On Tuesday, November 16, journalism students and five select seniors attended the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) annual luncheon to hear keynote speaker and Pulitzer-prize winning historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin.

YWCA is an organization that strives to “empower women [and] eliminat[e] racism,” as stated in its motto; the luncheon served as a means of raising money and awareness about the prevalent issues of domestic violence, child care, and racial discrimination that exist today, both locally and internationally.

Prior to the luncheon, journalism students Laura Yau (11) and Priyanka Mody (11) photographed Goodwin along with other VIPs, committee members, and benefactors who attended the event.

Soon after, they were joined by United States history teacher Julie Wheeler and the selected senior girls who expressed a passion for history: Justine Liu, Ashtyn Ka, Catherine Stiles, Tiffany Chien, and Olivia Zhu.
After introductions made by YWCA Silicon Valley CEO Keri McLain and three personal stories told by clients of the program, Goodwin was invited to the stage, where she spoke about the successes and failures of well-known presidencies as well as other current events.

She began with a humorous anecdote of her experiences as an early amateur historian, recalling the events of the old Brooklyn Dodgers’ baseball games to her father. She then segued into the lessons she had learned from the research she had done for her award-winning non-fiction works, Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream, No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II, and her most recent book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more fluid speaker in my life,” Ashtyn said. “She’s just really inspiring, not just because of her accomplishments, but her love for what she does.”

Goodwin discussed the successes of several famous presidencies and the journeys of pioneers whose experiences are still relevant today. Although mostly historical in content, Goodwin’s speech also included comical anecdotes of the various respected individuals with whom she had a relationship.

Wheeler stated that she was “riveted” by Goodwin’s speech, and the students agreed with her as well.

“Her ability to string together childhood anecdotes about the Brooklyn Dodgers to flirting with LBJ to a naked Winston Churchill during FDR’s administration to a sleepover with the Clintons at the White House then back to herself is nothing short of inspiring,” Justine said. “It sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not – she’s really that good. She’s who I want to be in 50 years.”

Goodwin continues to travel around the world lecturing and sharing her historical opinion on both past and current presidencies.