Women’s History Month Observance Focuses on Successes, Milestones

5th Armored Brigade
Story by Staff Sgt. Timothy Gray

Date: 03.13.2019
Posted: 03.15.2019 17:50
News ID: 314506
Women’s History Month Observance Focuses on Successes, Milestones

FORT BLISS, TEXAS – Soldiers and residents from Fort Bliss and the larger El Paso community commemorated Women’s History Month at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center, here, March 13.
Each month the Army Equal Opportunity program highlights the histories and successes of different groups of people. This marks the 32nd consecutive time March has been celebrated as Women’s History Month in the U.S.
The event was hosted by 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West, led by Col. Martin Schmidt, commander, and Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan Barker, senior enlisted advisor. This year’s observance focused on the successes and milestones of women.
Cynthia Ontiveros, principal of the Young Women’s STEAM Research and Preparatory Academy in El Paso, shared her life’s focus as guest speaker. “[My parents] raised me and taught me that I can do anything that I wanted to do, as long as I had passion about it,” she said. “I was dedicated and I was serious about it.”
Ontiveros’ education in science helped lead her to being an educator and she said she has high hopes for her students’ paths.
“I look forward to the future of my students and helping them to persist and helping them to succeed despite the obstacles,” Ontiveros said.
Brig. Gen. Kris Belanger, commander, 85th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, Arlington Heights, Ill., served as the keynote speaker. She said she hoped women find someone to emulate as a guide toward success.
“This is about just sharing my story and hoping that I can inspire other women…that through hard work they can achieve anything they set their minds to,” Belanger said.
Both Ontiveros and Belanger received hearty applause for their comments about success through persistence.
At the end of the observance, Schmidt and Barker thanked both Ontiveros and Belanger for their participation.