UW-Whitewater: Conference prepares students to trade in backpacks for briefcases

Contact: Ron Buchholz

(262) 472-1498

buchholr@uww.edu

WHITEWATER ­ Young women nervous about trading in their backpacks for briefcases and entering the professional world can get tips from the those who have done it successfully at the Friday, March 5, “Backpack to Briefcase” conference.

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater alumni Jenna Harris O07 and Jennifer Menden O06 will host the leadership conference from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Timmerman Auditorium in Timothy J. Hyland Hall. The leadership conference is geared toward helping young women learn how to make their transition into the professional world a successful one.

“Of all the leadership events available on campus, this is a little different than just a resume builder as speakers will address tough things they’ve faced,” Harris said. “It’s more intimate than anything you can learn from a textbook and it’s really good to hear the good, the bad and the ugly from people who have been through it. I wish someone had taught me this stuff before I started my career.”

Harris and Menden founded the conference in 2007 near the end of their undergraduate careers. The pair volunteered at a leadership summit for women in business in Madison and came up with “Backpack to Briefcase” shortly after that. The first conference was held on UW-Madison’s campus and enjoyed great results as students from UW-Whitewater attended in large numbers.

“We were asked to host the conference again after receiving a huge amount of positive feedback the first time around,” Menden said. “Given the current economic climate, this is definitely needed. Students can benefit from an opportunity to get a leg up as they approach finding a career of their own.”

The conference is back again this year after Menden and Harris took time to focus on their careers right after college. Even though they have both successfully transitioned into the corporate world, the pair say this kind of event is something professionals can also benefit from.

“It’s really all about continuous learning, these are the kind of things you can keep getting information on throughout your career,” Harris said. “Jenny and I still get info out of this sort of thing; it’s all about growing your network and in turn sharing that with others.”

Attendees can look forward to a diverse group of speakers from an assortment of industry leaders including: Kohler, GE Healthcare, MillerCoors, CUNA Mutual Group, Robert W. Baird & Co., Deloitte, M&I Corp., Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Wachovia.

“I hope attendees walk away with a sense of inspiration and motivation from these wonderful speakers we have,” Harris said. “Some of the speakers may be very high up in the industry but they were once right where the students are. Everyone starts somewhere and faces challenges but everyone can also create their own success no matter where they are now.”

Through sponsorships and donations, the conference is free to attendees, includes lunch and free t-shirts for the first 100 registrants.

Anyone interested can register online at camps.uww.edu . Click on “Other Events.”