HERstory in the Making: WomenCon Joins Campus-Wide Organizations Focused on Women’s Issues

Seton Hall University was well into its 112th year when it welcomed the first female students to its main campus in South Orange in 1968. Beginning in the 1930s, however, women were accepted into smaller satellite campuses – called Extension Divisions – in Newark and Jersey City. According to university history, the main campus in South Orange did not allow women until 1968 because it housed Seton Hall’s divinity school. Once the seminary moved, integrating women became easier.

Fast forward another 50-plus years to an event that showcased the strides women have made on campus since their arrival. The event, WomenCon, held on February 6, 2024, brought together nine campus organizations focused on women’s issues and their positive impact on leadership, mentorship and professional development.

WomenCon was organized by the Women in Business (WIB) executive board, led by Shaylah Rivas, a senior majoring in accounting and finance, and welcomed nearly 100 attendees. "Recognizing the diverse range of majors within our membership, we decided to broaden our impact by organizing this singular event and opening it to all female students at Seton Hall University," said Rivas. "WomenCon provided an opportunity to come together and connect with members of other women-led organizations."

WIB’s mission is to develop a community of determined women pursuing business or other related fields at Seton Hall University and to serve as a support system to help members reach career goals from an early start. Established in 2017, WIB aims to unite women in a predominantly male-dominated sector, encompassing both academic and professional realms.

"Shaylah and the rest of the WIB board did an excellent job building bridges to bring together many of the clubs from around campus to create a fun and informative event agenda," said Jennifer Itzkowitz, Stillman School of Business finance professor and WIB faculty advisor.

In addition to Rivas, WIB e-board members include Sophia Uhl, vice president; Nora Ferro, secretary; Jalisa McKay, treasurer; Asma Choudhary and Gabrielle Idowu, vice presidents of membership; and Callie Christoffersen, vice president of marketing and public relations.

WIB partnered with eight other women-led organizations, all of whom played important supporting roles at WomenCon:

• Having Appreciation in Realness (HAIR) – serves to create a natural hair community on campus, promoting individual self-care and overall wellness of individuals.
• Mind Over Matter (MOM) – focuses on promoting mental health and well-being within minority communities.
• National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) – leads, empowers and advocates for women of African descent, their families and communities.
• Period. - The Period Movement – strives to eradicate period poverty and stigma through service, education and advocacy; serves a large population of women who don’t have access to sanitary products, as well as educates those who spread taboos and stigmas around menstruation, as well as advocates for period policy change.
• Women from Student Government Association (SGA) – promotes the interests and opinions of the student body in matters that affect the Seton Hall community. Under SGA falls the Gender Equity Commission, a student-governed committee that provides the greater student body a place for their [gendered] concerns to be heard and worked on in conjunction with the university administration.
• The Women’s Network (TWN) – the largest collegiate women's networking organization in North America, TWN cultivates and celebrates women's ambition by connecting members to industry leaders, professional development resources and career opportunities.
• Women of Diplomacy Leadership Program (WDLP) – fosters confidence and leadership skills among women and other devoted students of diplomacy.
• Women in STEM (WiSTEM) – seeks to empower women and gender minorities to uphold their STEM studies and pursue/consider careers in STEM fields by providing community, mentorship, connection, support and advice.

Members from each organization were deployed around the event room to facilitate meeting members from other clubs. Icebreaker questions were distributed to each table in advance to help spark conversation between attendees. Each organization was responsible for contributing a food item for dinner and a fun item for goodie bags. Most importantly, they all promoted the event to their club membership.

"Members of the supporting organizations worked with us every step of the way – setting up, registering and welcoming attendees, working the scavenger hunt booths, etc., to name a few of the tasks," Rivas said.

During the Professional Scavenger Hunt, attendees stopped at booths set up outside the event room. The activity doubled as an educational exercise on how to best prepare to enter the job market. Attendees hunted for tips on resume building, LinkedIn, interview advice, creating an email signature and business cards, and how to dress to impress. At each booth, an e-board member stamped the attendee’s card to earn points – with bonus points given for adding five new people on LinkedIn.

One of the evening’s highlights was a 30-minute panel discussion. Those panelists included Mary Balkun, professor and director of faculty development, Seton Hall University Department of English; Karen Boroff, professor of management and dean emeritus, Seton Hall University Department of Management; and Sona Patel, associate professor, Seton Hall University Department of Speech – Language Pathology.

"Special thanks to Mary Balkun, Karen Boroff and Sona Patel for sharing their inspiring stories and answering our participants’ questions at the event," said Itzkowitz.

"Events like this can lead to increased visibility and impact for women’s issues on campus and beyond, enhanced collaboration and support, and a diversification of perspectives and approaches by fostering a more comprehensive understanding of those issues," Itzkowitz added. "I am immensely proud of what WIB has accomplished to date, but I am especially proud of our WIB leaders for making this event such an incredible success. I hope it’s the first of many more."

Categories: Business