Annual SHEroes Event Empowers Women in the Workforce
By Fanni Frankl
The Stony Brook University Career Center hosted the annual “Not All SHEroes Wear Capes” event virtually on Friday, March 25, to connect current Stony Brook University students to women in the workplace to learn about challenges and issues facing women, as well as internship and job opportunities.
More than 35 female speakers represented over 25 companies, making it the largest SHEroes event to date. The featured speaker was Janeen Johnson, enterprise manager for diversity, equity, and inclusion at PSEG. She spoke about the power of being a female in the workplace and some of the trials and tribulations many other women feel going into the labor force.
“Despite what you heard on social media, the news, or even over dinner with friends, the workplace is not a monster waiting to devour your dreams, hopes, and aspirations because you show up on the job a female,” she noted. “The workplace is just a place, like any other space that you meet people in.”
Close to 200 attendees were at the event, topping the number of participants from last year. During the event, participants and speakers were put into breakout rooms to network with the female employers and grow their knowledge about being a woman in the workforce. Six student groups focused on women’s empowerment co-hosted the event and assisted in facilitating it and supporting the breakout room discussions. Discussion topics included tips on being assertive, managing work-life balance and breaking the bias in genders in different professions.
“SHEroes was an incredible opportunity for all women across Stony Brook, giving us a platform to advocate and learn from others’ experiences,” she said. “Representing the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) allowed me to co-host with other organizations and taught me the incredible work each one does to help advocate for women in different fields.”
Others, like Isabella Misanes, a sophomore computer science major, saw inspiration in the event’s takeaway, especially for women in the technology field.
“What I enjoyed about SHEroes was that it was run by women, for women,” she said. “Having women join together to discuss the male-dominated work environment and the underrepresentation of women in STEM was very empowering.”
SHEroes was just one event among many that the Stony Brook University Career Center hosted this year to aid students in their career development journey. For more information and help in all career areas such as resume building, networking, and interviewing, be sure to visit the Career Center and learn more.
