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When Syracuse University junior Elena Biglan first joined The Women’s Network her freshman year, the student organization was in its second year and was still the only chapter in the U.S. Now serving as its vice president, Biglan has watched the organization expand to nearly 150 college campuses across the U.S. and Canada.

“I think we’re really inclusive to everyone, no matter your major or background,” Biglan said. “It’s been interesting to be able to learn about everyone’s different interests, because otherwise I don’t get to interact with people other than my friends outside my major.”

The Women’s Network is currently the largest collegiate women’s networking organization in the nation. Founded in 2017 by then-sophomore Jamie Vinick, the original SU chapter now boasts a membership of dozens of students. The 17-member e-board, led by sophomore Jaya Patel, hopes to continue creating a welcoming network of professional women who represent a range of academic and cultural backgrounds at SU.

Patel joined The Women’s Network the summer before her freshman year and first worked as a blog writer that spring. She then served as vice president the following fall, which Patel said is when she was inspired to apply for presidency after getting to know the different board positions a lot better.

Patel said making connections with women that were as ambitious as herself was really important to her. Watching then-president Summer Cerbone at work cemented her decision to run for the president position.

“Seeing Summer become a really strong president and grow so much in her position made me think, ‘I want to do that!’” Patel said.

Patel met Cerbone, a junior, during one of the organization’s trademark “mocktails” events and now sees her as a mentor, role model and close friend. The junior hopes that other girls can find similar relationships through the organization. “I never would have met her if it wasn’t for The Women’s Network,” Patel said.

Biying Wang, who is the SU chapter’s vice president of marketing, had a similar experience when she met with Leah Rivera, the co-vice president of marketing for the Johns Hopkins University chapter of the organization last Friday.

The two were introduced after Rivera led a training session for the position at the beginning of the semester, and Wang felt comfortable reaching out to her for advice on how to tackle some of her pressing marketing tasks.

“It was so easy. I just told her, ‘Hey, I need help,’ and she agreed and we set up a time,” Wang said.

Wang said that she loves having a support system both on- and off-campus, because she learns from members with different school environments and even academic backgrounds.

Even though the two are very different academically — Rivera is a third-year studying economics, while Wang is a freshman dual-majoring in public relations and information management & technology” — Wang said that Rivera was very knowledgeable in her position and that she received valuable insight from the junior.

“People that want to be a part of this organization share similar values, and that creates a natural bond. Like, when else would I be meeting people that go to Johns Hopkins? I feel like I would’ve never met her, and she’s super awesome. And thanks to this organization, I’m able to learn from her,” Wang said.

Apply; “give it a shot.” *Even if you do not feel like the most qualified candidate for the role.* :100:

A photo posted by thewomens.network

Jessica Singh, a freshman international relations and policy studies dual major at SU, said she was initially skeptical about whether the organization’s mission would pertain to her career goals when she joined this semester. But after attending a speaker event, Singh was impressed with its inclusivity.

“I think they’re definitely very welcoming and inclusive, and that’s why their board stands out more than the boards of other organizations,” Singh said. “They show that they care about their members, and they’re all just so nice and so put-together.”

As far as long-term goals, Wang hopes to improve the representation of international students in the organization like herself.

Patel said that she wants to continue to provide the special experience and safe space that the organization is known for to a wider variety of majors.

“We want TWN to be an organization that any woman or nonbinary person can join. We want our girls to know that, regardless of what your major is, to join and keep networking; it’s not a skill limited to business,” she said. “We want to create and cultivate The Women’s Network ‘network,’ one that’s not just involving our campus but other campuses across the nation as well.”

DISCLAIMER: Biying Wang is a writer in the News section for The Daily Orange. She does not influence the editorial content of the Culture section in this role.

Published on April 18, 2022 at 11:46 pm