Lara Murray-Sterzel, Staff Writer |
On Thursday, February 23, The Economics Club decided to sponsor and watch the virtual live stream of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis 2023 Women in Economics Symposium. Knowing it was going to be a long watch, members ordered pizza and set up drinks for students to take during the event. Whether you’re an Economics major or not, members strongly encouraged students to learn about the business world and the professional aspect of money.
The Symposium opened in a conference room where the speaker welcomed those in-person and virtually present for joining the event. The speaker called Stephanie Aaronson, Senior Associate Director and Division of Research and Statistics, up to the stage to talk about her experience in the economic world. From her college career to professional career, she came to know just how economics work. She found mentors and took practical tips on her journey to get to where she is now.
However, she really wanted to discuss was how lack of diversity in the system impacts marketing and businesses in the long run. Over the years, Stephanie Aaronson has been observing a rise and fall in economics. What she came to learn in her research was the senior staff weren’t embracing newcomers very often, and those they did obtain weren’t challenged enough to reach their potential. She discovered several workers were trying to make a comeback and keep things steady in the system. These workers were the women in economics. Stephanie and these women have taken it upon themselves to lead the next generation into a prosperous future in their careers.
After Stephanie spoke, a few women were brought to the stage where they talked about their experience in the economics sector. They claimed they owed it to their role models for helping them get to this point. Through all the hard work and demands in the business, they guided them to think about how this project they took on could happen.
What they also discussed was job searching. If you’re in the economics world, there’s going to be a variety to choose from. They gave good advice in narrowing it down to your skills, experiences, and goals. They also talked about what it can be like when entering the economics field. When entering a new workplace, what most newcomers are looking for is a sense of community. By providing them ways to learn about their place of work through programs or activities, it’s a step companies should be taking to make new workers feel welcomed.
It is clear the world of economics is growing, and those in the field can’t wait to be a part of it!
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