Anderson Blog Posts

When I first started my undergraduate degree at UNM, joining a student organization was the last thing on my mind. Quickly my time as an undergrad flew by, and so I decided that I would start to get more involved in Anderson activities and make the most of my final two years on campus during my MBA program. When I was ready to join a group, there really weren’t many that interested me. Most of them were geared for accounting or finance students, and as a female marketing major, these just didn’t really appeal to me.

During my second semester of the MBA I was approached by my advisor who asked if I would be interested in a brand-new group called Women in Management (now known as Women in Leadership). This group was in its infancy and would need some committed members to get it off the ground. It seemed like a perfect fit for me, it was filling the gap at Anderson by creating a group specifically for female students and I would be able to help build this group. As soon as I joined, I moved into the position of Vice President and we started working on generating events that would interest our female students. Through this process I was able to represent my fellow students and look inward at myself to figure out what I really wanted to learn that would benefit me in my future professional career. I made priceless connections with influential females from the community who helped build a professional network of potential mentors and even led me to some job opportunities.

As our group president graduated, I moved into the president position which has been extremely rewarding and an interesting experience, especially during COVID-19. It has made me step out of my comfort zone and develop my leadership skills in a way that I never expected. In a recent online event, I had to face my fear of public speaking, something that as an introvert I struggle with. I am grateful that I have been able to get these types of experiences before I graduate and move into a professional setting so that I may be more comfortable and confident in a future career. I highly suggest finding a group that speaks to you and getting involved. It is really a minimal time commitment that can make a huge difference in your time as student and may lead to lasting friendships and connections.

I am currently involved in multiple Anderson student organizations and it has given me a huge sense of pride in being a Lobo! Before I just felt like I attended a school, but now I really feel part of a community at Anderson. It makes me happy to see familiar faces in my classes, many of which have been my peers since we started our BBA at Anderson years ago. I am really sad to be graduating this semester, but I plan to stay active in the Anderson community as an alumna and going forward I am hopeful that I will be able to give back to this awesome school in some way.

Kristen Romero, Graduate Student

President of Women in Leadership

Anderson Ambassador