I am the first woman to lead the University of California. Here's why I won't be the last

In this series, professionals discuss their experiences accomplishing something for the first time. Read their stories here, then write your own using #IWasTheFirst in the body of the post.

Growing up, my parents encouraged me to pursue the things that piqued my interest. Whatever it was, they said, put energy into it and give it your best effort. I took that to heart as I embarked on new adventures and it has laid the foundation for my philosophy in life and throughout my career: Embrace new opportunities. Have the courage to test boundaries. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.

I was the first female valedictorian at Santa Clara University where I earned my bachelor’s degree, the first woman elected Attorney General of Arizona and the first woman Secretary of Homeland Security. Three years ago, I became the first woman to lead the University of California — a milestone for UC that, in the year 2013, surprised even me.

When a position is historically held by a man, a paradigm is created about what a university president should look like … or the CEO of a big company … or the president of the United States for that matter. Changing that paradigm takes persistence, determination and fortitude to change people’s assumptions about how something should be and to redefine what’s possible.

There are multiple ways that our society, subtly and not so subtly, steers women away from leadership. Girls who demonstrate a certain level of leadership skills are often described as “bossy.” Yet, no one says that a boy who exhibits those same qualities is bossy; they say he should be team captain or student body president.

We need to send a different message to girls and women: Follow your ambition and grow your leadership skills. Trust in what you are capable of. Be bold and take risks, even if the fear of failure is uncomfortable.

Because if you want to be a leader, you have to have the courage to believe that you can be one. And then, you have to have the courage to get in the game.

One of the most important things we can do to encourage more women into leadership is to show them the vast opportunities before them. And then, we must show that women have not only served in positions historically held by men, but they have achieved in them.

Sally Ride was one such role model. More than 30 years ago, she became the first American woman in space. She was an inspiration to countless youth who dreamed of becoming astronauts or scientists or researchers — but who did not see role models who looked like them.

“Kids are very smart,” she said in the late 1980s. “They can see that most scientists are white males […] if the message we give, however subtle, is that English or nursing would be better for those kids to go into, then those are the fields they’ll choose.”

She sought to change the paradigm. When she retired from NASA, she joined UC San Diego as a professor of physics and founded a company called Sally Ride Science, aimed at encouraging K-12 students to pursue science, engineering and math. As part of her rich legacy, she began to build a different future for thousands of young people, from all backgrounds, who were interested in the sciences.

Universities are uniquely positioned to inspire young people to think critically and broadly, to push the boundaries and become the first at a new history-making milestone, whether that’s curing cancer, developing the next drought-resistant crop, solving climate change or tackling the myriad other complex issues we face.

At the University of California, here are just a few of the many ways we aim to inspire girls and women to take control of their interests and succeed:

• UC Merced’s STEM Resource Center this summer hosted GirlCode, a four-day workshop teaching computer coding skills to junior high and high school girls.
• At UC San Diego, where one in three women graduate with a STEM degree, its marquee incubator The Basement provides women entrepreneurs with one-on-one coaching with mentors and helps them prepare for investor meetings.
• In 2014, I committed $5 million to expand the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, aimed at increasing faculty diversity at UC. The program provides support to Ph.D. recipients whose teaching, research and service contribute to diversity at UC and encourages them to pursue academic careers here by offering postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and mentoring, and eligibility for hiring incentives. To date, 64 percent of postdoctoral fellowships in this program have been awarded to women. Sixty-seven percent of the 175 postdoctoral fellows who went on to receive faculty appointments at a UC campus are women.

Our society and economy thrive when we draw on the talents of our best people, across all genders and backgrounds. By encouraging girls and women to lead, providing strong role models and expanding opportunities, we can build a dynamic future for us all.