Destiny Her isn’t quiet anymore. When she first joined the Craig School of Business Gender and Leadership (GAL) student cohort, Her was mostly silent during discussions. But as she progressed through the program, Her found she has plenty to say and a supportive group to listen.
“GAL has definitely helped me become more vocal about the things that I want,” Her said. “It’s helped me be more confident to connect with students who have the same goals as me.”
“Destiny is the perfect poster child for what GAL can do for students,” said Kenyeih Williams, director of development for the Craig School, who has helped connect the business community to the Gender and Leadership program.
“GAL has really helped Destiny open up and become a confident, forceful voice in our discussions,” Williams said. “At first, she seemed quiet and incredibly shy. Then she really blossomed and had a lot to contribute.”
The goal of the Gender and Leadership program is to provide mentorship, professional development, encouragement and networking opportunities to students who face gender disparities in the workplace. The Gender and Leadership student cohort, which is open to all business students regardless of their gender, hosts speakers, workshops and discussion groups to connect students with established professionals in the business community.
The program also helped Her learn about professional development opportunities she would have otherwise missed.
“I’m a transfer student, and it was kind of hard to find student clubs related to things I wanted to do in my career,” Her said. “I’m studying human resource management, and I hope to work my way up toward being an HR director. GAL introduced me to the [Society for Human Resource Management] club and gave me insight into what opportunities I should take advantage of.”
Connecting students with community members for networking and mentorship is an essential part of business education. Networking with established professionals helps students better understand real-world business issues, find employment opportunities and quickly establish their careers after graduation.
The community’s donations on Day of Giving – Wednesday, March 26 – to the Craig School of Business Community Partners and Gender and Leadership Student Cohort funds support opportunities for students to build strong professional networks early in their careers.
Her said hearing the career stories of established professionals in GAL workshops has helped her build greater confidence in her own abilities.
“It’s helped me a lot to meet professional women who are in leadership positions,” Her said. “It’s great to meet women who are excelling in what they do and what challenges they have encountered as women in their fields. It’s made me feel much more comfortable, knowing that they have the same challenges and fears as I do. It made me realize that we’re all in this together. It really helps to know that there are people who want you to succeed.”
The lessons that Her has learned through the Gender and Leadership program will inform her future work as a human resource manager.
“I want to work as a recruiter, and from a recruiter’s perspective, it’s important to look at your job applicant pool and give women a chance,” Her said. “Women are qualified and bring new insights into business.”
Fresno State’s annual 24-hour, online Day of Giving will be Wednesday, March 26. The Craig School of Business relies on private financial support, such as funds raised from the Day of Giving, to support experiential learning activities for students. Visit fresnostate.dayofgiving.edu to learn how to support the Craig School of Business today.
