Mary Harmon: Women In Business!
Freshman year, everyone gives you the same piece of advice: “Try everything! Join every club, leave no stone unturned, explore!” So, like every other first year on campus, I did exactly that! One of my favorite clubs that I joined was Women In Business (WIB), and I have stayed invovled ever since!
SCU Women In Business is an organization within the Leavey School of Business that hosts events highlighting some of the most influential women in business around the world. Some of my favorite events have been “Facing your Failures with Missy Franklin (5 time Olympic gold medalist & entrepreneur), and “Proudly InHerShoes” which featured the founder & CEO of InHerShoes, Judith Martinez, an SCU alum! In these events as well as all events that the club hosts, these businesswomen share with us their successes, struggles, hardships and what keeps them motivated in their professional career. Hearing from other women who are achieving their dreams and exemplifying determination and hard work is truly inspiring for all who attend!
I joined the Women In Business executive team my sophomore year and serve as the Philanthropy Chair. I have loved being a part of this exec team, and also being able to couple my passion for service with my professional involvements. Since my initiation, we have held service events like a Hot Chocolate fundraiser for Common Hope Sponsors who raise money to sponsor a young girl’s education in Guatamala, as well as worked with BAWSI (Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative) to set up a campus visit and a free ticket to our SCU Women’s Basketball game.
What has been so inspiring to me over these past three years on exec has been seeing firsthand how much a group of similarly driven, motivated, and talented young women can truly make a positive change in both our campus community and the community at large. I am so thankful that I listened to that main piece of advice my freshman year and joined this amazing organization. Whether it’s Women In Business, Real Estate Association, Undergraduate Marketing Association, or one of the many other clubs hosted through the LSB, there is an opportunity for everyone, no matter what your passion may be. Santa Clara University does a really great job at offering so many different opportunities for professional exploration, and I am so grateful that I decided to explore my future in business through WIB.