Corinne Elicone '17, (UWiL 2015)

Crematory Manager, Mount Auburn Cemetery 

UWiL fellows break glass ceilings in every form and shape. Corinne Elicone (’17) has recently shattered one of her own; she became the first female crematory manager at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA—a historical cemetery that has been around since 1901. 

When Corinne first started working in this industry, she noticed a very apparent lack of women. “Largely in history, women were always the death caretakers...and just now are women reclaiming that field. Many times when men hear what I do--what I'm certified for--they gawk at me, as if it is impossible that someone who looks like me is capable of this work.”

At UMass, Corinne was a Political Science major which at first does not seem like the natural background for someone in the cemetery industry. However, her degree has proved extremely useful because her roles at the cemetery involve maneuvering lots of government regulations, and she does a lot of work on the non-profit side of her business. “As a political science major, you learn about all of the systems in place and how they function,” she says. “You learn the ways in which systems can disenfranchise certain groups over others, like women.” Merging that major with UWiL proved useful: “UWiL inspires you and teaches you to navigate these systems, which is important because you’re going to have to learn how to work through the system to break into the boys’ club and succeed.” 

To offer a specific example, Corinne reflected on a salary negotiation class in UWiL: “Before UWiL, I had no idea that you could negotiate your salary, it completely blew my mind.” It is the lack of skills and practices like this that in many cases act as barriers to the success of women in their careers. 

As a member of the very first UWiL cohort, Corinne fondly remembers the first annual UWiL workshop dinner. Of particular importance was meeting her mentor in person and watching her classmates get to interact with their mentors, as well. After hearing about her cohort’s mentor experiences for months, “it was just so great to see the mentor pairs in person,” she says. “It was as if you could see the fellow with a wiser version of themselves and you could tell that there were just great dynamics among the pairings.”

Looking ahead to the future Corinne wants to be a strong voice in the community and push for more women in her field: “I know so many wonderful, smart, ambitious, and successful women in this field, but there is still a long way to go.”

 

-- Moksha Padmaraju '20