by Caroline McCarthy & Sinead Fitzgibbon, Asst. Features Editor & Contributor

Manhattan College’s Women in Business club (WIB) aims to prepare women to step into corporate America and experience professional development among like-minded peers. WIB offers a professional yet welcoming environment that aims to build connections and friendships that will help you through college and in your future career.

According to club president Dayna McGinley, one of the most important goals of the club is to create an inclusive environment for students on campus who are interested in business and/or want to learn more about professional development.

“Not only do we want to broaden our members’ professional network and provide all the beneficial advice and tools to excel in their future careers, but create a community on campus that supports new initiatives and provides opportunities for lifelong learning and relationships,” said McGinley.

A unique aspect of the Women in Business Club is its Mentor Program. All members are encouraged to join this program, which assigns an upperclassman to a freshman or sophomore. The program is focused on building connections between WIB members that they will carry with them long after graduation and into the workforce.

“I was a mentee when I was an underclassman and my mentor, Ashley Pajer was a tremendous help in all things class, career and college-related,” said McGinley.

One of the club’s newest members, SJ Waterman, joined Women in Business and enrolled in the mentor program to build connections with people who had similar interests and career goals. Waterman is a marketing major with the goal of pursuing fashion marketing.

“I think [the mentor pro- gram] is really cool,” said Waterman. “I think it would give me more opportunities to meet people and network.”

McGinley now plans on continuing the cycle and taking on the role of mentor this semester. This semester, the program plans to have guest speakers in varying levels of their careers to give the next generation guidance about possible career trajectories.

Brenna McNamara, a junior at Manhattan College, has been a member of WIB since last year. With an intended major in Marketing and Global Studies, McNamara is the Events Coordinator for the club. As the Events Coordinator, she is responsible for handling on-campus events, inviting guest speakers, and planning trips off-campus.

“We’re really just trying to build an inclusive community among all the women on campus who want to have future careers in business,” McNamara said. “We really strive to do this through guidance from both seniors that are already on campus and really do have that experience of working in big corporations or companies, but also through connections that we have through Handshake, internships and alumni.”

McNamara also noted the importance of the Women in Business Club within the business industry.

“I know it can be very male-dominated, so just having that community of women on campus and even outside of campus can really support you, it’s great,” said McNamara.

The Women in Business Club has many exciting events planned for this year. Some include a deep dive into stock analysis, a personal finance seminar by Giselle from the United Bank of Switzerland (UBS), a “Women in Research” panel filled by students at Manhattan College, a Fashion Merchandising seminar and the Mentor Launch Event. These are just a few of the professional development opportunities the WIB will be sponsoring.

This club is a great opportunity for women who intend to pursue a career in business. With exciting events planned this year and supportive members who want to see you succeed, WIB will not only help prepare you for the workplace but also help you make and foster long-lasting friendships with fellow members.

“Women in Business will help me achieve all of my goals as it has been the perfect foundation for my career goals,” said McGinley. “My past internships and professional network are proof that WIB had a positive impact on me already.”