On Tuesday, April 9, Delta Sigma Pi and the Student Activities Council are coming together to put on a very special event: a fireside chat with Lauren Simmons.
Who is Lauren Simmons?
As a trader in the New York Stock exchange, Lauren is making history as the youngest woman, and the second woman of color to ever be on the floor at the NYSE. As if that were not enough, she is currently the ONLY full-time female trader on the floor.
Since starting at the NYSE, Simmons has been advocating for women and minorities to break more and more boundaries in fields that historically have been dominated by white men.
Wanting other people to follow in her footsteps, she told New York Magazine how she wants having women, and women of color, in industries like finance to be the norm. She told New York Magazine, “I don’t want to be the anomaly, I want you to break all glass ceilings. I want there to be second, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, a hundred women of color down here or breaking in any industry. I want people to have their own success stories, and if I’m the motivation to give you that success story, I’m honored.”
She told NBC News that her advice to young women is, “Don’t let fear stop you. If you sit around all day thinking, ‘Oh, I’m the only female or the only minority, the only woman,’ … that is a distraction all day long. You can’t sit and dwell on the distraction. Do what you’re meant to do and do it well. You got this.”
She has an amazing story, and I am so excited to hear her speak in person! If you aren’t busy, check her out tonight at 7:00 PM in Kennedy!