Empower, Inspire, Educate. This is the message that the Women in Leadership and Service at West Chester University has communicated to women since the organization officially launched in 2009. Last Wednesday, Oct. 24, Women in Leadership and Service hosted a speed-networking event in Sykes Ballrooms, providing female students on campus with an opportunity to meet with professional women in various career fields. Numerous female professionals in accounting, advertising, education, event planning, finance, financial planning, food services, healthcare, human resources, several nonprofit organizations, law, pharmaceuticals, and public relations/communications/marketing were present.
This speed-networking event provided female students with the opportunity to meet with each of these professionals for approximately five minutes and then move on to connect with the next professional. West Chester students were encouraged to bring resumes to pass out to professionals that they would be interested in connecting with and possibly working with in the future.
The overall mission of the Women in Leadership and Service organization is to increase funding to support female students at the university, to empower women to utilize philanthropy as a way of shaping future generations of women at West Chester, and to increase the number of female leaders, mentors, and supporters of West Chester University.
These events provide an ample opportunity for female students at the university to gain practice in networking and seek advice from women who are experienced in the professional world. Women in Leadership and Service also provides scholarship opportunities for female students.
The Women in Leadership and Service organization stays connected to professionals and students at the university through their social media sites on LinkedIn and Facebook.
The organization helps encourage female students to become leaders on campus for other women at the university, providing an opportunity for them to interact and connect on both personal and professional levels. Women in Leadership and Service helps to empower women to establish communities and social circles with one another as a way to ensure opportunities for future leadership and professional career advancement, which will benefit future generations for years to come.
If students are interested in learning more about Women in Leadership and Service, they can access their LinkedIn page, Women in Leadership and Service WCUPA, or their Facebook page, West Chester University Women in Leadership and Service. For more information about scholarship opportunities and ways to become involved with the organization, check out these sites to connect more personally with Women in Leadership and Service and learn about ways to connect with female professionals.
Eryn Aiello is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies. She can be reached at EA694104@wcupa.edu.