The Rosie in Action series shares the stories of women in our community, making a difference in their organizations, serving on boards, living into their passions, and positively impacting the world around them. Stephanie Wan is an Assistant United States Attorney with a passion for her community here in Springfield and empowering the next generation of women leaders. Keep reading to hear what Stephanie had to share about navigating her career, ways she stays involved in the community, and inspiring advice for fellow Rosies looking to make an impact right where they are!
Who is Stephanie?
I’ve been a federal prosecutor since 2020, and for the thirteen years before that, I was an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney with the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office. I specialize in the prosecutions of sex crimes, child abuse, and violent crimes. I am a proud member of Leadership Springfield Class 33. I have served on the boards of the Community Alternative Sentencing Program, Leadership Springfield, Leadership Springfield’s Rosie Committee, and The Victim Center. I am also the co-chair of the Supreme Court Commission on Women in the Profession, the Missouri Bar’s Women in the Profession Committee, and a member of the Southern Missouri Women Lawyer’s Association and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.
What was your journey to your current role like? What influenced you to pursue a career in law?
Since I was in high school, I was singularly focused on becoming a prosecutor specializing in crimes against children and women (child abuse and domestic violence). I went to college at Vanderbilt University and majored in Women’s Studies and English with the goal of becoming a prosecutor. I came back to Missouri to attend law school at the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law. I grew up in a family dedicated to service. My dad is a doctor who was heavily involved in his community and served in the United States Army, so finding a career that served the community was important to me. I also knew that I wanted to help women and children, as those are groups that had historically been marginalized by the criminal system, and if I could bring any measure of justice to victims, I really wanted to find a career to achieve that. I also love being in the courtroom, and I knew I wanted to be a litigator.
How has your leadership style been influenced by your experiences at the local, regional, and national levels?
Oof, that’s a tough question. Rather than quantify it from a local, regional, and national level, I can say that my leadership style has been influenced by watching and learning from other leaders, both in the legal world and through my community involvement, and figuring out what works for me and my personality. But more importantly, I tried to learn from honest conversations with those I have supervised in the past. I have always tried (tried being the operative word – I am human) to be humble and open to constructive criticism, to learn how to improve my leadership style, to recognize different perspectives so I can identify my blind spots, and hopefully to continue to do what I do well.
How has your involvement with local organizations such as The Victim Center, Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, and Rosie impacted your career?
Often, criminal lawyers, especially government lawyers, don’t really make it outside our bubble. Being able to interact with individuals outside the criminal law world has helped me connect and build bridges between the criminal law world and other community leaders. The law is often misunderstood, and it has been great to hear other people’s perspectives on the criminal justice system and educate others on it. Also, from a personal level, I have built so many relationships and friendships through my involvement with local organizations, many of which are people I would not have met otherwise, and that has been extremely fulfilling.
Why do you believe it’s important for women to get involved in leadership roles in their communities and industries?
In my humble opinion, women need to have a seat at every table. In my experience, women approach leadership in a different way that can be extremely beneficial to all communities and industries – more collaboration, bringing different perspectives to the table, and the ability to advocate for different groups. Also, more women in leadership means that more women will be inspired to take on more leadership themselves, and those women leaders can help women up that leadership ladder through mentorship, advocacy, or just through simple representation.
Share a piece of advice or inspiration for fellow Rosies thinking about joining a board or committee or plugging into an organization they are passionate about.
If you are passionate about any organization and want to be involved, just do it! In the past, I have been reluctant to plug in or join because I was not sure I could bring anything to that organization, but other people showed me that I could contribute. Don’t let that imposter syndrome prevent you from doing something you care about. I have only found that my participation in all of these civic organizations has improved my career and my enjoyment of this community and expanded my network. I do believe that my contributions to all of these organizations have moved each group forward, even just a little bit.
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Thank you for sharing your story and making our community a better place, Stephanie!
Do you have a story you’d like to share? A woman you’d like to celebrate? A recent accomplishment, board appointment, or career milestone you or someone you know has experienced? Let us know by submitting an Empowered Women Empower Women celebration!
