When Ava Arroyo (SFS ’16) and Alana Snyder (COL ’16) arrived at Georgetown, they noticed something was missing. Among all of the amazing clubs here, there were not any that really focused on networking and women in leadership. With so many aspiring women making up the student body, this came as a shock. Her Campus chatted with Ava, a Milwaukee native, and Alana, hailing from Los Angeles, about their ambitious move in creating an organization revolving around bolstering the networking system among Georgetown girls. These two joined forces, shared ideas and Georgetown University Women in Leadership (GUWIL) was born.
Where did you get the idea for GUWIL and how did it all start?
Ava: I was really involved in high school in advancing women and girls through various organizations and after my first semester at Georgetown I was so stunned there wasn’t a network for female students to be apart of. I was attending GW and Harvard Women in Business events because there was no access to these networks at Georgetown. Alana and I found each other on Facebook (epitome of Generation Y) because we both were posting articles about women’s issues and we decided to meet for coffee to talk about our mutual interests. One thing lead to another and before the end of the meeting we were designing a logo and setting up a website for GU Women in Leadership! We knew we had to fill a need in the Georgetown community and we’ve been busy building our organization since then. I also want to add, Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In book and movement was a huge force behind starting the organization and forming our mission and vision. Statistics like “only 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women”, “women make 78 cents for every dollar a man earns”, “women only hold 20% of the seats in congress”, really ignite us to want to change those ratios! We are doing that by having women engage in dialogue, workshops and networking events before they enter the workforce. An anecdotal example of what GUWIL hopes to provide long term: About 7% of women attempt to negotiate their salary, while 57% of men do and this is because of internal and external barriers. We hope every GUWIL member who graduates has the confidence to negotiate her first salary! #LeanIn
Alana: I attended a women’s conference hosted by Maria Shriver in Los Angeles when I was in high school and I left the venue so inspired that I knew I had to start something similar at my school. With the help of the some fellow students and the administration we soon had our own conference with speakers like Maria Shriver, Lady Gaga and Alex Morgan. The conference was a huge hit and now I’m doing the same thing at Georgetown. Shout out to Maria for being such an amazing Hoya and role model!
As a relatively new organization, what plans do you have for the future and to promote the growth of the club?
Alana: We have two marketing chairs who pump out material and updates all the time through different platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Vine, email and wild postings. They work really hard and Ava and I try to brainstorm even more ways to get our brand out there like networking events open to the whole campus (not just our general members) and resume workshops.
Ava: We have many exciting events planned for the upcoming school year. We will be bringing in some inspiring leaders from the D.C community to share their experience as professional women, hosting a networking brunch, and our biggest of event of the year is our Own It Women’s Leadership Summit on April 12th, 2014. We hope to continue to grow and increase membership this year. Since the sophomores are the founding class we are always trying to spread the word to upperclassmen by curating our programming to fit their needs. For example, this week we are holding a resume workshop with the Levo League which is applicable to all students but especially helpful to upperclassmen. We continue to increase membership by utilizing our social networks, word of mouth and good old fashion tabling! Connect with us: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and of course email us at gu.wo.co@gmail.com!
Source: GUWIL Instagram
What is GUWIL’s main goal as an organization?
Ava: Our main goal is simple: to advance undergraduate women personally and professionally. We want women to answer the questions “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?,” how can you get to where you want to be, do you have a mentor to help you achieve your goals? Those are some examples of questions we ask of our members but at the end of the day we want Georgetown undergraduate women to graduate with a strong network of women they can rely on beyond Georgetown and appreciate the community and opportunities GUWIL provided them during their years here.
Alana: We have an official vision and mission statement but I think in my own words, our goal is to foster a professional environment where leadership skills are developed and put to use for the greater Georgetown community.
What is an average GUWIL meeting like? Is there a lot of behind the scenes planning as the co-presidents of the club?
Alana: There is no “average” GUWIL meeting and we are proud of that! We try to bring in a huge array of speakers from different fields and have various workshops about outlining resumes to the designing the perfect elevator pitch.
Ava: Because we are an organization that’s goal is to provide undergraduate women of all four schools with the resources they need, every meeting varies. Our standard programming is monthly roundtable discussions, skill building workshops, and guest speakers. We believe by providing comprehensive programming and opportunities we are addressing the diverse demographic here on campus. There is a lot of planning behind the scenes but luckily we have a wonderful team to make sure we deliver the best events possible. Our Executive Board meets every Monday to debrief on past events, update one another on our individual projects and brainstorm future goals! We leave every meeting energized and inspired because of the enthusiasm and hard work of our members. We also have a talented and dedicated advisory board helping us plan our spring summit, they help provide overall clarity to our goals and mission. Although we both do a lot behind the scenes, we also have this amazing team making things happen and who provide a fresh perspective.
Who are your female role models?
Ava: I seriously could provide a list of 100 female role models but I won’t bore you with that! I absolutely have to say Sheryl Sandberg who is the COO of Facebook because she is the inspiration behind GUWIL’s mission and vision because of her book Lean In. A few other women are Hillary Clinton, Tory Burch, Marissa Mayer, and Caroline Ghosn. Caroline was my boss this past summer and she taught me so much about cultivating your energy and being a servile leader who asks “what can I do to help my team?” So much about being a leader is being able to help the team behind your idea and providing that support and inspiration for them.
Alana: Maria Shriver is the bomb. She is humble, she is nice and she is such a go-getter. She makes things happen by being strong and bold. She is efficient and smart. I think she speaks eloquently but she is always frank. I aspire to be like her one day.
How can girls who are interested in GUWIL become a part of the organization?
Ava and Alana: Anyone can join! You can become a general member by attending our 2 meetings per month. You simply fill out a form with all your information and you will be added to our list serv which grants you access to all our amazing resources and opportunities. In addition, you can join a committee or apply for one of our executive board positions if you want to be more involved in shaping the organization. Email us at gu.wo.co@gmail.com if you’re interested!
Source: GUWIL Instagram
Lightning Round
Favorite Georgetown restaurant:
Ava: Clyde’s on M Street. Classic.
Alana: Clyde’s
Dream vacation:
Ava: Sitting on a beach with nothing to do but read, eat and sleep!
Alana: 12 days in Italy’s 12 best cities
Hot Chick or Chicken Madness from Wisey’s:
Ava: Haven’t had either, not my kind of food!
Alana: Hot Chick
Dinner with anyone, dead or alive:
Ava: Sheryl Sandberg, obviously.
Alana: Audrey Hepburn
Dream concert:
Ava: Van Morrison
Alana: The Two Friends