Congratulations to Jenifer Criollo on being this month's Most Valuable Member!
Tell me about yourself.
My name is Jenifer Criollo. I am a junior double majoring in Corporate Communications and Psychology. Also, I plan on minoring in Human Resources. I joined Women in Business last semester. After attending the first GIM and hearing the Vice Presidents speak about their committees, I was really interested in the SYS committee because of the committee wanted to accomplish. The SYS committee holds a charitable fashion show every year and all of the proceeds from the show go to support the American Cancer Society. Within the SYS committee, I learned that everyone is supportive and wants you to succeed. One of the interesting things about me is that I love heights. I enjoy going to Six Flags and going on El Torro. I have gone on the King Da Ka, but refuse to go on it again. Besides that, I love spending time with my family and playing board games with them.
What made you want to join WIB? What were some of the things you wanted to gain from being in WIB?
Initially, I had just transferred to Baruch from another college where there was not a lot of club presence. Coming into Baruch, I knew that I wanted to be more active within the college. During my club tour, there were so many club leaders promoting their clubs and organizations that I did not know which ones to join. When I had a conversation with Pratima, WIB’s president last year, she told me about WIB and its mission. She mentioned that the members were all supportive of one another and wanted to see everyone succeed. Seeing her talk very highly of WIB is what inspired me to join. I made sure to attend the first GIM and decided to join the SYS committee because of the philanthropic aspect. Going into WIB, my goal was to get to know more people and grow as a leader.
Tell me about your journey throughout WIB.
After hearing the board members talk, I learned that everyone has a place within WIB and there is room for growth within the committees. Joining a committee was important to me because I wanted to be surrounded by a group of girls that not only valued my opinion but also saw potential in me. The SYS committee attracted me the most because it was a fashion show and I loved that aspect of it. I became the head model manager. My responsibilities included recruiting models and helping them practice their walk and pose for the fashion show. I could not have asked for a better position because I got to interact with the models and get to know them on a personal level.
What are your future goals regarding WIB?
For me, it is important to continue to see the growth of every member with each passing year. It is important to pass on the message of supporting one another and helping each other grow as previous members have done for us. I would like to be the Vice President of a committee to continue to help our members realize their potential and help them grow in any way I can.
Do you have any advice for members going through the process of applying for a board position?
When applying for a board position, it is important to research each committee to find out what the position entails. Also, members should attend events to see how the events are run and to learn what can be improved. I think there is room for improvement within each committee. I suggest reaching out to the VP of the committee to learn about what their gains and losses were for the year. Also, find out what motivated them to be the VP of that committee. This information will help you decide what board position to run for and how to succeed in your run.
What do you think contributed to your win this month?
There are many people deserving of being the MVM and I am honored to be nominated as this month’s MVM. I pushed myself to be more active within the organization and to talk to more members, which may have played some role. I asked the board members if they needed any help and offered to help them out. Being present in the club room is also important because people can get to know you and will start asking you for help. You want to support and provide any assistance to the board members to make sure that each event is a successful one. We are like a small community and we all have to play our part. Even if it is a minor task, it plays a big role in helping to run the organization smoothly.
What changes do you hope to see in WIB next year?
Some changes that I would love to see is more involvement by our members. Everyone should start participating in more events, not just to fulfill their requirements but to support the women in each committee. They work very hard to plan the events. When you support them, they will also support you when you need guidance. Also, I would like to see more interaction between our members. Often, members attend events and leave without interacting with each other. I think we need to encourage members to learn more about each other and build relationships.
What is your favorite memory from WIB so far?
My favorite event is the SYS Fashion Show, not just because I am in the SYS committee. Watching the models up on the stage made me very happy to see them contributing to a great cause. One of my favorite aspects of the show is the Personality Segment. When we were practicing before the show, I encouraged the models to be themselves and show their personalities. They took it to heart and had fun with it. The whole committee was very supportive of me. During the show, I was nervous and worried about how the show would go. The models reassured me that they had my back and they were going to make me proud. Hearing that helped ease my mind.