According to Catalyst, in 2015-2016 women made up 16.3% of CEO positions. Business management has historically been a male dominated department and for women who are genuinely interested in business, entering that field of work can be intimidating. Julia Bauerfeind whole heartedly admits to the intimidation factor, but in no way has that impeded her success as a Business Administration major here at California Lutheran University. With an emphasis in Management and a minor in Psychology, Julia is getting ready to take on the real world as she’s set to graduate this upcoming spring semester. Although life has recently thrown her a curve ball, Julia was quick to recover and refocus herself on her new goals. As a minority in her department, she’s been defying expectations and working hard to show everyone exactly why she should be known as a leader in her own right.
Her Campus Cal Lutheran: You’re a senior here at Cal Lutheran, are you excited to graduate?
Julia Bauerfeind: Yes I definitely am, but it also scares me.
HCCLU: What scares you about it?
JB: Being genuinely out on my own, like paying my own bills, is a scary thought. The part that scares me the most is having a job and realizing that I have loans to pay back. Not to mention getting an apartment in Los Angeles or Orange County is expensive, so the responsibility of paying for things on my own is also a scary thought. In general though, failing is what scares me.
HCCLU: What are your plans after you graduate?
JB: After I graduate I would like to move to LA or Orange County and I want to work for an interior design firm.
HCCLU: Was that always what you wanted?
JB: No it wasn’t. First of all, I didn’t want to go to college in the beginning, but my parents were adamant that it was the next step. I ended up here at Cal Lutheran, and at first I wasn’t excited but looking back, I know this was where I was meant to end up. I thought I wanted to work at my uncle’s production company, as I previously went to photo shoots and I thought they were the coolest thing ever. But then during the summer going into senior year, I interned with him and realized that I hated it and that I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. So I started off senior year blind- I felt like I was back to square one and I didn’t have a lot of time to figure it out.
HCCLU: How did that realization affect you and your mindset?
JB: I thought my life was over, I thought that I had wasted my time and money at college and I asked myself, “now what?” I felt like everything was in shambles. Who and where I thought I wanted to be was no more, and I was really lost and confused. Through high school and most of college, I thought that being part of my uncle’s production company was what I wanted, so it was a big slap in the face to realize that it wasn’t.
HCCLU: How did you get yourself out of that mindset?
JB: I talked to my dad, who is my best friend. We’re really close and I was just distraught. I felt like I wasted his money on this degree and I was apologizing. He said “I’m glad that you realized that that wasn’t what you wanted to do before graduating rather than realizing afterwards.” Through talking to my dad I realized this was a blessing in disguise. If I had tried to do the job full time and then realized that wasn’t the life I wanted, I would’ve really been in shambles because I would’ve been stuck. Once I looked at it like that, I knew I needed to figure out what I am good at and what I love doing- what I know I can do.
HCCLU: Do you have any regrets from the past four years here?
JB: My biggest regret is not trying new paths sooner. I was so set on my path that I wasn’t open enough to everything else. Going into college, I wish I knew that it was okay to change my mind. People normally go into college with a set, planned path but going into it knowing that you can change and having the ability and time to think about what you want is important. I wish I had looked into other options more, because I feel like I could’ve found my real path earlier. College is a good time to do internships to find out if what you think you want to do is really what’s best for you.
HCCLU: If there was one thing you could tell your freshman self, what would it be?
JB: To be open to new people, new experiences, and new classes. If I never took that psych class, I would’ve never been able to fall in love with psychology like I did.
HCCLU: Do you have any recommendations for business majors?
JB: Definitely create your own LinkedIn and connect with business professors because they know so many people in the business world and they’re happy to help. Go to career services and do internships. If that’s what you want to do, do an internship. Internships are how you learn how to apply the skills you’ve gained through classes.
HCCLU: So as a female in the business department, what’s the environment like?
JB: I definitely feel like, on behalf of myself, my grades, and every other woman in the world, I need to kick butt. I push myself harder because I’m part of the minority. There’s 27 students in one of my classes, and of those 27, only 9 are women.
HCCLU: What do you think that type of environment does for females who are interested in that department or related departments?
JB: It can be intimidating. Sometimes if I’m not 100% sure, I don’t want to contribute to the conversation because I don’t want to be wrong. I just feel like I don’t want to be that one girl who raises her hand and says the wrong thing and pushes women further down the hole of “why are you in management?” Leadership plays a big role in business, especially in management classes. It can get uncomfortable because I feel like the guys want to take over projects but I know I am just as capable, if not more so, to handle that type of position. A lot of times when there’s a group project, the guys want to take the lead. I don’t know if that’s a natural “macho” instinct but, guess what, I have good ideas too. And sometimes I’m not heard in the same way the males hear each other.
HCCLU: Was it always like that?
JB: General business classes were mostly equal in terms of the male to female ratio. But my upper division management classes are mostly males. I didn’t realize that would happen when I picked a management emphasis but I’m still glad I picked it because I’m good at it and I enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge, it just lights a fire inside me. I want to reach that point where I can say, “yes I’m a Puerto Rican Latina, yes I went to a religious based private school, yes I graduated in four years, and yes I am your manager.”
HCCLU: How have you gotten through that disproportion of how people in your class hear you and how you want to be heard?
JB: I honestly feel like you have to prove yourself. Without being obnoxious, you do have to be aggressive in proving your point. Be mature and sensible about it, and use your business skills to promote yourself in such a light that it’s hard to deny your capabilities. If you show that you understand the business terminology and that you understand how business works, you prove that you’re competent. If you have a confidence about yourself, that resonates with everyone else. With males, they’re more outspoken and if you meet them at their level, you’re noticed in a way that can allow respect and listening to occur within communication.
HCCLU: Considering your experience as a business major, what do you think about how women should approach business departments?
JB: I wish there were more women! I feel that in business, the more diverse the company is, the better the ideas are. It really shows in management courses, and in the university itself, that we are not that diverse. So when we go out in the world, which is diverse, the skills we need to succeed aren’t the skills we learn in our classes. The classes we’re in don’t properly represent the diversity in real world situations.
HCCLU: Is there any advice you would give to a student who’s reading this article?
JB: Don’t be afraid to do anything. Try new things and find what you’re passionate about, what you’re good at, and what makes you happy. Especially those who find themselves in a minority, don’t be afraid to speak up, because we need that diversity. We all need to be open to new experiences and new people from different backgrounds and beliefs.