Students Found First Women’s Network at Fordham
Nationwide women collegiate networking organization founded its Fordham branch during fall 2021 semester
ZOOM
The Women’s Network is a nationwide networking organization that connects women with job opportunities and internships.
March 3, 2022
March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate women all over the world and recognize the struggles and achievements of women throughout history.
Embodying the spirit of Women’s History Month is the newly established Fordham branch of the Women’s Network — a nationwide networking organization that aims to help female-identifying students and alumni connect with each other and prepare for what lies ahead after college.
According to Casey Dobson, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’24 and president of the Women’s Network at Fordham, “It is all about revolutionizing networking for collegiate and recently graduated women and creating a community that celebrates the desire to achieve, make goals, cultivate ambition and prepare the next generation of leaders.”
Dobson explained that the goal of the Women’s Network is to help connect women with opportunities for jobs or internships, as well as build their confidence.
The Women’s Network was founded in 2017 by Jamie Vinick, a sophomore at Syracuse University, when she noticed the lack of female-specific career resources and organizations at her school. This inspired her to start one on her own.
It proved to be very successful, with over 200 attendees at the first meeting. The organization then began expanding to other colleges. Today, the Women’s Network has nearly 150 chapters across the United States and Canada.
The Women’s Network came to Fordham last fall after Dobson transferred to Fordham from the University of Minnesota. At the University of Minnesota, she was a member of the network and valued the lessons and experiences it provided to young women like herself. When Dobson learned that the Women’s Network was not yet at Fordham, she reached out to Vinick.
“To have that cater directly to the needs of young women is so important because everyone deserves a seat at the table.” Casey Dobson, FCRH ’24
After passing several interviews, Dobson became the inaugural president of the Fordham branch. She was inspired to “create this space where it feels like a community of people you can reach out to, people you can feel comfortable with and ask questions about their goals, their mistakes, their desires and their careers.”
“Everyone deserves that as a college student,” she said. “To have that cater directly to the needs of young women is so important because everyone deserves a seat at the table.”
Dobson added that women at Fordham can look forward to many networking events in the upcoming month. The organization plans on hosting women guest speakers to talk about a range of topics from negotiating salaries to dealing with imposter syndrome. They are looking to invite speakers from various career paths, including fashion stylists, small business owners and federal judges.
“The whole foundation of the Women’s Network would not exist without the guarantees of intersectionality within it.” Casey Dobson
The organization also intends to plan meetings with other chapters of the Women’s Network and hold workshops to help students build resumes and cover letters to apply for internships.
Another mission of the Women’s Network is to create equal opportunities for all women, according to Dobson. Mia Peros, FCRH ’24 and vice president of diversity and inclusion for Fordham’s Women’s Network, works to ensure that no member of the organization is discriminated against or left behind because of their race, identity or socioeconomic status.
The Women’s Network recognizes that the struggles that women face are not solely based on gender, according to Dobson. The network is committed to helping all female-identifying students in their unique paths in life.
“The whole foundation of the Women’s Network would not exist without the guarantees of intersectionality within it,” Dobson said.
For students who are interested in joining the Women’s Network, they can sign up via the organization’s Instagram page, @thewomensnetwork_fordham, as well as follow their various other social media accounts.
