I was born and raised in Santa Monica, California. Although Santa Monica isn’t a small town, by the time I got to high school, I was already eager to get out and try something new. So, during my sophomore year, I studied in Argentina for six months.
After discovering what it was like to immerse myself in a new country and culture, I knew that I wanted to live abroad even more. I started doing research about different international universities. Eventually, I found IE University and knew right away that it was the place I was supposed to be.
How I knew IE University was for me
During my college search, my mom and I came to Europe to tour schools in Italy, Greece and Spain. As soon as we walked onto the Segovia campus, we both knew I had to choose IE University. Entering as a freshman, I didn’t have a clear idea of what I wanted to study. I was sort of bouncing around between Economics and International Relations, but when I saw Politics, Law, and Economics (PLE) on the application, I thought it would be a perfect combination.
Women in Business at IE University
I’m proud to say I serve as the president of the Women in Business undergraduate chapter, the communications coordinator for the PLE society, and class representative for my section. Recently, we’ve been putting in a lot of work preparing for the upcoming Annual Leadership Conference.
A big part of my work is coordinating with external speakers, IEU Talent & Careers, and the rest of the Women in Business team. It’s amazing to see how so many different people and resources are coming together for this conference. It’s been super encouraging to see how eager people are to be a part of it.
Gender equality concerns everybody, not just women
One of the biggest misconceptions with our Women in Business chapter is that it’s only for female business students. This couldn’t be further from the truth—we’re a club for everybody. Some of our events are women-centric, but the vast majority of our topics are relevant for men and women. We always say that gender equality isn’t a women’s issue, but a business issue.
Our club is for anyone who wants to be a part of a more diverse and sustainable future. As for individual involvement, students can choose how much or little they want to participate. This year, we launched our ambassador program, which gives more people responsibility within the club. For those who may not have availability to take on a direct role coordinating activities, regularly attending our events and engaging with our social media is a great way to get involved!
The Women in Business club has something for everyone
Women in Business is unique in that we aren’t tied to just one sector. We host events that span a wide range of topics. For example, we host many workshops, lectures and panels like “Why Is Entrepreneurship So Trendy?” or “Women in Afghanistan.” However, our workshops can also be skills-based, with sessions about “Building Your LinkedIn” or “Salary Negotiation.”
We also try to foster a community for our members through networking events. These are always super fun and bring together students from all years, degrees and nationalities. At the end of March, we’re launching a wellness workshop which will combine elements from our traditional workshops and community-building events. Not only do we aim to build a community of students who are motivated about improving their overall health, but we want to create a space where we can hold conversations for all the “I wish I knew this sooner” topics.
Join us for our Annual Leadership Conference on March 8th & 9th
Open to all students, the Annual Leadership Conference is by far our biggest event of the year, and is an all-hands-on-deck kind of job. Not only is it the culmination of the work we do all year, but it’s also a chance to have meaningful conversations with a diverse array of stakeholders.
It’s not often that undergraduate and master’s students come together alongside alumni, faculty and industry professionals to talk about these issues together. We want to take advantage of this opportunity to further the greater discussion around gender equality in business. Join us!