PV’s newest club is a program designed to empower women and educate them about business opportunities. This club, Women in Business, meets bi-monthly on Thursday mornings in Ms. Brown’s room following early out days.
The club was created by senior Hannah Highberger. “The club is open to all students and focuses on bringing in business professionals to speak,” said Highberger.
Highberger’s efforts in creating the club have been successful. The club has had online discussions with staff accountant Paige Bruns, who works at Hacker, Nelson & Co. They have also spoken with the accredited Dawn Ealy, who has led an impressive career and now works at the Iowa State Center for Industrial Research and Service. These guest speakers have provided insight into how to become a “woman in business.” “Hearing speakers will hopefully inspire members to pursue careers in business, and for those already interested in business, will help them find their sector,” shared Highberger.
These speakers’ knowledge about postsecondary education and navigating the workplace has given a new perspective on the world of business. Their advice has clarified members’ questions about future career opportunities.
Meetings without speakers are filled with knowledge from business teacher Ms. Brown, who is a certified public accountant. Highberger has also led the club in creating LinkedIn accounts to expose members early on in their careers. “Club members are encouraged to add club speakers on LinkedIn to help build their professional networks,” said Highberger.
While the club currently gathers a small number of students, it has hopes of growing within and beyond PV. “Eventually, we would like to have multischool events,” Highberger said. Even though the name “Women in Business” seems to draw in females, there is no exclusion within this club. Boys are welcome to join, and at the last meeting, some were present.
The future for Women in Business is bright. “As our last speaker said, it’s really important to go deeper than the classroom. I think this is a simple, easy way to network with other women of similar interests and to go deeper than what’s happening in our classroom,” stated Women in Business advisor Ms. Brown.
The club is continuing to grow, and Highberger and the current members are excited for the rest of the year, which includes lunch and learns and many more speakers to come. Women in Business fosters a safe learning environment to boost business knowledge.
