COLUMBIA COLLEGE WOMEN

CCW LAUNCH PARTY PHOTO EXCLUSIVE!

HOT TIPS FOR MENTORSAND THEIR MENTEES!

WINTER 2010

Style for Success Recap of our fabulous Intelligent Style event

*CONNECT* WITH ACCOMPLISHED CCW WOMEN

Hi! We’re proud to have you in our Columbia College Women community. CCW was founded in the 1990’s to build connections among the then-just-developing alumnae community of the College.

As the CCW community con-tinues to grow, this year we are celebrating:• the sixteenth year of our alumna-student mentoring program, • an event calendar with in-formative and fabulous gath-erings, including last fall’s intelligent.style fashion show, and this spring’s Food: Eating Locally, Thinking Globally,• the inauguration of the CCW Scholarship, the next dimension of our support of women’s legacies at the College, and• a powerhouse community of accomplished women who support and celebrate each others’ careers, leadership, volunteerism, and creativity.

I want to extend a special thanks to all of our Student partici-pants, as well as Mentors and Team Leaders, without whom this program would be just a neat idea. The CCW Mentoring Committee also deserves our special thanks - this is a group of women who understand that “commit” is part of the word committee.

We look forward to your continued involvement with CCW - stay tuned for our summer programs, including a special gathering for recent graduates!

Best regards,

Claire Shanley, CC ‘92Chair, CCW Executive Board

Greetings from the Chair of CCW!

Newsletter Staff:

Editors in Chief: Claire Shanley and Lindsay RodmanLayout editor: Laura Torre

About the cover:

This issue features Stephanie Lung (CC ‘04), in her runway outfit for Intelligent Style (more about that on page 3). Stephanie’s father, Conrad Lung, was honored with the prestigious Hamilton Award (see photos of CCW’s gorgeous ladies in page 5). Ever the Columbia girl, Stephanie mentioned the Iliad and GPA competitions in her speech for her father. Congratulations to you both!

EDITOR’S LETTER

1

Board chair, Claire Shanley, at the Hamilton Dinner. Read all about it in page 5!

This year promises to be the most exciting yet for the Columbia College Women Mentoring Program, if the October 28th Launch Event was any indication. Held in the newly renovated Faculty House, the Launch allowed the 73 pairs of students and mentors to meet and converse for the very first time.

Before the main reception, students and mentors ate tasty hors d’oeurves while learning the basics of successful mentoring, in-cluding mutual respect and reciprocity of communication. In ad-dition to meeting their mentors, students also met their mentoring teams and leaders, a new feature of the program this year. The

Launch Party ExtraordinaireKatie Reedy (CC ‘09) Photos by: Rebecca Castillo (CC ‘94 & JN ‘06)

teams of three or four pairs will further strengthen the bonds be-tween mentors and mentees.

At the main reception, CCW Chairwoman Claire Shanley (CC ’92) introduced new Columbia College Dean Michelle Moody-Adams, who enthusiastically welcomed everyone to the 2009-10 Mentor-ing Program. Over dessert, excited attendees compared majors and dorm stories while outlining expectations for the upcoming mentoring year and planning team outings for the upcoming se-mester.

EVENTS

Left: mentees and mentors mingle as the event gets under way.

Bottom: Dean Michele Moody-Adams gives a speech to the great ladies of CCW mentoring program.

2

Intelligent StyleProfessional wear is anything but drab when the CCW run the fashion show.

Lindsay Rodman (CC ‘05)Photos by: Rebecca Castillo (CC ‘94 & JN ‘06)

An event this fabulous doesn’t throw itself!

Above and to the right: the ladies of CCW hard at work strutting their stuff and getting ready for the runway.

1: Yscaira Jimenez (CC ‘03)2: Blondel Pinnock (CC ’90)3:Claire Theobald (CC ’88)4: Claire Theobald (CC ’88) with master makeup artist Jerry Lopez, who has launched his own line!5: Stylists prep for the runway show

1 2

3

4

5

EVENTS

During September’s Fashion Week, CCW got in on the run-way action by hosting intelligent.style at the Eva Scrivo Salon in the meatpacking district. Ten (very) distinguished Columbia College alumnae were styled in designer clothes generously donated by designers including Diane von Furstenberg, Yves Saint Laurent, Donna Karan, and Black Halo, with makeup by Jerry Lopez. But what set this fashion show apart was that after the CC grads rocked the runway, each stylist and alum pair came out to talk to the audience about how the clothes were chosen to fit the alumna’s body, personality, and lifestyle. The after-show reception included champagne, dessert from the Gourmet Goddess, CCW’s famous Little Blue Bags full of goodies from DVF and Cargo cosmetics, and a prize raffle that included tickets to the Hamilton Dinner, gift certificates from Spa Belles, and haircuts by master stylists at Eva Scrivo. Kudos to event producer Shelly Eversley (CC ’91) and to all our CC alumnae models!

CCW members sure know how to strut!

6: CCW volunteers helping out 7: Nina Theobald (CC ‘99)8: The final line up9: Ashraya Gupta (CC ’09)10: Cathleen Price (CC ‘92)

6 7

8

9 10

4

Hamilton DinnerDecked in their best dresses and highest heels, CCW attends the annual award-giving dinner

Photos by: Claire Shanley (CC ‘92) and Jackie Quan (CC ‘93)

EVENTS

1: CCW Board Members Beth Malin CC ’11, Katie Reedy CC ‘09, and Board Chair Claire Shanley CC ‘92

2: CCAAD Staffers Kimberly Peterson and Jennifer Freely

3: CCW Board members Lindsay Rodman CC ‘05 and Laura Torre Gomez CC ‘11

4: From top left: Laura Torre CC ‘11, Beth Malin CC ‘11, Lindsay Rodman CC ‘05, Amy Katzenberg CC ‘90, Katie Reedy CC ‘09, Claire Shanley CC ‘92, Blondel Pinnock CC ‘90, and Jackie Quan CC ‘93.Photo by Jackie Quan CC’93.

1

2

3

4

*connect*Meentes and mentors got together for a night of networking savvy.

Lindsay Rodman (CC ‘05)Photo by: Rahmila Nadi (CC ‘01)

On February 2, 2010, the CCW Mentoring Program hosted their annual networking event. This year’s event, *connect*, took place at Helen Mills in Chelsea. Over drinks and appe-tizers, mentors and mentees got a chance to reconnect after winter break as well as get to know – and of course, network with – those outside of their mentoring teams. The highlight of the night was a panel of Columbia graduates who presented on various different aspects of the networking process, from what to do when you entered a room and didn’t know anyone, to readying your e-presence for graduation and job hunting, to how to successfully follow up with someone after you’ve met them to add them to your network. Special thanks to Lindsay Rodman (CC ’05) and Kimberly Peterson (Alumni Affairs) for organizing the event, and to all of our amazing panelists!

Mary Rutledge (CC ‘07), Lindsay Blair Rodman (CC ‘05), moderator Claire Shanley (CC ‘92), Pamela Quinlan Moss (CC ‘05), Michelle Wang (CC ‘00), Jackie Quan (CC ‘93), and Rahmila Nadi (CC ‘01)

6

7

Making the leap from student to working life is scary. Talk with your pro-tégé about her specific worries. Tell her about your first job interviews, first apartment hunt, and especially your first huge mistake at work or post-college breakup. Hearing how you handled these struggles and disappointments can help your protégé learn coping strategies for deal-ing with a range of issues.

2. Discuss your protégé’s interests and various paths toward her ideal career. If her ideal job is in an industry currently experiencing layoffs, there may be other related jobs that she has not considered or doesn’t know exist. Offer to introduce her to people who play various roles in your industry. This could be a lunch or an industry networking event, or you could have her shadow you at work. Forward her articles about amazing people working in your protégé’s field of interest.

3. Help your protégé build confidence through polished presentation skills and interview documents. Review her resume and help her develop a portfolio of writing samples, artwork, computer models, etc. that might impress a would-be boss. Do a mock job interview, or have your Mentor-ing Team get together for a Toastmaster style round of presentations, or an improv night. Use your imagination. Sometimes the goofiest presen-tations help you build confidence, because you learn to have fun with it.

4. Today’s students are exposed to technology and social media earlier and to a greater extent than ever before. Discuss how their experience matches up with how you use these communication technolo-gies in your work and daily lives. Are there restrictions to what platforms you are allowed to use at your job? Also think about how you handle information overload and always-on communications. Are there strate-gies that your protégé can teach you?

5. A mentor isn’t a guru proffering instruction, nor is she a coach enforc-ing a demanding regimen. A mentor listens to her protégé’s concerns, relates her experiences, teaches skills where appropriate, offers sug-gestions, but doesn’t require specific action. Your protégé will make the choices that affect her life. What may be a mistake for you could be a win for her. Or it could be a mistake, in which case your role would be to dis-cuss what went wrong, what you learned and possible actions to take.

From me, to you: tips for mentoringFor Mentors

Noreen Whysel (CC ‘90)

For Mentees

“A mentor isn’t a guru proffering instruction, nor is she a coach enforcing a demanding regimen. A mentor listens to her protégé’s concerns, [and] relates her experiences...”

The best way to deal with uncertainty about the future in this economic climate is to set goals and have a Plan A, B and C for achieving them. Ask your mentor about her career path. Was it a straight arrow or did she make moves that might have been unexpected from the point of view when she was starting out? Are there alternative paths to your ideal job?

2. A great way to learn about a career field is to attend an industry lecture or networking event with your mentor. Ask her what professional associations host regular meetings in your field. That way, both of you can learn something about your field of interest, meet people in the field, and develop conversation fodder for your next meeting.

3. One of the most difficult parts of a mentoring relationship is finding time in our busy schedules to meet with our partner and then thinking of things to talk about. You may be tempted to rely solely on Facebook or email to keep in touch. But remember, while they have their uses, so-cial networking platforms tend to foster casual communications and miss the important non-verbal cues inherent in face-to-face socializing. To reach deeper levels of communication and encouragement, make time to schedule in-person meetings.

4. Along those same lines, while it may be standard in college to wait a week or more to follow up on an email or phone call, this is not the case in today’s professional world. Respect that your mentor is tak-

ing time out of a schedule probably busier than yours because she genuinely wants to help you succeed – and take advantage of that! When your mentor or team leader contacts you, contact them back within 2 days. When your mentor offers to look over your resume or cover letter, send it to her right away – it takes two minutes, and it won’t slip your mind later.

5. What does “success” mean to you? Turning your mentoring experience into something that is itself a learning success will give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your confidence. On a regular basis, identify the learning gains you have made in your mentoring relationship. Discuss with your mentor how these gains can be leveraged to accomplish more. Then talk to your friends about how your mentor is helping you learn about life and career and see what their reaction is to what you have achieved. Maybe they will benefit from what you have learned as well!

ARTICLES

Meet Your CCW Student Board MembersLearn more about the newest additions to the CCW familiy!

Lindsay Rodman (CC ‘05)Photo by: Jackie Quan (CC ‘93)

For the 2009-10 year, the CCW Executive Board invited mentor-ing applicants to apply for two newly-created student seats on the board. Your responses were amazing, with over half of all mentoring applicants indicating their interest. We pored over your truly exceptional apps, and finally chose Maria Laura Torre Gomez and Beth Malin (both CC ’11) as our go-to girls. I sat down with Laura and Beth last fall to get the scoop on their lives at Columbia and what they hope to accomplish this year as CCW’s inaugural student board reps.

Where are you originally from?LTG: I’m a third culture kid—I was born in Argentina, but am Spanish by nationality. I’ve also lived in Ecuador, Venezuela, Co-lombia, and spent most of my life in Brazil. Most people think

I’m from New Jersey, though—I’m kind of obsessed with J. Crew sweaters!BM: Mine’s just a little easier – Roslyn Heights on Long Island, New York.

What’s your major?LTG: Women’s and gender studies.BM: Sociology.

Favorite Lit Hum book? LTG: Hymn to DemeterBM: King Lear.

And your favorite class so far?LTG: Philosophy and Feminism, with Professor Mercer. I took it my first semester at Columbia and it completely shaped my aca-

From left: Laura Torre (CC ‘11), Claire Shanley (CC ‘92), Lindsay Rodman (cc ‘05), Jackie Quan (CC ‘93) Beth Malin (CC ‘11)

8

ARTICLES

demic path here.BM: The Sociology of Everyday Life, because while it kind of sounds like a fluffy and ridiculous course, it actually was more interesting and applicable to my everyday life than any other class I’ve taken throughout my high school or college career.

What campus groups are you involved with?LTG: I’m vice president for Columbia Queer Alliance. I was thrilled that some of the CCW alumnae went to our events when they were students at Columbia, especially our famous First Friday dances! They’re one of my favorite events, and I am so happy to be part of the tradition.BM: Okay, here goes: I’m President of the Columbia Women’s Business Society, VP of Recruitment for Sigma Delta Tau, and the Executive Producer of the Lunar Gala Fashion Show.

Wow. I’m pretty sure you guys just put my Columbia career to shame! Okay, favorite NYC restaurant? Off-campus, natch!LTG: Trattoria del Arte, in front of Carnegie Hall. It has this huge plaster mold of a nose outside, which is hilarious. It also doesn’t hurt that their lasagna is fabulous!BM: The Palm Too – there’s a caricature of my Grandfather paint-ed on the wall near the entrance.

Take note: décor is key! What would be your dream in-ternship for next summer?LTG: I would love to be an intern for a legal non-profit that works with women and/or LGBTQ issues. I am very involved in these com-munities, and it would be great to do some more “hands-on” work to help us move forward.BM: I would love to work in the marketing department of a high fashion company or department store, like Chanel or Blooming-dales, to see both the creative side of campaign and graphic de-signing and the business-oriented side of implementing market-ing campaigns.

As part of our “thank you” for being such great board members, CCW invited Laura and Beth to attend the Ham-ilton Dinner, a black-tie fundraising dinner that supports the Dean of Columbia College’s special initiatives. So, the most important question: who did you wear?!LTG: Armani. It was actually my high school graduation dress (a present from my family)! BM: Diane von Furstenberg.

Why did you want to get involved with CCW?LTG: I am very close to women’s issues, and as a female student at Columbia, I recognize that women can be at a disadvantage in some areas. I mean, we don’t have an “old girls’ club” like men do. More women are involved in positions of power now, but it’s still difficult to find mentors and helping hands to lead the way. CWW was like finding the older sister who has all the answers, from what to wear to a black tie dinner, to how to shine in an interview. It’s really important that young women have a place where this information and help is available to them, and I am really glad to be a part of it.BM: After meeting some of the CCW women through the Colum-bia Women’s Business Society and some more at the Intelligent.Style event, I instantly knew they were a group I wanted to stay connected with and be a part of. I was very inspired by so many successful women who had been through the same Columbia ex-perience as I’m currently going through, and loved that they were staying so connected to each other and the Columbia Community by hosting and creating so many amazing events.

Awww! Okay, last question: what’s one thing you hope to accomplish during your term on the CCW Board?LTG: I want to help students who feel lost about what they want to do, either for their studies or careers, find a path. College is a great, and fun, experience, but I can’t help but feel like we are stuck in limbo between childhood ignorance and adult responsibil-ity, desperately trying to be the confident woman with an apart-ment on Central Park West, but unsure if we can reach those goals. I want to help students find the tools and help necessary to dream big and get there.BM: I would love to expand the network of CCW on campus to more undergraduate women. I don’t think that many undergradu-ate women on campus know about CCW or understand the full value of connecting with alumni. I think it should be our goal this year to make sure the word about CCW gets out so that students can use CCW as a resource and so the strength of CCW continues to grow.

Would you like to be involved in the creation of CCW newsletters, or with CCW programming? Please email Claire Shanley at cms98@columbia.edu.

Are you an andergraduate who would like to get involved with CCW ? Please email Laura Torre, mt2482@columbia.edu or Beth Malin, bam2154@columbia.edu.

9

ARTICLES