On the last Friday of February, the Alumnae Relations committee held their first Alumnae Event. The main purpose of this committee is to remain in contact with our alumnae and invite them back to discuss their progress since leaving Baruch. To kick off the semester, they invited Candice Chatterpaul, Elizabeth Ramdass, Salma Mohamed, Susin Yin, and Cristina DiCocco back for a discussion panel. All of these young women work in a variety of places, ranging from a start up company to a big corporate company such as JP Morgan Chase. Despite their different areas of work, they all spoke wonderfully and brought to light what they learned from their experiences in WIB as well as their transitions from school to the workplace.
A topic that the alumnae had a lot to say about was their work/ life balance. At first, it was nerve wracking to hear many of them say it is a struggle. After a full week of work, these ladies just want to call it a night and relax in bed. They all nodded in agreement as Elizabeth claimed it’s often difficult to juggle everything that’s going on between work and her personal life. Their advice? Make time for it! Set goals to have fun in your off time and change your routine a bit. Plan your life using a planner, your phone, or anything that works for you to help manage your time. Candice even described a pact with her friend in which they have to do at least one fun thing a month to keep themselves sane. Everyone deserves a break once in a while to keep them from going into a never ending rut of doing nothing but work. This applies to our current WIB members, considering it’s the start of midterm season. Members should always remember to schedule time for fun breaks.
The alumnae were also asked about what they missed most about their days of being members of WIB. The alumnae, who had no trouble joking with each other in between their answers, looked at each other and came to the agreement that one of the top items on that list would be the people. Getting to know your fellow members and having a strong support system of young women with you truly can’t be replicated when transitioning into the work world. They discussed missing the time to socialize and interact with others during club hours. They spoke fondly of all those events that helped them grow and develop their personal skills. The togetherness and energy was what made them love WIB. The women spoke highly of our organization and hearing them speak makes me want to treasure and enjoy every moment spent at our events.
One of my favorite parts of the night was seeing how empowered the women before my eyes were. The alumnae were all so strong and determined. They all agreed that you can never stop enhancing your personal skills. The ideal way to go about that is to keep trying and keep pushing yourself. Never settle for less than what you’re working for. Salma stated, “Keep reaching for that higher role.” They all pitched in with the idea that speaking up matters. Make sure your voice is heard without stepping on anyone else’s toes. Let others come forward with their ideas, but know when you can make a valuable contribution. When asked about their next moves, Candice reminded everyone that you just have to be patient with yourself and say, “You can do it. You’re awesome!” These amazing alumnae are proof that women are shattering the glass ceiling in the business world everyday. To meet them and see how much WIB has helped shape them into the determined women they are is truly inspiring.