March 8 is International Women's Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Weatherhead School of Management is home to a number of women-run student organizations and programs that can benefit women in developing skills and receiving resources to further their education and career impact.
In honor of this day, learn about some of these organizations and programs offered at Weatherhead.
Leadership Institute for Women in STEM and Manufacturing
Almost two years after graduating from the Leadership Institute for Women in STEM and Manufacturing program, Amy Pausche finds herself referencing back to pages of notes she took during the program. “I still pull out my notebook weekly and use what I learned in the program today,” she says.
The three-month long program is designed for those with at least three years of experience in their field. It provides women with powerful tools to propel their careers forward and remain competitive in male-dominated industries through learning from world-class professors and coaches, connecting with other women in the field, and developing leadership skills that create a lasting impact on students and their organizations.
Pausche graduated from the program in May 2021. Today she is working on the strategy for global giving in community affairs at Eaton Corporation. Learn about Pausche’s experience in the program:
Why did you decide to join the Leadership Institute for Women in STEM and Manufacturing program?
I look at the leadership institute as a gift. It wasn’t just about investing in my professional development, but it was truly about my personal development in tandem with it. To have a holistic program that really looks at your social and emotional learning, your personal and professional goals, and pulls together these assets that truly make you the human you are, but also the leader you are as you're developing, to me was a huge point of distinction for the program.
What did you love most about it?
For one, the friendships. But from a curriculum standpoint, the robustness of the conversations and dynamic dialogue alongside world-class material was really a combination that energized me throughout the program. The content was important but I also found ways to apply it to myself immediately.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Because of COVID-19, our cohort wasn’t able to meet in person until the very end of the program. We got together at a winery and we just sat and talked for hours. You could feel the comfort level, excitement and genuine authenticity of caring about each other because we’ve gone through so much together in the program. Getting together in person was the cherry on top with sprinkles.
Do you have any advice for women considering going through the program?
For one, I would say go for it. But also embrace the content because it will serve you not just during the time you’re in the program, but it will continue to pay dividends for you for years to come. It’s a game-changing program.
Women in Finance
The Women in Finance student organization enables women at Case Western Reserve University to access networking resources to pursue a career in finance, which include but are not limited to investment banking, commercial banking, capital markets, venture capital, corporate finance and asset pricing. The organization is open to any student who is interested in finance.
To learn more about Women in Finance, public relations officer, Daniella Navia, a second-year finance and data science major, answered some questions about the organization:
What are your annual events?
Some events Women in Finance hosts throughout the academic year include: Guest speaker events with leading individuals in the business industry, resume reviews, coffee chats, finance information sessions and many more new events in the upcoming year.
Take a look at our Instagram @cwruwomeninfinance for more information about upcoming events!
What is one of your favorite memories from your time in Women in Finance?
The “Trailblazing in Investment Banking” speaker event with Tammy Kiely. Being able to speak with a leading woman in the financial field was inspiring, and conversing on a personal level motivated our members to be ambitious and apply themselves to pursue a career in finance.
What is one of your biggest takeaways from being a part of Women in Finance?
The network and professional skills I have developed from our guest speakers and information sessions have benefitted me through my own recruitment process. The guest speakers Women In Finance hosts are eager to help students with career guidance and take the role of a mentor. The connections that I have made throughout my time in Women In Finance have written referrals for me too.
What do you love most about Women in Finance?
The support and camaraderie I have experienced is like none other. In the cutthroat field of finance, having a network like Women in Finance is essential. The willingness to help the other members, especially undergraduate students is one of the principles Women in Finance holds itself to.
Weatherhead Women in Business
Shreya Mittal is hoping to leave a lasting framework for Weatherhead Women in Business (WWiB) as a whole and for the next president who will succeed her once she graduates this May.
“We as a club want to empower students and allow them to identify their goals and realize their full potential,” says Mittal, a second-year full-time MBA student with a concentration in supply chain and operations. “We hope that it will equip students with the resources and skills necessary to navigate the workforce, achieve their goals, and positively impact their communities and our society.”
Any student in Weatherhead is welcome to join WWiB, an organization whose mission is to empower businesswomen and women's allies with the resources and connections necessary to succeed in their professional aspirations.
Get to know more about the organization as Mittal answers our questions:
What are some of your annual events?
WWiB facilitates a speaker series every semester where we welcome Weatherhead alumni to talk about their experiences, their career journey or sometimes they bring in their own element by helping students upskill themselves with tools that are necessary in the business world. We have had some very successful and accomplished women leaders address students and are in the works of bringing in more allies of women in business to share their experiences and knowledge.
What is one of your biggest takeaways from being a part of WWiB?
As someone who greatly believes in professional growth and who has witnessed a lack of diversity, equity and inclusion in several companies throughout the world and in society, this organization helped me empower our students, women and minorities. It is so much beyond just the gender construct.
I believe that having a space where everyone, regardless of gender or gender identity, can discuss the issues they encounter in the workplace is not only vital, but incredibly useful.
What do you love most about being a part of WWiB?
I love that WWiB provides a forum for students to discuss ways to transcend society's artificial limitations and thrive in today's corporate world. It provides me networking possibilities and an open forum for support and inclusion at a time when diversity is a prevalent issue around the world. I hope it inspires students to realize that they can accomplish anything if they collaborate.
Forté Rising Stars
Forté Rising Stars is the Case Western Reserve chapter of Forté Foundation, a national organization that partners with universities with the mission of launching women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education, professional development and a community of successful women.
Female-identifying undergraduate students of any major can join Forté Rising Stars through CampusGroups, create an account on the Forté Foundation website, and start working towards earning their Forté Career Ready Certificate. After earning their Career Ready Certificate, members can also work towards becoming a campus ambassador.
To learn more about the chapter on campus, co-presidents and campus ambassadors, Pallavi Goculdas and Sai Mamidi (pictured above), discuss the Forté chapter. Goculdas is a third-year, finance and business management double major, with an applied data science and economics double minor. Mamidi is a third-year, accounting major, who is also in the Integrated Master of Accountancy program. See what they had to say:
What are some of your annual events?
Goculdas: We host chapter-level informational and professional development events. We also promote the many conferences, webinars and meetings that Forté’s national organization has to offer, such as the College Fast Track to Finance Conference, Undergraduate Women of Color Leadership Symposium, MBA Forum for Undergraduate Students and Campus to Business Leadership Conference, which all involve many of their corporate and graduate school partners.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time in Forté Rising Stars?
Goculdas: Attending the College Fast Track to Finance Conference. I learned a lot about the industry, talked to several other members with similar goals and had the opportunity to meet with many recruiters from top companies.
Mamidi: Getting to know the other CWRU campus ambassadors during my freshman year. It was a great introduction to Case [Western Reserve] and Forté as a whole. Even into my junior year, I am still able to utilize my Forté friendships and professional network.
What is one of your biggest takeaways from being a part of Forté Rising Stars?
Goculdas: The importance of both professional development and community. Forté Rising Stars is a very collaborative, community-based organization with the mission of helping all women reach their personal and professional goals.
What do you love most about being a part of Forté Rising Stars?
Goculdas: I love being able to connect with many other women in business on campus, as well as meeting many other motivated women across the country by being a campus ambassador. I also love having the opportunity to learn from so many mentors in the financial services industry through Forté Foundation.
Women in Economics
The purpose of Women in Economics (WE) is to support women as well as other underrepresented minority students in economics through community, mentorship, speakers, and collaboration with other groups hosting events that align with WE’s interest in increasing representation of women and minorities in all levels of economics.
The student organization is “open to anyone, regardless of gender identity, in the CWRU community who supports women and underrepresented minorities in the field of economics,” says fourth-year economics and statistics major, Becky Schneirov, who is also the president of the organization. “We have a lot of events that focus on building community, so if you’d like to meet more students interested in economics, Women in Econ is a great place to start!”
Annually, the group hosts professional development series, speaker and social events, including but not limited to resume reviews, LinkedIn headshots, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) certification and “Bobanomics.”
To learn more about WE, follow their Instagram account and read WE members answers to our questions:
What is one of your favorite memories from your time in WE?
Sedona Jolly, vice president and third-year economics major: I remember going to the Women in Economics BBQ my sophomore year and being asked lots of questions about my interests and learning from all of the fascinating upperclassmen about their passions. I felt really welcome!
Ester Muzychuk, fourth-year economics major and integrated Master of Finance student: This semester we hosted an internship panel with current economics students that had internships in a broad range of industries, including academia, consulting, government, corporate and banking. Sitting in the same room with all these high achieving and thoughtful women who shared a love for economics felt empowering and was extremely educational!
What is one of your biggest takeaways from being a part of WE?
Jolly: Being a woman in economics is really fun. You will feel inspired and motivated by your peers. In a field that likes to break you down sometimes, having a supportive network of women to remind you of your worth and build your confidence is of immense importance.
Paris Mather, third-year double major in economics and English: Everyone is very supportive and willing to help you grow in your interests and aid you in any way you want to learn more about economics. Our members are involved in many of the different categories of economics, showing how each of our interests and talents can be explored in such a diverse field.
What do you love most about being a part of WE?
Jolly: I love having the ability to create events to help underclassmen who, like me, were confused and overwhelmed and unsure of themselves coming in. It feels good to be a part of a supportive community that cares about the well-being of its members and about diversity and inclusion more broadly. I love being with a group that gives you the ability to reach out and make a difference.
Mather: I joined WE right after I started strongly considering econ as a major, and I loved how this has been able to give me a lot of perspective for what econ can be, as well as people who were willing to help me with any questions I had since I was relatively new to this subject.