Notre Dame College hosted six seasoned professionals who comprised the panel, “Empowering Women,” offering practical advice and personal stories to a rapt audience of students and faculty.
The panel’s nearly 90-minute presentation showcased a combination of insider business and hard-won street-knowledge that can’t come from a classroom. The evening was orchestrated and executed exclusively by Notre Dame entrepreneurship students, from planning and marketing to advertising and hospitality, and co-sponsored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, a grantmaking leader in entrepreneurship education.
“They have meant everything to this program, not just in their financial contribution, but in the direction they’ve given”, said Peter Corrigan, NDC’s Enterprise Development Center Director, of the Morgan Foundation’s contributions.
The “Empowering Women” panel included Karen Johnson, President, W.F. Hann Co., Marcia Moreno, Principal, AmMore Consulting, Emily Kurtz, Sourcing Specialist, Dominion Energy, Kathleen Ferry, Principal, FocusCFO, Christine Kohls, Principal, Raising Results LLC, and Erin Deimling, Client and Community Relations Director, PNC Bank.
A sample of their comments included:
- “One size does not fit all.”
- “Ask the second and third ‘why?’ That’s how you get the answers.”
- “Always invest in yourself. Always take the shot. And always believe in yourself.”
- “Look at the person who is going to be your boss. If their values and their ethics match yours, that’s one of the biggest hurdles you’ve overcome.”
- “Keep your head down and work hard, but when you walk into that boardroom keep your head held high…”
- “I firmly believe that if my employees do not come to work every day wanting to be there and are happy, they’re not going to succeed.”
All the panelists followed non-traditional or non-linear trajectories to their professional successes that reflect the student population of Notre Dame College—first-generation students, students returning to school later in life, and students from traditionally under-represented groups. They provided students with a motivating can-do spirit that, when coupled with their education, will make them truly successful in their chosen careers.
“It is imperative that they (the students) have entrepreneurial skills and cross-discipline thinking. Notre Dame does a good job of reaching beyond business-focused students and adds an additional body of skills” that bring the entrepreneurial mindset to students in other majors, said Angela Evans, Morgan’s Sr. Program Officer.
Events like this panel open a discussion between students and professionals, allowing students to develop relationships with external stakeholders—expanding in-class and experiential learning to personal and professional mentoring and growth opportunities, she added.
The entrepreneurship co-major at Notre Dame is not limited only to business students, but to those in other majors, such as graphic design, because many professions require the skills that entrepreneurship education offers. In Notre Dame’s program, every student is required to start a business, apply for an EIN and register it with the Ohio Secretary of State.
The program effectively puts students into careers while they are still in college. The confidence and firm financial footing this gives entrepreneurship co-majors is evidenced by the diversity and success of their businesses.
December 2021
Written by Elizabeth Cushwa
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid, Ohio, committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the College offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.