From UW Bothell to NYC: WIB students build confidence, community and career connections

In February, the School of Business sent nine members of the UW Bothell Women in Business (WIB) chapter to New York City to attend the 15th Annual Undergraduate Stern Women in Business (USWIB) Conference at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Efforts from the WIB co-presidents, seniors Tiffany Thiamtisak and Maria Pledger, resulted in a fully funded trip to attend the Seize Your Success conference.

Finding the right fit

Last year, WIB members attended a Women in Tech conference in Chicago, Illinois. According to Thiamtisak, the conference leaned more professional and tech focused, leaving the members of WIB to feel a little out of place. While members still benefited from attending and learned a lot, for the conference this year, they wanted to find something that was more student-facing. After some digital sleuthing, they found the USWIB conference. With a focus on empowering students in the business world, this conference seemed like a great fit.

“Maria and I wanted a conference that would benefit us as students and as incoming new grads,” Thiamtisak said. “And something woman-oriented, because that’s basically our entire mission.”

Thiamtisak joined WIB during her first-year at UW Bothell hoping to find community in an organization that strives to empower women in a male dominated industry such as business. Now, a graduating senior in Finance and Accounting, she is now a co-president of the club.

“I know that’s cliche, but I think it really helped me find a community here on campus,” she said.

After learning more about the USWIB conference, the WIB executive team thought that they would gain a lot from traveling to NYC for this conference. With a focus on women in corporate, self-advocacy and imposter syndrome, and access to major financial institutions, including the Big Four, the conference seemed like a great opportunity to learn and expand their networks.

After making their case to Dean Sophie Leroy, the students were approved for the trip and received funding from the School of Business Excellence Fund, made possible through the generosity of our (un)GALA donors.

“It is genuinely unique to have a School of Business that’s genuinely just so invested in the professional development of the students,” said Miyuki Sandoval, junior in Supply Chain Management and WIB treasurer.

Sandoval was introduced to WIB through her role in club council during the 2024-2025 academic year. She was assigned as a coordinator to WIB to help them host their events on campus. She resonated with the mission and vision of WIB and decided to apply for a treasurer role the following year.

“I was really fortunate to meet them because it was just by luck that they were assigned to me,” Sandoval said. “But I just really appreciated the nature of their events and the organization. It was something that I wanted to contribute to as well.”

Representing UW Bothell in New York

The School of Business was the only out-of-state attendee group at the conference, which initially caused some imposter syndrome. However, this eventually turned into an easy conversation starter thanks to UW Bothell pins the women wore during the event to represent the School.

“I was a little intimidated in the beginning,” Nishita Mudaliar, senior in management information systems, said. “Like, how am I supposed to go about this, representing the school?”

Mudaliar joined WIB during her sophomore year, originally as a computer science student. Through a coffee chat event, she started chatting with WIB Vice President at the time, Angie Turcios ‘25, and learned more about the different options and concentrations within a business major. Mudaliar enjoyed the tech side of computer science but was missing some creativity in her coursework. As she started taking core classes and prerequisites, she realized that there was room for more creative work within the business field than she originally thought.

Centering advocacy in the workplace

The conference opened with keynote speaker Neelu Kaur, author of “Be Your Own Cheerleader” and organizational psychologist, who centered her talk on self-advocacy and navigating challenges in the workplace.

Kaur’s message on self-advocacy stood out as one of the most impactful parts of the conference. Kaur emphasized self-advocacy rather than just advocacy.

“She said advocating for yourself is also in a way advocating for others, because you’re paving the way and being an inspiration for other women who are also seeking like your trajectory as well,” Sandoval said. “I never really thought of it as me advocating for myself and putting myself in these spaces first is kind of paving the way for other women to do so.”

Kaur also spoke about the challenges women can face in professional settings and how to navigate and move past them, grounding her message in practical problem-solving approaches.

Building on these themes, attendees then participated in breakout sessions and coffee chats focused on navigating early career pathways, including topics such as transforming your career, professional development, interviewing, and receiving feedback. Smaller company-led panels also gave students the opportunity to engage more directly and form meaningful connections with recruiters.

“Attending the conference was a meaningful reminder that growth often begins with the way we view ourselves,” Maria Pledger, co-president of WIB and senior in Marketing and Technology and Innovation Management said.

Looking beyond New York City

Across the conference, students pulled different takeaways aligned with their own goals. Sandoval’s key insights were centered around soft skills and self-advocacy, while also gaining perspective on entering the Big Four and consulting — something she hopes to pursue long term.

The conference shaped how Mudaliar looks at companies she’s applying to more holistically. Her conference experience showed her that she values women-focused communities within companies or organizations she works. Recognizing the impact these communities can have on individuals, she’s looking for organizations that have these support system communities in place, and if they don’t, she wants to help create them.

“There’s one thing that I know I want for sure is, even in the corporate world, even in whatever job I go, I would like to look for women communities there,” Mudaliar said.

For Thiamtisak, the conference offered a more career-forward lens, particularly around navigating the corporate world, goal setting, and building relationships with managers.

“It was really insightful because I feel like no one’s talked about that before to me,” Thiamtisak said. “Seeing all these successful women and meeting with all these companies, I think it meant a lot to us to go to the conference.”

With the keynote speaker’s emphasis on self-advocacy, Pledger noted the importance of reframing self-doubt into self-direction and recognizing the value of her strengths and experiences. She also noted that being able to attend the trip with the WIB leadership team made the conference even more impactful.

“We learned from one another, supported each other throughout the conference, and returned with a renewed sense of confidence, purpose and commitment to empowering women in business,” Pledger said.

Though each member of Women in Business left the conference with different insights, their experiences were unified by a shared sense of growth. The trip not only exposed students to new professional opportunities but also reinforced the value of community as they navigate their next steps beyond UW Bothell. Together, they returned with a deeper understanding of the spaces they want to enter — and the ones they may one day help create for others.