This reflection was written by GU Politics Student Associate Mia Tyler Rich (SFS’28).
As a first time attendee to the Women in Politics and Public Service Networking Event, I was eager to speak to professionals in both the private and public sector, and ended up making personal connections and learning more than I could’ve ever anticipated. The event started with a workshop from the motivating and inspiring Alencia Johnson (Fall 2024 GU Politics Fellow)—and her advice really stuck with me. She spoke about what it is like to be the only woman at the table and the confidence that we need to bring in those situations. As a woman of color myself, her message had an added significance as she highlighted how much more evident this feeling is when you are the only woman of color in the room. By the time she was done speaking, I felt empowered and ready to overcome the imposter syndrome that often looms over women in professional environments. I must admit that I had some nerves going into the event—networking always seemed scary to me—but Alencia instilled a confidence in me to take up space, and by the time the professionals came in, my nerves had melted away.
I quickly learned there was nothing to be afraid of in the first place. Every woman I spoke to was kind, welcoming, and deeply committed to getting to know us as individuals. These women wanted to help us and pass on advice that they had learned throughout their careers. My conversations varied from laughing about working with a difficult candidate who won’t take your advice, to what it’s like deciding to leave your job and create your own company. I was grateful to speak to women in a variety of industries and get a sense for what their jobs are and how they got to where they are today. I’m not certain about my career ambitions quite yet, and this event was a great opportunity to hear about different roles that I could possibly see myself in. I do know that I am interested in campaigning and communications, so the theming of the tables allowed me to visit professionals who related to my interests and complemented each other in similar roles.
I also had the opportunity to make a couple personal connections through this process, as these women were open and ready to help us learn. I could tell that they truly wanted us to succeed in our futures and took interest in our aspirations and goals. I spoke to so many women who were happy to continue the conversation outside of the event and offered to give additional assistance wherever needed. I feel that beyond the LinkedIn connections made or the emails written down, I gained the confidence to enter a professional space as a woman and feel like I deserve to be at the table. Each professional encouraged us to take risks, know our worth, and put ourselves out there as aspiring professionals in politics and public service. I will definitely be attending this event again in the future, as I believe the skills learned and the connections made on that scale are hard to find. I am grateful for the experience and truly feel I walked out of the event more confident in my professional ability and with an expanded network of talented women in politics and public service.
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