Mary Sullivan first became involved with Drexel Women in Business (DWIB) her freshman year. Since then, the senior from West Grove, Pa., has become an integral part of DWIB’s leadership board by serving as vice president.
DWIB hosts annual and quarterly events, one of these being their annual May Tea, which features a female keynote speaker to talk about her experiences leading and managing in the corporate world. Mary was so motivated by the speech given by Nicole Pullen Ross, the managing director at Goldman Sachs, that she knew she had to become a part of the organization that brought the speaker to campus. “She spoke about women empowerment, breaking the glass ceiling, and how to balance work like and home life. This one event really motivated me to get more involved because I felt as though my values strongly aligned with those DWIB represented,” she said.
So she joined DWIB, and served as secretary for the organization for two years, while pursuing a major in marketing and a double minor in communications and retail. This year, Mary stepped up to her current position as vice president.
As vice president, Mary organizes various events throughout the year including workshops, fundraisers, and their annual May Tea. This year, DWIB has also added a philanthropy cause, a non-profit called Women to Women International, to their programming, which Mary is also in charge of. Women to Women International provides support and aid to women, who have survived wars and other conflicts, with the tools needed to move on to stability and self-sufficiency. Mary has helped DWIB facilitate fundraisers and events in support of Women to Women International. If you’re interested, be on the look out for some upcoming fundraisers.
This all plays into the bigger picture of DWIB’s mission as a student organization. “DWIB aims to create a supportive network of not only students, but alumni and women leaders in Philadelphia, that work together to help each other succeed in the business world. I think a goal that we have always had is to motivate women to realize their full potential. We want our members to understand that they can be the CEO, they can break the glass ceiling, and that they can accomplish any goal that they set for themselves,” Mary said.
Being able to motivate younger women, especially underclassmen, to see their full potential and to take over the business world is the best part of helping to lead DWIB, according to Mary. She loves being able to talk to new members about how DWIB has helped her become the businesswoman, student, and leader that she is today.
Communicating with the student body at large is the most challenging part of leading DWIB. “When people hear ‘Drexel Women in Business’, they automatically assume that it is an organization specifically for women business majors. But that is definitely not true at all! DWIB is open to everyone! We host events and workshops that are beneficial to students of both genders and all majors! We even have alumni who are still active members of DWIB,” she said.
Mary’s time with DWIB has helped her develop leadership skills that have been advantageous in many areas of her life. It’s spurred her to become more involved in campus affairs and made her more driven for success overall. Mary believes that her role has helped her to set higher career goals for herself because of the opportunities she’s had to network with powerful, successful women through DWIB. She believes it has gotten her closer to her career aspirations of working in the marketing department of a retail company.
When she’s not leading DWIB and helping younger members find opportunities, Mary is playing with her dog or being involved with Delta Zeta as their charm and dress chair.
Mary has some parting words for anyone interested in becoming part of DWIB or learning more about the organization. “Come out to our events, general body meetings, and fundraisers! We try to have several different events each term so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved! Join our email list, find us on Dragonlink, and like us on social media for updates! Or even simply reach out to myself, or anyone on the executive board. We all love to talk about DWIB and would be MORE than happy to answer any questions anyone may have,” she said.
For more information about Drexel Women in Business, like the Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.