Reaching Beyond: DWIB's High School Outreach Program
Davis Women in Business (DWIB) expanded by one in 2022 with the creation and implementation of its newest board, External Relations. The purpose of the new board’s conception was to reach, create, and maintain strong relations with two target groups: high schoolers and DWIB alumni. In summer of 2021, just three board members, Zoe Fox, Katarina Knezevic, and Isabella Lewis came together to build a six month-long program to cater to their high school audience. With the scary yet exciting opportunity to build a program from the ground up, the External Relations board rose to the challenge, and thus; the High School Outreach Program was born.
The goal for this program was to provide high school students with knowledge and skills on how to succeed in both the college and professional worlds. Beyond learning valuable skills, the board wanted to inspire the younger generation to go out and become the leaders of tomorrow.
The High School Outreach Program Flyer that was sent out to high schools and high school counselors with details for each of the eight workshops.
With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, External Relations decided to host eight workshops over the course of six months via Zoom that are focused on business-centric topics from professionalism to interview preparation and resume building. To avoid time zone conflicts, the board reached out to and invited private and public schools from California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and Nevada to participate in the program. Mass emails were sent out to 250+ schools starting from mid August through mid October every two weeks. The board was thrilled to see that their program received over 320+ member sign ups!
In order to include other DWIB boards in the workshops, External Relations collaborated with several boards to co-host workshops that best suited their expertise. Professional Relations Director Angel Yi Lin reflects on her involvement in the program, “Curating the Professionalism 101 workshop for the DWIB High School Outreach Program has been not only rewarding in the sense I get to give back to a community of youth, but it has also been a great experience for the PR Board as a whole, as we got to brush up on our own professional skills.”
Not only did External Relations collaborate with DWIB boards, they also allowed St. Lucy’s Priory student Christina — a high schooler who created her own WIB chapter at her school — to speak at the last workshop on leadership. Christina reflects on her experience creating her High School Women in Business (HSWIB) organization and collaborating with DWIB:
Because of HSWIB, I have learned a lot about leading a team, cultivating strong relationships, and effectively balancing my time. Having a passion for HSWIB and women’s equality in business is what got me started, but discipline and support from others (especially DWIB) are what enabled me to make HSWIB what it is today.
The positive feedback that was received at the end of the program was astounding. Irvine High School student Chelsea reflects on her experience as part of the program, “I enjoyed how there were many speakers giving out their own experience. Each person has their own unique interpretation and knowing other people's point of view allows me to know different ways to reach my goal.” Sarai from Oak Grove High School writes, “It was a great experience. I was able to learn a lot in the short hour. I would highly recommend anyone to attend because of the variety of workshops.
A view at the Zoom screen for with External Relations board members for High School Outreach Program #6 on Self Care.
From their perspective, the External Relations board found the program to be a great success. Leader of the program Katarina Knezevic reflects:
I am so happy to have had the opportunity to create DWIB’s first ever High School Outreach Program! One of the main reasons I joined the External Relations board was to help connect DWIB with high school students. I was excited to share some personal experiences about my transition into college and professional/personal development. As a first generation student I know how stressful it is trying to figure out everything on your own. I wanted to be a mentor to the younger generation and provide them with tools I wish I had back in high school. I truly hope that all of our HSOP members walked away feeling more confident in themselves and ready to become the leaders of tomorrow. I’m beyond excited to see what they will accomplish in the future!
The board is plans to continue relations with high schoolers whether that is a continuation of this program or quarterly workshops. Davis Women in Business is extremely proud of External Relations’s accomplishments and the impact they have made on the greater community of young women interested in pursuing business through this program.