Opening Doors for Women Exceeds Expectations Yet Again
Elizabeth Strenio
Issue date: 11/17/09 Section: News
On Sunday, November 8th, more than 240 prospective students mingled with nearly 60 current students and alumnae in the Kimmel Center for the annual Opening Doors for Women breakfast. Designed to give prospective women MBA students an opportunity to learn more about Stern and to experience the school's community first-hand, the MBA Admissions Office and SWIB worked together to make the morning a memorable one for attendees.
The morning began with breakfast and roundtable discussions with current full-time students and alumnae seated according to their target career industry. Industries represented included Marketing, Finance, Consulting, Luxury and Retail, Media and Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, and Social Enterprise. The prospective students spoke with students and alumnae about Stern's collaborative culture, the various career resources and opportunities available to Stern students, and the reasons that SWIB women chose to come to Stern. First year MBA student and SWIB member Jalaine Johnson said, "Even though I have not yet finished my first semester at Stern, I was happy to be able to provide prospective students with extensive advice about my experiences so far."
Following breakfast, the formal program began. Anika Davis Pratt, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions, welcomed the prospective students to Stern and introduced the morning's keynote speaker, Professor Sheila Wellington. Professor Wellington spoke to the captivated audience about the glass ceiling that still exists for women in business today, noting that although women constitute over 50% of the workforce, they make up only 13% of board directors in Fortune 1000 companies and there are only seven women CEO's in Fortune 500 companies.
However, Professor Wellington also offered advice on how women can advance their careers. The first and foremost thing she recommended is to find a mentor you can trust and rely on. After recounting her experiences with her own mentors, she emphasized that "at Stern, you will find many mentors: mentors in the faculty, mentors in the administration, and mentors amongst each other." Professor Wellington stressed the importance of each woman discovering what motivates her, and then taking action to be successful via several routes: outperforming expectations, managing time effectively, taking credit for one's accomplishments, developing expertise, taking initiative, volunteering for responsibility, diversifying your experience, being brave, and negotiating successfully. She concluded by saying that Stern gives its students the opportunity to go "as far as time and talent can take them."
The morning began with breakfast and roundtable discussions with current full-time students and alumnae seated according to their target career industry. Industries represented included Marketing, Finance, Consulting, Luxury and Retail, Media and Entertainment, Entrepreneurship, and Social Enterprise. The prospective students spoke with students and alumnae about Stern's collaborative culture, the various career resources and opportunities available to Stern students, and the reasons that SWIB women chose to come to Stern. First year MBA student and SWIB member Jalaine Johnson said, "Even though I have not yet finished my first semester at Stern, I was happy to be able to provide prospective students with extensive advice about my experiences so far."
Following breakfast, the formal program began. Anika Davis Pratt, Assistant Dean of MBA Admissions, welcomed the prospective students to Stern and introduced the morning's keynote speaker, Professor Sheila Wellington. Professor Wellington spoke to the captivated audience about the glass ceiling that still exists for women in business today, noting that although women constitute over 50% of the workforce, they make up only 13% of board directors in Fortune 1000 companies and there are only seven women CEO's in Fortune 500 companies.
However, Professor Wellington also offered advice on how women can advance their careers. The first and foremost thing she recommended is to find a mentor you can trust and rely on. After recounting her experiences with her own mentors, she emphasized that "at Stern, you will find many mentors: mentors in the faculty, mentors in the administration, and mentors amongst each other." Professor Wellington stressed the importance of each woman discovering what motivates her, and then taking action to be successful via several routes: outperforming expectations, managing time effectively, taking credit for one's accomplishments, developing expertise, taking initiative, volunteering for responsibility, diversifying your experience, being brave, and negotiating successfully. She concluded by saying that Stern gives its students the opportunity to go "as far as time and talent can take them."
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