In lieu of a normal Friday blog post about general travel tips or Disney merchandise, I am going to tell you about a trip that changed the direction of my life. Some back story is required, so flash back to late 2013.
I went to college at Oregon State University intending to get my bachelors in Animal Science and continue on to be a veterinarian. If you have been a long time reader, then it is obvious that my initial plan didn't really work out. Half way through my freshman year of school, I knew I was not going to pursue a veterinary education but I really didn't know what the next step was or where I was going.
I had been blogging for a year when I got an email about a conference that was happening in New York that summer for bloggers and other female digital entrepreneurs. I didn't really consider myself an entrepreneur of any kind at that point, but I did know that I lacked career direction and needed something to figure out what I wanted to do. Somewhat broke, I used air miles to book a flight to New York in July.
There was a shift happening in media that I was blissfully unaware of at the time. Magazines were losing clout to bloggers rapidly and the beginning of the "influencer" was well under way. I didn't know it in that dorm laundry room booking that flight, but this trip and these people would change my life and give my career some direction.
Fast forward to July of 2014, and there I am alone in port authority trying to get a cab to my hotel. In typical New York fashion it smelled like hot armpit and I couldn't get a cab to save my life. After some finagling I made it to the hotel in one piece, spent the evening darting around for air conditioning, and got some sleep for the conference the next day.
If you want to read about the conference and the speakers, check out this post from back in July of that year. But here are some highlights from that weekend.
Meeting up with other bloggers, PR majors, and entrepreneurs and sharing similar pitfalls, brand deals, experiences, and triumphs. One blogger friend from that weekend that turned into a best friend is Hannah, who I talked about last week! :)
Pre and Post conference Dinners, Lunches, and Brunches.
A weekend that was well worth the money spent getting there and made me decide that blogging and a path in entrepreneurship was the direction I needed to take upon returning to Oregon for my Sophomore year.
So why am I telling you about this trip almost 4 years later?
Well, because Wellesley College contacted me about a similar yet different program that could change the path for you! It's not a conference, but a Leadership workshop that offers an opportunity for college aged women to develop their leadership skills and spend part of the summer with other like minded women. Sound interesting? Keep reading!
Here are the details:
It is a Contemporary Women’s Leadership Program that offers an opportunity for rising sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate women to supplement their business, healthcare, or other educational journey with a liberal arts perspective on women’s leadership at the #1 ranked U.S. women’s college. The program is a five-week residential program (June 26th – July 28th) that blends academic study of women’s leadership, gender and diversity in the workplace with a practical implementation approach. Students will learn from accomplished Wellesley College Faculty and practitioners in the field, including notable alumnae. For even more info, here is a link to the website.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, do it! Book the flight! You never know where it might lead. You can apply here.
xo,
Natalie
This post was sponsored by Wellesley College and Her Campus Media. All opinions and shared experiences are my own. Thank you for supporting the partnerships that make Ariel and Alder a possibility.
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