Being a woman in the business world is still not as easy as it might seem. I first joined the Young Women in Business (YWib) SFU in 2012 as a member and fell in love with the organization at right away. YWiB provides great mentorship, support, and a sense of belonging to this huge network of amazing women from all over SFU and the greater Vancouver community. Through the programs, workshops, socials and the International Women’s Day (IWD) conference, YWiB empowers emerging female leaders to grow personally just as much as professionally.
As I learnt more about YWiB, I knew I wanted to contribute to this organization in a bigger way, so I joined the 2013/14 executive team as the IWD Chair. My initial motivation to gain event planning experience turned into becoming one of the most unforgettable experiences of my undergrad so far.
International Women’s Day (IWD) Conference
As a Chair you live and breathe your event throughout the year. Starting my role back in April 2013 without my organizing committee (OC) team, I could not even imagine how valuable the journey was going to be. Recruiting the OC and working with them on the common goal of executing the 4th annual conference was beyond my expectations. Working so closely with an OC is a unique bonding and learning experience, which is very different from the one you get when doing a school project together. IWD 2014 was the first event I have ever planned, and there were many times when I almost gave up if not for the support of the OC and the YWiB executive team. These are the kind of experiences and people you are looking for in life, and I am grateful that I managed to find them through being a part of YWiB and IWD.
I can say without hesitation that in the past year I’ve learnt and grown so much as a person as well as a professional; it feels like I’ve jumped sky high. I will always cherish the experience I had and the friendships I’ve made. Witnessing the faces of inspired and engaged people on the day of the conference was totally worth all the hard work we’ve put in!
Sasha is a third year SFU student. Her experiences with Beedie as a YWiB SFU executive team member has helped her to gain business and leadership skills and led to making many valuable connections and meaningful friendships. Her role as IWD Chair helped her realize that event planning is what she really wants to do in life.