From 2013-2016, I taught a seminar for first-year liberal arts students, The Mathematical Experience, that blended an introduction to number theory, topology, and group theory with an examination of mathematics as a field of study. The course used the stories of women mathematicians to counter popular narratives about the field such as the mathematician as a gifted loner, math as a `young man’s game’, and math as a realm of complete objectivity. These stories served as a launching pad for important discussions and helped students to develop a a more positive view of mathematics. In this talk, I will describe how women’s stories were integrated into the course design and provide evidence that putting women `into the equation’ helped to improve student attitudes and understanding.