Cate Prefontaine

The word "feminist" can be a loaded term. One Boston College senior, though, breaks all the stereotypes that have been associated with the label.

Self-proclaimed feminist Cate Prefontaine, A&S '08, didn't come to BC intending to devote her life to combating violence against women. Her career here has been well-rounded - Dance Ensemble, Appalachia trips, a history major, and a pre-med concentration have kept Prefontaine extremely busy. In fact, it wasn't until sophomore year when she took a women's history course that she truly became interested in women's studies, a subject that is now her minor.

The murder of a family friend, however, truly pushed Prefontaine to fight for women's rights. Joan Diver, a 45-year-old mother of four, was raped and slain while jogging on a bike path in her quiet New York town. "Joan's death changed our lives forever. A death so senseless and violent inspired me to try and make change," Prefontaine says. "It shouldn't be normal for that to happen to a woman, and that's what it's become."

Since then, Prefontaine has worked ceaselessly to support women. During her time abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, she worked in a home for abused and orphaned children. Forty girls ages 3 to 18 were housed in near-impoverished conditions, in a house that couldn't even supply them with toilet paper. "The home wasn't well-funded - no one was telling them that they're loved and that they can succeed," Prefontaine says. These are the services Prefontaine provided for the girls in the house - empowerment, love, and a sense of purpose.

Now back in the United States, Prefontaine's work has continued. When she was awarded the Folkard Grant, a grant created in memory of Albert Folkard, the honors program director, Prefontaine was able to travel to New Orleans to attend an event she deems one of the most powerful experiences of her life. On the 10th anniversary of Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, which Prefontaine has performed at BC, thousands of women gathered in the Superdome to fight violence against women. Over 1,200 women of the Gulf South returned to New Orleans for the first time since Katrina, an experience Prefontaine found particularly moving. "It's amazing how much positive work women are doing in New Orleans," she says. "They're rebuilding people's lives."

In New Orleans, talks given by Jane Fonda and other female activists taught Prefontaine a valuable lesson: "I started to feel the connection between activism and the arts," she says.

Prefontaine doesn't quit when it comes to issues closer to home. As a staff member at the Women's Resource Center (WRC), she targets issues like poor body image, sexual assault, acquaintance rape, and domestic violence. This year, she organized "A Room of Our Own," an event that gives female artists the opportunity to display their work to the BC community. Prefontaine has also been a teaching assistant for an Introduction to Feminisms class, where she was able to impart the wisdom she has acquired over the years to young feminists like herself.

Prefontaine does not walk alone in her journey to liberate women from oppression and violence. Mentors like Sheila McMahon, director of the WRC, Rev. James Keenan, S.J., and Zinzi, the young South African who touched her heart, have all helped Prefontaine on her journey. With graduation looming, she faces a decision regarding her future. Though Prefontaine is unsure whether to return to South Africa or to accept an offer to participate in the Teach for America program, she is sure of one thing - she will continue to fight violence against women wherever she goes.

While Prefontaine has accomplished much in this regard during her time at BC, her biggest achievement is less concrete.

"I've come into my own, and I know who I am and what I stand for. The people around me know who I am, and know I'm committed to ending violence against women. I have an effect on people around me - they know they can talk to me about these issues," she says. "I'm ready to give back."