TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Topeka native Jill Monaghan, who helped lead design oversight for CPKC Stadium, is one of 26 women featured in the #IfThenSheCan Game Changers exhibit at the FIFA Fan Festival in Dallas.
“It’s amazing to have a physical statue with 25 other women across sports and science and business and tech and media who are helping to shape the future and showing up as examples,” Monaghan told 13 SPORTS.
CPKC Stadium opening in 2024 as the home of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current. The stadium was the first to be built primarily for a women’s sports team.
“How do we weave space together? Also thinking about the players, and coaching staff, and performance and training staff and what that experience is like for them from when they leave their car to the training pitch and back,” Monaghan said.
Monaghan was born and raised in Topeka and graduated from Washburn Rural High School.
“I had an amazing public school education [in Topeka]. A lot of the foundation and the access that I had to technology,” Monaghan said.
Now her accomplishments will be on display in Dallas through July 19.
“If this statue can spark one conversation for a young person who’s maybe thinking what does an architect do, or what does she do, or how did she get into that? Then it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to do,” Monaghan said.
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