Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/84343
liveIn the Moment An army general takes the spotlight to inspire others with Marcia Anderson It's no secret that many of us work in pro- fessions we didn't anticipate joining. But not everyone can say they plunged into the unexpected and then blazed a trail toward the top. For Major General Marcia Ander- son, that has become her story. As a decorated general in the U.S. Army Reserves, Anderson, 54, currently splits her time between the Pentagon in Virginia and the Verona home she shares with her husband. Looking back, she traces her call to duty to her sophomore year at Creigh- ton University in Omaha. In her own Words Head to the Monona Terrace on Oct. 13 to hear An- derson's speech, "Well-behaved Women Rarely Make History." Hosted by the Madison Civics Club, the talk will include details of An- derson's personal journey and how she inspires soldiers to lead. Visit madisoncivicsclub.org for more. "[How I joined] was serendipitous," Anderson explains. "I was looking around on registration day and realized I couldn't get into any of the classes I wanted. Th ere wasn't a line at the table for the Reserves Offi cers' Training Corps, so I signed up." Th e rest is history. Anderson fl ourished, found meaningful camaraderie along the way and eventually earned an advanced degree from Rutgers Law School. Decades into her military career she also hit a nota- ble mark—not just for her, but the coun- try—when she became the fi rst African American woman given a second star as a general in the U.S. army. After receiving the promotion last year, she credited much of her inspiration to her family. "My grandmother had the ability to encourage others to get behind an idea and act upon it," she says. Today, Anderson, who also serves as clerk for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western Dis- trict of Wisconsin, is hoping to inspire others to excel. Th is month, she'll be of- fering a keynote talk on how life experi- ences have shaped her leadership style. It's a chance to serve in a new way: by spreading a message of courage, confi - dence and belief. "Th is is not only an honor, but a respon- sibility," she says. "It feels good to be a catalyst for change and to let [people] know that anything is possible." —Mollie Busby October 2012 bravamagazine.com 11