Daniela Tovar-Miranda
Staff Writer
WIB is a brand-new club developed by President Kiara Valenzuela and Vice President Lesly Salguero to offer a variety of workshops and group activities to help members learn about networking, basic finance skills and more.
“How can I budget? How can I save? How can I network? We want to help our student body answer these questions and feel confident in their further careers,” Salguero said in response to what she wants students to get out of the club.
Sophomores Valenzuela and Salguero started the club with the intention to have women support women in the field of business during an LAS seminar class. Valenzuela is majoring in Business Management, while Salguero is majoring in Finance. However, after starting the club they decided to be inclusive of students from all majors and backgrounds, not just students in the Brennan School of Business.
“We are open to anyone; you don’t have to be in the business field. Anyone who wants more literacy in financial support is welcomed,” emphasized Valenzuela.
WIB is already starting to plan a variety of events, one of which is a LinkedIn workshop. President Valenzuela thought about this event due to learning that not all students are required to make a LinkedIn for their major.
All business majors are required to make a LinkedIn account in an introductory class, something other majors might not have to do.
Mack Gonzalez, a senior at Dominican said how a workshop like this would be beneficial for a lot of students, like himself, “As a senior in the education program I have never been taught how to create a LinkedIn or the significance of LinkedIn. I’ve had to learn on my own and go out of my way to make appointments with Student Success and Engagement to develop a LinkedIn, and there they have taught me how important LinkedIn is, something I should have known from the start of my college career.”
Their next event has WIB partnering with the Office of Career Development for a suit-up event. Suit Up, set up by the Office of Career Development, has been an ongoing program where students can acquire professional attire for free. WIB wants to bring more attention to this program since it can be very beneficial for students in need of professional clothes for a job interview or professional event.
Currently with 47 interested members, WIB plans to meet in October. The location of the first meeting is also yet to be determined, but interested students can check EngageDU for updates, or email Valenzuela (kvalenzuela@my.dom.edu) or Salguero (lsalguero@my.dom.edu) directly to be involved with WIB and attend the meeting.
As a new club, Salguero says members can expect meetings to be agenda based and laid back. Valenzuela added that any advice is welcomed, and she just wants to hear what her peers want to get out of the club.
“We’re like a baby club, we were just born so we are open to advice and suggestions. We want to make stuff happen,” says Valenzuela.
WIB is overlooked by advisor Anne Drougas, who is the Professor of Finance and Department Chair of Accounting, Finance and Entrepreneurship.
