In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, a new UA club is trying to spread the word about its mission on campus.

Aspiring Women Professionals was founded by Chloé Cavelier d’Esclavelles, a communications senior and the club’s president, and Cassandra Ott, a business administration senior and the club’s vice president. The club aims to empower female students at the UA through leadership training, conferences and community service. The club is open to all majors and years.

“We want to show them that they have the skills and that they should take full advantage of those skills to be ready for the workplace post-graduation,” Cavelier d’Esclavelles said.

Ott said stereotypes against women in the workplace are one of the driving forces behind the club’s mission.

“It’s not something that a lot of people are aware of, and we want to help bridge that gap,” Ott said.
Cavelier d’Esclavelles said she researched other college campuses to see if any other schools offer a club open to all majors that focuses on developing women’s professional skills, and found their club is unique in its mission. Future goals for the club include making it a multi-campus network, she added.

Cavelier d’Esclavelles and Ott came up with the idea of starting the club last spring, as they were getting involved in other clubs on campus.

“We came up with this idea and thought this was a need on campus,” Cavelier d’Esclavelles said. “We did our research, and there aren’t a lot of clubs focused just on women and progressing them in the workplace.”

Cavelier d’Esclavelles said her motivation to start the club also came from growing up with a strong role model: her mother, who always taught her to live up to her full potential.

“One of the key parts of the club we’re trying to create is developing job shadowing opportunities for students and creating a mentorship program,” Ott said.

Other goals for the club include bringing in a monthly panel of speakers from specific industries and fields.

Giselle Martinez, a pre-business sophomore and the event coordinator for the club, said she joined in order to build her resume and network for the future.

“Since I am a sophomore, I want to make sure I step up next year,” Martinez said. “And I know [Cavelier d’Esclavelles’ and Ott’s] goals, and I know how they want it to progress, so I want to make them proud because I know they’re passionate about it.”

– Follow Chandler Wicke @ChandlerWicke