Westwood Students Go To Girls Career Program

Patch Whiz Kids of the Week: Cassidy Yotnakparian and Nicole Gioe, Seniors,

Accomplishment:

Cassidy Yotnakparian and Nicole Gioe participated in the Girls Career Institute last spring. The Girls Career Institute is an annual program that provides high school girls with the opportunity to learn about women's issues, college experiences and career paths. The program is held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, at the Douglass College campus. Girls can be recommended or apply independently for this program. Delegates are selected on the basis of interest, community service and participation in school activities and their participation is funded by their local NJSFWC. Nicole also went to a Women's Club meeting in the summer to talk about her experience with the program.

Q&A with Cassidy:

• Why did you go to the Grils Career Institute last spring?

I decided to go because the opportunity seemed like a really big advantage to put on your college resume. And to learn and meet new people.

• What did the conference focus on?

It focused mainly on women’s careers and dorm life. We did the whole dorming at Rutgers University on Douglas campus and we basicall did the whole dorming thing, got a roommate and met a bunch of girls in our wing. But hten we learned about careers and what career opportunities we would have and how we would get to that point. By going there I was able to learn about future jobs and I can have the opportunity to go after and how to get to that point.

• What did you gain from the conference?

I think I gained a lot from it. The experience kind of helped me look at Rutgers itself as a college. It definitely helped me learn what there is out there and what to do.

• What was your schedule like?

The first day we didn’t get there until 3. We had to get in and meet our roommate, and they had this big surprise for us that night. We pretty much played games all night, and did ice breakers. Then each day we would have a guest speaker, then one or two classes about careers. Then we’d have lunch and then one or two more classes. Then we’d pretty much have a three hour break to practice for this competition we were going to have at the end of the week, or go swimming or do what we wanted. Then we’d go to dinner and have another guest speaker or do something at night. We had to be in the dorms by 10 and then lights out by 11:30.

• Did you enjoy the trip?

It was a lot of fun. I didn’t go in with very high expectations. I went in thinking I didn't want to go because it was the week before finals and I was scared to miss all that. I went to a meeting beforehand and I was basically just going to put it on my resume because it looked good for college. But then I went and ended up loving it. I think because I had such low expectations it exceeded everything.

• Do you still communicate with girls from the event?

I’m friends with my roommate still and a lot of girls within my dorm. The girls in the other wings were with us for the big things but by the end we had already made our friends. But I hung out with Nicole a couple of times. Other than that we didn’t really hang out with girls outside of our groups.

Q&A with Nicole:

• How did you hear about the Career Girls Institute?

I sought out the program. I knew there was a program so I asked which ones our town sponsored and the Women’s Club sponsored this one. So I got an application. It was a short application. You did your name, activities you did in high school, like a resume.

• Why did you apply for this specific program?

I wanted to attend because I knew it was going to be a good pre-college program and it was also free. There aren’t a lot of free programs any more. I knew that it would be an all girls type thing and that it was structured more like classes and seminars versus other programs I knew of that had other structures.

• Did you like the way the program was organized?

Going into it I was really excited. I think the women’s club did a great job of actually putting together the program. They brought in a lot of really good speakers. I enjoyed the lawyer speaker they had. The director found professionals she either knew or networked with through the women’s club. The lawyer was recently retired, so she sat for an hour and told us about her experiences and answered questions from the girls.

• How was it structured?

They were very strict as far as, you’re here at this time, and you’re here at this time. They moved us in groups because there are problems with safety and things like that now and Rutgers is a pretty big campus. So it was strict as far as that, but once you’re in the dorm room you’re kind of free to do whatever you want to do. The structure was good because it was a safety thing. You can’t let girls wonder around Rutgers campus for three days.

• Did you like your roomates?

The roommates were great. They had almost 200 girls so they split them up into seven groups and each house mother would have her group of girls. Our house mother has been doing this for 25 years. And each group had these really motherly names, tulips, butterflies.

• How was your overall experience?

It was a beneficial experience. You get more friendships out of it and interacting with people from all over New Jersey, you have something in common with them. It’s not like they’re from all over the country, it’s girls from New Jersey in the same position as you, looking for colleges the next year. They’re involved in their school activities. So it was great to see how other girls were working at their schools versus how you do at your school.