Long gone are the days when being a leader correlated with being a man. The days of the “Mad Men” patriarchy and the institutionalized sexism seen in “The Office” are constantly being challenged by programs created to empower women seeking positions of leadership.
West Chester University seeks to help empower these women through a program known as Women Leading Up, created by the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement.
Women Leading Up is a once a month programming series for women interested in learning about issues surrounding women in leadership. Past events have included “Be a Force to Be Reckoned With,” a discussion about personal safety and awareness, and “Making Mentor/Mentee Relationships Matter,” a discussion on how to build mentor relationships.
On Friday, March 26, Women Leading Up hosted “Network Like a Boss,” sponsored by Enterprise. The event was an hour-long discussion on the benefits of networking, stressing the importance of taking strides to make connections with business professionals.
As a strong advocate for women in positions of power, I was thrilled to see a program that encouraged female leadership. Although the event specifically targeted women involved in Greek life, many women from the Student Government Association, Association for Women’s Empowerment and other organizations were also in attendance.
The event began with placing the attendees in assigned seating. While many were upset about being unable to sit with their friends and colleagues, it was an opportunity for women from different organizations to interact with one another and network.
“I believe having conferences, talks and other opportunities such as this for women on campus is great,” said Elizabeth Gibson, a sophomore communication studies and political science major. Gibson is also the Public Safety and Parking Senator for the Student Government Association.
“WCU does a great job of encouraging and pushing both their male and female leaders, while shaping them into the best professionals they can be,” said Gibson.
If you have any interest in learning more about female leadership in today’s society, I highly encourage you to attend their monthly programs. To find out more about Women Leading Up, including their upcoming events, visit the Women Leading Up page on OrgSync or contact the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement.
Kinjal Shah is a third-year student majoring in English-writings track with a minor in digital humanities and new media. She can be reached at KS826308@wcupa.edu.