Donna Jahnke

Asst. Professor St. Louis University

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@chrisclxrk Right!!!

[Mohamad Safa @mhdksafa]

This is a side by side of two women gracing the front covers of two well known magazines.

The one on the right we all know is Martha Stewart, age 81. The one on the left is Apo Whang-Od, age 106, a tribal tattooist in a remote province in the Philippines.

There seems to be an unwritten rule which equates beauty with youngness. In an interview, Martha Stewart told the reporter she credits her organic, home-grown, farm-to-table eating, yoga, and actively healthy lifestyle to her youthfulness. While that’s an admirable journey for her, let’s not forget the amount of privilege that kind of lifestyle requires.

On the left is Apo Whang-Od, who is a 106-year-old tribal tattooist in the Philippines. The wisdom she carries in every forehead wrinkle and frown line is stunning. Her eyes are glass, reflecting back all that she’s witnessed over a century of lived experiences. Her tattoos a reminder of the ancestors she seeks to honor.

Both women are beautiful in their own right. But I wish we as women didn’t play into this idea that we have to look younger—and thinner—in order to fit some unrealistic beauty standard which will grant us acceptance and relevance in the world around us.

I’m writing this for any woman who, like me, may have had a punched-gut reaction to seeing an octogenarian in a swimsuit on the cover of a magazine looking more like a woman in her forties or fifties: Anti-aging is not a beauty standard.

There IS beauty in wrinkles, and saggy skin, and drooping breasts. These are markers of a life hard fought for and well lived. It seems odd to try and erase these battle scars.

So while I applaud Martha for her fortunate body, carefully curated procedures, and pristinely styled makeup, I also applaud Whang-Od for what others may perceive as imperfections.

Anti-aging is not a beauty standard.
Authenticity is.

@ FeministNews

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@Ladue5thGrade Fabulous!

[Saint Louis University @SLU_Official]

"Our Jesuit, Catholic mission calls us to put love for justice into action. Dr. King’s work demonstrated how communities of people, inspired by love and committed to ongoing action, can transform society in the spirit of the gospels." -@SLUPresident https://t.co/mtVH2yy11V

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@LadueSupe @LadueSchools @LadueMiddle Yes they are! And Mark Biernbaum is a superstar! Camp and the great experiences for kids would not happen without Mark!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@aybaybader @PlayersTribune Harrison Bader will be missed! What a great guy.

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@drA_Thompson @LadueMiddle Love it!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@LadueSupe @LadueSchools @TaggertOb @OBMcGee Fabulous! And much needed!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@dramy_z @LadueSupe @LadueSchools Fantastic. Congrats to our Ladue Students, and thanks to Señora Sloan for coordinating the program!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

I’m at the SLU Center for Global Citizenship at a book signing for my colleague and friend, Dr. Jaime Welborn and the other authors. The book, Leading Change through the Lens of Cultural Proficiency, is an outstanding guide to equity in all aspects of your life! @SLU_SOE

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

Congrats to my friend and former colleague, Dr. Curtis Cain, for his recognition at the MASA Conference for being selected as the NATIONAL Superintendent of the Year! Well-Deserved, Curtis!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

So proud of my St. Louis University Colleague, Dr. Karen Hall, for being awarded the Outstanding Emeritus Award at the Missouri Association of School Administrators. Proud to know you and work with you, Karen!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

Still Learning! Women in Leadership Summit 2022! Dr. Sharonica Hardin-Bartley educating us all!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

Women in Leadership Summit! Amazing speakers including Shonda Ambers Phillips. “Every test is an opportunity for testimony!” “Have a life of purpose.”

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

.@dougbeck562 I ask that you oppose HB 2825. This is legislation is harmful to my retirement system by costing millions each year and does not provide any true economic benefit to the state of Missouri.

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

Congratulations Dr. Curtis Cain, National Superintendent of the Year! Proud to have been your colleague, Curtis! You are an excellent administrator and a wonderful person! Well Done, my friend!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@MRH_Supt @DrCainWSD Absolutely fantastic!

[Ladue Soccer @LadueSoccer]

Ladue alum Jack Fox doing Jack Fox things in the NFL...

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@brachttravis Spectacular! So glad to see you taking a break Dr. Bracht!

[Donna Jahnke @dljahnke]

@OccupyDemocrats You You do knock ✊ i hi by here is imon