, many male coworkers did not. They treated her with less respect than they afforded her male counterparts. Still, Evelyn persisted. She worked in aerospace for 40 years, helping to open doors for the many women that came after her.
“Women have good brains too,” she said. “They need to be given chances!”
Evelyn moved to The Brennity at Daphne in March of 2022 and immediately felt at home. Before she toured the community, she was trying to decide between several different options. During her tour, she met residents and team members that were incredibly warm and friendly, helping her choose the community as her new residence. Since then, it’s been more of the same. Evelyn has made plenty of friends at the community and the warmth that she felt during her tour has only multiplied.
“Everyone is so kind and it feels like family,” she said.
At her new home, she often shares her story with others, encouraging them to follow their dreams and overcome obstacles that previously seemed insurmountable.
“Pursue your dreams,” she said. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t belong somewhere. Keep on trucking!”