The Penn Arts & Sciences Professional Women’s Alliance (PWA) partnered with Career Services to create a unique Career Roundtable event on campus. The PWA Career Roundtable, held on October 11, 2022, featured nine accomplished College alumnae in careers ranging from finance to fiction. Students met with the alums in small groups for no-pressure, interactive roundtable discussions, learning about a wide range of career paths possible with a liberal arts degree. During the rotations, each alum discussed a “day in the life” in her role, what skills are required, what she looks for in new hires, advice on preparing for a career in the field, and answered student questions. Eighty-five students took advantage of the event to learn and build connections with the alumnae and each other.
“I found it rewarding to participate in the PWA Roundtable and encourage Arts & Sciences students to think differently about their career options and how to use their liberal arts degree,” says Rebecca Scott, a PWA Advisory Board Member and roundtable mentor. “It was thrilling to see such a diverse set of undergraduate women considering their careers early and creatively. I hope we inspired students to experiment with classes and career paths they had not previously considered. It was a bonus to meet fellow PWA mentors who are thriving in their careers and hear their often unconventional paths.”
We thank the PWA alumnae mentors who came to campus for this event:
Samara Cohen, C’93, W’93, Chief Investment Officer of ETFs and Index Investments, BlackRock
Jackie Friedland, C’99, L’00, Bestselling Author
Ashley Gaines, C’94, VP, U.S. Breast Cancer Business, AstraZeneca
Ruth Hubbard, C’12, Strategy & Solutions Development Manager, Google
Mandisa John, C’09, Director of Programs and Partnerships, Urban Teachers
Nina Kvelanlead, C’04, Co-Founder and CEO at Lanyard Stays
Lauren Schorr Potter, C’06, Partner in the Litigation Department of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
Rebecca Scott, C’06, Senior Client Partner at Nextdoor
Julie Solomon, C’99, Partner, Global Chief Operating Officer, Real Estate, Ares Management Corporation
To see more pictures from the event, click here.
