For the past eight years, Cal State Fullerton’s Women’s Leadership Program has taught hundreds of students about the particular challenges women face in the workplace and how to overcome those challenges.

One of the many beneficiaries of this program graduating in 2023 was business analytics undergrad Carolina Mejia.

The Riverside resident discusses the impact of the Women’s Leadership Program on her career and life trajectory, why others should take advantage of the program, and her career goals.

How did your experience with the Women’s Leadership Program prepare you for post-collegiate life?

My experience with the Women’s Leadership Program was exceptional. I applied at the beginning of my senior year as I wanted to be more involved with campus programs. I discovered the program through the Business Career Center’s Instagram story, and when I saw their post, I clicked on the “apply here” link so fast!

From our first session, I immediately felt a sense of community with every single person in that room. It was beautiful to see the ethnic diversity and getting to know these women who all had different educational backgrounds and upbringings.

What made the program so special was the reason why we all applied in the first place: to learn about challenges women face in the workplace, and most importantly, how to overcome those challenges.

We had the pleasure of learning how to overcome workplace challenges by listening to guest speakers who were women experienced in leadership positions, career coaches, and early-career professionals.

I grew both personally and professionally because of this program and now feel more confident in the ways I present myself and my skills in the workplace.

From the workshops to the one-on-one sessions, I had with my career coach, I developed many skills that will help me navigate through my career. I learned about the importance of networking, how to negotiate salary, communicating differences, and bridging the gap between men and women in the workplace. I also learned how to increase my influence as a woman in the workplace by highlighting my existing skills and leveraging them to advance in my career.

What is one thing you learned as a mentee in the Women’s Leadership Program?

My career coach challenged me in so many ways that allowed me to self-reflect and realize many of my inherent capabilities such as being inquisitive and a critical thinker who uses her approach to problem-solve efficiently. She gave me tools, exercises, and resources that allowed me to reach a higher potential which I felt allowed me to take on greater responsibilities with my current employer and even to lead projects.

During our first session, my coach created an environment in which I felt comfortable and at ease to share. She asked me, “What are three words that describe your best self” and because of the supportive environment I was in, I was comfortable sharing my three words – ambitious, courageous, and goofy. Normally, I’d be apprehensive to use the word “goofy” to describe myself in a professional setting, however, my career coach helped me feel at ease and reinforced in me the power of being authentic.

A few weeks later, during a job interview, I was again asked to “describe myself” and using my experience with my career coach, I responded “ambitious, courageous, and goofy” to which the interview panel reacted joyfully to. The interviewing manager commented “I’ve never heard that one before, I like that” and one week later, I was offered a position with them!

I felt confident during my interview and presented an authentic version of myself – and this is one of the greatest things I learned from my career coach – to both believe in yourself and to be yourself. My confidence grew tremendously because of the Women’s Leadership workshops and the one-on-one sessions with my career coach, all of which helped me present my best self and helped me feel poised to take on new challenges.

Why should other students be part of the Women’s Leadership Program?

This program is a wonderful resource for students. You build a community with like-minded individuals who share the same ambition and drive. Many of the professional guest speakers stated, “I wish I had a program like this when I was in college, it would have helped me so much at the start of my career” and I can see why this program helps students prepare for their transition into professional roles.

I encourage students to apply to this program and fully indulge in the experience. Be attentive, participate, take notes, ask questions, connect with your fellow participants, network with guest speakers, and be present during your one-on-one sessions with your career coach–you will learn so much about yourself, and your capabilities!

I always left every workshop and one-on-one session with my career coach feeling inspired, and ready to use the knowledge and tools that I gained through this program in both my personal and professional life.