Community / November 23, 2015

Smith Hosts Future Women in Business Conference

Smith Hosts Future Women in Business Conference

Smith student Philip Peker ’18 writes about the annual Future Women in Business Conference at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.  On Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, local high school women visited Smith to learn about careers in business.

According to the Center for American Progress, “women earn 60 percent of undergraduate degrees, and 60 percent of all master’s degrees,” and yet, women are merely 14.6 percent of executives, and 8 percent of top earners.  As one digs deeper, the data gets darker; even though women account for 80 percent of consumer expenditure, they make up only 3 percent of marketing and advertising directors. For women of color, this is but the start of the extent of institutional discrimination ever-present in the workplace culture. There are zero women of color holding director positions in more than two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies, and overall, women of color take up less than 12 percent of managerial positions.

In a world where restaurants have menu items for dogs, the radio is already old school, and most of our grandparents are (a little too) hip to The Facebook, income inequality among men and women is an anachronism that has overstayed its welcome. The Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland is doing its part in making sure the gap is sutured together, sooner rather than later.  On Friday, November 20, 2015, Smith hosted its annual Future Women in Business Conference, aimed at introducing local female high school students to Smith, a business education, and the professional world that awaits them. 

The featured guest speaker was Danielle Bennings, a former manager of events at the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, and currently a director of events and public relations at Plank Industries. Danielle’s passion and electric aura was felt by all in the room, as she recounted her personal story, going from being an undergraduate non-business student, then graduate student, and finally, a successful, happy, and respected woman in the professional business world.  She passed on tips on how to best “seize your future,” encouraging students to be innovative learners and doers, no matter what job or internship you have, or what class you take. “But if you want to skip a few steps, go to business school,” Danielle added, candidly. As someone who did not actually attend a business school but is now working in event planning and marketing at a firm like Plank Industries, Danielle realizes the incredible value a business adds to one’s overall learning and growth as an individual, and especially as a leader. “No matter what path you take in life, politics, marketing, PR, law…business principles are going to lay a foundation for a really strong career. Take the time to learn business principles while in school, even if it’s not your major, because it will pay off. I promise.”

After Danielle’s inspirational speech, the high school students filed into rooms across Van Munching Hall to test their knowledge in business by working on a case competition for a Maryland student’s business. This part of the conference was championed by the Smith School Women’s society, an organization committed to help young women of all majors and interests find their niche and cultivate their passion in business, as students and beyond. Taylor Myers, senior marketing major and president of the society, shared some insight on women and their role in the business world. “A lot of times, you see young girls who don’t know exactly what they want to do in business, and even more often you see them not really know how to explore their potential interests and possible career paths. We are there to help them see all the different opportunities out there, and there are a lot, and then, help them start to focus on an aspect they really are passionate about.”

This type of intermediary support system is critical. I had the chance to speak with two Howard County high school teachers, Teresa Waters and Mary Metzler, and they both teach business courses at their respective high schools. I asked them how important they think a high school business education is, and they simultaneously responded with a resounding “Oh my gosh!” Building a bridge between high school and college business education is key in order to give students a leg up in the professional world. Learning to “analyze data, give presentations, negotiate and mediate situations, executing conflict development and resolution, and learning to lead, manage, but also how to be a team player” are skills that any industry expects, but only a business education formally teaches. They both praised the relationship Smith has with so many high schools in the area, and how amazing of an opportunity this conference is for young women looking ahead towards college.

The effect this conference has on these girls is unmistakable. Jane Lee, senior at Howard High School told me why this conference is so valuable. “The business world is very male dominated, and sometimes it’s hard for us to be taken seriously, so the fact that this conference is just for women, we feel more free to explore and get out there, and see what we can contribute to the world of business.” All it takes is one spark, one trigger, to inspire a group to fight for their potential, and Smith is honored to be that catalyst for many young women to seize their future, seize it now, and seize it with pride.

For more information about the undergraduate program at Smith, visit http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/undergrad

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About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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