SDSU Student Business Organization Spotlight: Women in Business
Michelle Cai, President of Women in Business
The Fowler College of Business’ student organizations have continued to operate effectively, host professional events, and engage with the community through virtual platforms, despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Throughout San Diego State University’s virtual 2020-21 school year, Women in Business (WIB) has hosted a wide variety of virtual workshops to provide its members with resources and help them develop professionally: including information sessions on LinkedIn, Interviewing Skills, and How to Find Internships. Michelle Cai (Junior, Marketing) President of WIB, describes the organization’s virtual opportunities, shares why students should join, and how WIB has impacted her leadership experience. Cai also describes her time at SDSU while offering advice to current students.
About Women in Business (WIB):
Q: What events, gatherings, and activities does your organization host?
Women in Business informs, engages, and guides our members to leadership/career opportunities because we believe in their potential to make a difference. We have professional development and networking events, along with virtual socials to allow our members to connect with each other and gain an expansive network of like-minded individuals.
Q: What virtual events has your organization organized since the pandemic began?
Women in Business has held a wide variety of virtual workshops to provide our members with resources and help them develop professionally - including getting started with LinkedIn, Interviewing Skills, How to Find Internships, and we hosted an all female career panel. We have held a few collaboration events with Adobe, Broker Career Mentoring, and the Entrepreneur Society. We also held a virtual pumpkin painting social to allow our members to still socialize amidst a pandemic.
Spring 2020 Intern Team at Women in Business’ spring semester leadership workshop
Q: How does WIB connect with the community outside of SDSU?
We connect with the community outside of SDSU by reaching out to organizations and companies outside of the university, and asking them to come speak at our meetings and events. Some companies and organizations that we have partnered with include Adobe, The ZIP Launchpad, and Career Broker Mentoring. We recently held a Women in Project Management Panel in collaboration with Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC San Diego, along with the Ideation Event last semester, co-hosted with the Entrepreneur Society and The ZIP Launchpad. One of our larger projects includes assisting in the planning and funding of the Women in Leadership conference held during the spring semester. Members of our executive board provide feedback and insight into the development of the conference and reach out to female business leaders asking them to speak at the event.
Q: Why should students join WIB?
Students should join Women in Business because we have managed to foster a welcoming, dedicated community of women amidst a pandemic. In addition to this, we provide our members numerous resources including a password-protected portion of our website with class resources, tips & tricks for succeeding in GE and core business classes, along with access to a Google sheet listing common classes shared among members (to allow them to form virtual study groups and develop personal relationships). We are open to ALL majors and genders.
Q: How can a student get involved with WIB?
Students can visit our website: sdsuwib.org and fill out our membership application on the website. Our meetings are Mondays at 4 PM and anyone can come to our first two general body meetings for FREE to see how Women in Business runs and what type of topics we discuss at our meetings.
Q & A with the Women in Business President, Michelle Cai
Name: Michelle Cai
Major ( and minor): Integrated Marketing Communications (Minor: Management Information Systems)
Campus affiliations / organizations: Women in Business, Alpha Kappa Psi
Q: As a student leader involved with an organization at SDSU, can you share why you got involved and what your experience has been like so far?
I got involved with organizations at SDSU because I wanted to explore the different opportunities that each organization has to offer! Moving almost 500 hundred miles away from home, I made it a mission to get out of my comfort zone and to continue to grow not only personally, but professionally. My best decisions yet at SDSU have been just going for it and trying new experiences to meet others and build that network! Being involved as a student leader has allowed me to meet so many new people with different experiences and backgrounds. I’m really happy I get to share my passions, advice, and life lessons with so many different students and individuals across campus.
Women in Business Executive Board 2020 merch photoshoot
Q: What experience with your organization has been the most impactful?
The experience that has been most impactful with Women in Business is seeing the growth in members, even with a global pandemic happening. It’s been so amazing meeting all the new members and growing almost 300% with a virtual semester. Although never meeting our active members and even some of my executive board in person, I’ve grown impactful relationships learning from them, being able to lean on them for support, and having strong-minded women in my network.
Q: What has been your favorite SDSU memory so far?
My favorite SDSU memory has been attending the Women in Entrepreneurship & Leadership event back in February 2020. I had the chance to take over the Fowler College of Business’ Instagram and show all of our students such an empowering event that was being hosted right inside our own Student Union. I was able to listen to strong business leaders and executives who identified as women, and it definitely motivated me to want to become more and to not hold myself back because of my age or gender. An important lesson I learned at the event was to break barriers for myself and to continue to withstand adversity in the workplace and society. There is beauty in the struggle, and hard work does not come easy. The important question to ask yourself is what are you willing to struggle and/or suffer for?
Q: If you could go back to your freshman year, what advice would you give yourself?
If I could go back to freshman year, I would tell myself to worry less, enjoy the little moments, and to not overwork myself. As students, we tend to stress over our classes, internships to apply to, and more ways to get involved. We forget that we only get this college experience once and then we take the little moments for granted: like studying at the Starbucks Union, grabbing Panda Express at East Commons with your roommates, meeting up at 24/7 Library, and saying “Hi!” to friends walking from class to class.
2020-2021 Executive Board meeting
Q: What is the best advice you have received during your time at SDSU?
“What you put in is what you’re going to get out!” This has resonated with me the whole three years I’ve been at SDSU, and I’m sure it will continue to resonate with me until graduation and throughout life. All the hard work you put into your friends, family, organizations, experiences, will eventually define the outcome you’ll receive. You won’t get as much if you only put in a little time to activities you actually enjoy. Remember to manage your time wisely, but to enjoy the little moments around you!
Q: What career aspirations do you have following your time at SDSU?
To be honest, I’m not completely set on a specific career following my time at SDSU. I want to find work in product management or recruitment to continue my interests in educating individuals through a creative outlet. I also am looking forward to attending grad school for education and student affairs to eventually work for a non-profit organization to help at-risk youth and students.
Q: Cats or Dogs? Dogs
Q: Instagram or TikTok? Instagram
Q: Morning or Night? Night
Q: Shopping - In store or online? Online
Q: Panchos or Trujillos? Trujillos
Q: Favorite show to binge watch? How I Met Your Mother
Q: Hidden Talent? I can eat a whole party bag of pretzels without water.
*Group photos were taken before March 2020
