From Member to President: How Women in Business Shaped Anna Schraeder’s Experience

When Anna Schraeder joined Women in Business her freshman year at Cal Poly, she was looking for a sense of community. Now serving as the club’s president, she says the organization has provided mentorship, leadership opportunities and a network that shaped her college experience.

The purpose behind their pillars of building, supporting, and empowering their members and other women goes beyond the business field. Having mentors from the Women in Business Leadership Academy (WBLA) program or listening to a guest speaker at a general meeting are moments where one can not only learn about navigating life professionally but also personally. 

Women in Business (WIB) is a prominent Cal Poly club that has many programs and events, ranging from mentoring other WIB members to listening and learning from industry professionals. WIB President Anna Schraeder said the club, founded in 2015, is designed to support women through major life transitions, including the shift from high school to college and from college into the professional world. 

Schraeder said WIB aims to create a space where women feel valued and their ideas are heard.

“We, as a club, want to provide that space for people to come in and share,” she said.

The club focuses on building a community where members feel supported and seen. Schraeder said the mentors she has met and her experiences in WIB have reinforced that mission and are what keep her involved.

“For me, I feel like WIB has acted as a kind of mentor overall through my college experience, and I want to be able to give that back to other students… Having something, whether it's a person or a club or an organization, to look up to,” Schraeder said. “Having these awesome women who are so involved with everything, and kind of seeing them in your footsteps, and aspiring to be what they were in five years.”

Schraeder joined at the beginning of her freshman year at Cal Poly with the personal goal of finding a community at college. Coming from a sports background, having a team was a familiar feeling for her, and one that she wished to form at Cal Poly as well. After going to WIB meetings and attending other events and programs the club held, she found what she was looking for within the fellow members around her.

“They were all so passionate, so personable, and really just wanted to make a difference and help everyone along their journey.” 

Throughout her time here, Schraeder understood the purpose behind the pillars of WIB from not only the events and meetings held, but also the people.

Her freshman year engagement mentor, who was the WIB president at the time, was incredibly inspiring to Schraeder and gave her the courage to not only apply for the ambassador's program, but also the board for WIB.

Her WBLA mentor, and WIB President her third year, also became a role model to Schraeder and the two formed a super close relationship as a mentor-mentee.

These two women helped push Schraeder into becoming the leader of WIB that she is today, and they continue to do so. “They have been my why of WIB, why I've stayed and everything like that. They've been super impactful, and I want to give that back to other girls.” 

Through Anna Schraeder’s experience with Women in Business, the impact of the club’s mission on its members is clear. The club’s focus is on creating a space where women can support and inspire one another. From general meetings to the friendships formed at WIB events, that purpose is reflected in its speakers, members and programs.

“Creating a safe space where women feel valued and their ideas are heard is really important,” Schraeder said. “We, as Women in Business, want to provide that space for women to come in and share.”