When HCU student, Michelle Nguyen, began to hear about the many young women on campus with aspirations in business, the idea came to start a student club that would allow women to join forces to help explore those interests.
For founders, Nguyen and Cindy Luong, the club provides an opportunity to celebrate the “amazing gifts a woman possesses and cultivates an environment that allows a woman’s unique ideas to be possible.”
“As a marketing student, at first, I was going to launch the marketing organization on campus, but after speaking with Emily Butler about the talented girls I have met in my major, she presented the idea of a “Women in Business” organization and my eyes immediately lit up,” said Nguyen, the club’s president.
Launched in the fall semester of last year, Women in Business is dedicated to women of all majors who want to network, empower and guide other women to their dream careers or entrepreneurial pursuits. Nguyen and Luong, the club’s vice president, began inviting young women with different career interests and degrees to meet each month to learn about business. “I believe there should be a way for all the girls on campus to be highlighted and supported for their goals and creativity, regardless of whether they’re a business major,” said Nguyen.
Maxine McMillan, a math major, recently joined Women in Business and values the opportunity to join with like-minded women seeking to further their interests whether launching a business venture or learning business skills and principles.
“There’s not a lot of women in STEM, so having an organization that’s open to all majors connects me with other female STEM majors who want to be their own girl boss,” said McMillan, an HCU senior.
Another one of the members, Jearim Gomez, is a senior nursing major who is studying to become a nurse practitioner and was looking for an organization that catered to women of all backgrounds with whom she could network.
“One of the things that I hope to learn from this organization is to become more comfortable with networking with other women and learning how to stand out in the job market,” said Gomez.
Members participate in workshops, social events, hear guest speakers and engage in networking opportunities. With these resources, any woman that joins will be empowered to walk into their chosen career path more confident in themselves and in their goals.