Network of enlightened Women at UNC Charlotte

As the year comes to an end, you are probably beginning to reflect on what you did well and what areas could use improvement. For many, setting New Year's resolutions is a way to approach making improvements to their lives, but do New Year’s resolutions actually work? Instead, set yourself up for success by writing a personal mission statement. What is a personal mission statement? A personal mission statement is like a corporate mission statement. However, a personal mission statement is… well, personal. It is a declaration of who you are, what you stand for and what impact you want to have on the world. Throughout your life, it can serve as a call to action when you are straying away from your focus. It can be helpful in providing awareness to your future self, identify your core values and beliefs and help discover what's important to you. Overall it can: Establish who you are, and who you want to be. Give you a clear focus. Simply any decisions on your ca

November has started and that means so has ConSERVative Month! This month shifts Network of enlightened Women’s focus from women empowerment to community involvement. The UNC Charlotte Chapter of Network of enlightened Women partnered with the Angels and Sparrows Soup Kitchen for their annual Youth Volunteering Day on Saturday, November 17th. The Angels and Sparrows Soup Kitchen located just north of Charlotte in Huntersville, North Carolina holds the mission of starting with a nourishing meal served with dignity and fostering community to a path of hope for those facing hunger in their daily lives through programs, celebrations, and experiences - transforming daily interactions into personal connections and a sense of belonging. Youth Day invites youth and their family to the Kitchen to help with their Fall clean-up. There, members of NeW cleaned tables, chairs, floors, windows, doors, you name it! By helping with this project, volunteers of the Kitchen are better abl

November has started and that means so has ConSERVative Month! This month shifts Network of enlightened Women’s focus from women empowerment to community involvement. The UNC Charlotte Chapter of Network of enlightened Women held a Crowders Mountain Hike while promoting environmental clean-up and litter prevention. Crowders Mountain State Park is located south of Charlotte between Kings Mountain and Gastonia, North Carolina. The park consists of two peaks - Crowders Mountain and the Pinnacle. Crowders Mountain is approximately 800 feet above the surrounding area and 1,625 feet above sea level making it a sight to see while traveling and exploring. The network of enlightened Women is a non-partisan political organization that focuses on educating, enlightening and empowering young women through Conservative beliefs. The UNC Charlotte Chapter strives to get involved in the community by partnering with outside organizations - both on and off campus. Members who hiked the

November has started and that means so has ConSERVative Month! This month shifts Network of enlightened Women’s focus from women empowerment to community involvement. The UNC Charlotte Chapter of Network of enlightened Women hosted a weeklong canned food drive for the Second Harvest Food Bank. The Second Harvest Food Bank stands by the mission of leading the community to ensure that anyone who needs a healthy meal can get one. The organization provides a regional distribution warehouse and branches that supply food and grocery items to charitable agencies that assist people in need. The organization provides training, technical assistance, and hunger education to their partnering agencies. The network of enlightened Women is a non-partisan political organization that focuses on educating, enlightening and empowering young women through Conservative beliefs. The UNC Charlotte Chapter strives to get involved in the community by partnering with outside organizations - both

https://www.insidehighered.com/ Now is the time to find a mentor. Mentors are helpful regardless of what stage of life you're in. Whether you’re still in college, a recent graduate or several years into your career, there are always others whom you can learn from to help you reach your short-term and long-term goals. "A great mentor is someone whose qualities make up a much better version of who you envision yourself to become," Demetri Argyropoulos, CEO of Avant Global shares with the Business News Daily . "On the other hand, some great mentors may help you to learn who not to be like – for example, a very successful businessman who is struggling in his personal life. Great mentors have a complementary skill set and bring different qualities to the table. Different perspectives are valuable in the mentor-mentee relationship." How do I find a mentor? Create a list of potential mentors. These are professionals you aspire to be and whom you respec

Many people focus on professional networking to start or advance their careers. Knowing the right people can play an important role in what your next job will be. However, a key ingredient to professional networking people forget about is maintaining those relationships. Often, many people fail to stay connected with people they build great rapport with.  Dorie Clark, a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review says “if you’re not staying in touch with people from your past, you’re cutting off a lot of potential opportunities.” Let’s look at practical steps you can take to not only expand your network but how you can keep it alive. Who Should Be In Your Network? You may not realize it, but even if you have not been actively building your professional network, you probably already have a solid list. Here are some people who can be on it: Friends and Family Current and Former Classmates Current and Former Coworkers and Supervisors Members of Clubs or Profession

Strolling the seemingly endless aisles of my local Target the past few weeks, I see all of the school supplies lined up on the endcaps tempting buyers like me who are headed back to class. My favorite items to look at are the planners. Typically, they’re girly - just like me - and give you the immediate feeling of wanting to get organized. There are a few reasons why these spiral-bound pieces of paper are great ideas - especially for busy college students. You can plan out assignments. Let’s start by focusing on academics which is the main reason to purchase a weekly planner. Keeping track of four to six different classes can be a struggle especially when you’re balancing everything else in your life. By using colored pens and highlighters, you can specify what assignment is due when for a certain class. Filling out the weekly planner portion helps you see your “day by day” tasks and the month-long calendar allows you to see the bigger picture. You can plan out extracurricu

The start of a school year is always fun, exciting, and honestly a little intimidating. Each year, UNC Charlotte hosts a Fall Student Organizations Showcase after Freshman Convocation on the first Monday before classes start. It was a big day for the UNC Charlotte Chapter of Network of enlightened Women who is still semi-new to campus. Excited to start our *second* full year on campus, attending these events were critical to gain membership and a presence on campus! The day started out with tabling at the Showcase for NeW. The table was set up - pretty in pink - with flyers, social media handouts, and more literature about conferences. Raspberry lemonade was a great thank you to prospective members who jotted down their emails to keep up-to-date on NeW meetings and socials. After the Showcase, NeW held an interest meeting, “Learn S’more About Us!” in the Student Union on campus. With four dozen s’mores cupcakes from Delish Cakery and sign up sheets ready, the doors open

Written by: Caroline O'Connor  There are some in life who live with tiny bumps in the road, is successful without much effort, and has a comfortable time attaining the opportunities they want. They can do this either through privilege, money, and or just the sheer luck of life. Then there are some who have hardships, feel like they try harder than most and barely get by, and have to prove their worth constantly. Both of these people can be successful in life and arrive at similar points, even with the different levels of effort and grit that had to be put into getting there.  I was recently reading from a textbook to keep up with my class syllabus, and I came across Igor Stravinsky talking about the morals of music. Throughout his passage, I came across the quote. "what diminishes constraint, diminishes strength." The passage moved me as a whole, but these five words appealed to me the most because it made me sit back and think. Throughout all of the struggles that

While in two different organization realms - politics and Greek life - Network of enlightened Women paired with the Delta Zeta Sorority for another time to co-host a workshop entitled, “Encouraging Your Heart” led by Monica Tutt. The Network of enlightened women strives to empower, educate, and enlighten young women through a Conservative political lense. Delta Zeta promotes sisterhood, philanthropy, and academics. Organizations tend to get caught up in themselves and stress members out - we’ve all been there. By following a few tactics, members can get a clear understanding of their place and purpose within the group. Encouraging Your Heart focuses on seven essentials - setting clear standards, expecting the best, paying attention, personalizing recognition, telling a story, celebrating together, and setting an example. By creating a transparent atmosphere and setting SMART goals, all members can know exactly what is to be done and who is in charge of what. SMART goals consis

Written by: Caroline O'Connor Women’s history month has come to a close for the year of 2018. While, as a woman, I agree that we should have women marches. There is still blatant sex discrimination in the workplace and everyday social life. As a conservative woman, I do not agree with the way that women present themselves at marches. When I think back to women like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Rosa Parks, and other influential women would think about women wearing a reproductive part on their heads. Either as a hat or around their head. Anthony and Blackwell persevered throughout history for their class and strength. They did not need act or look reckless to make a point or stand out, they stood out and made history by standing up for what they believed and did it with integrity. Rosa Park’s move was not obscene, it was simple. Park’s one simple act was one of the biggest acts of the civil rights act that is still talked about and admired today. The integrity, in

By: Caroline O'Connor After spring break, there is a general feeling of wanting the school semester to come to a complete close. While it may be tempting to revert to laziness and added procrastination with school work, remember these few things: 1.     It is only a few more weeks until the end of school. When it comes time for the final few weeks of school, it will go by in a flash. Between catching up on school work, interviews, potentially moving off campus to either back home or apartments, and exams, the spring semester tends to be more cramped than the summer semester. Keep pushing yourself because relief is coming soon. 2.     You can make or break a class grade after this middle point of the semester. If you are potentially struggling with a class, go and talk to your professor before/after a class or during their scheduled office hours. Speaking to a professor will help you gain a better understanding of their expectations, but they can also take this opportun

Written By: Caroline O'Connor and Alexandra Duncan It is that time of year when it is time to start applying for future Summer Internships and jobs. While it may be nerve-racking to apply for your future, especially if you are unsure of it and all that you would like to do in it. As part of my experience, here are some of my tips for applying for your future that I have learned from my past. 1.    Be open You may never know where a path may take you. If you see a job posting on LinkedIn and it sounds remotely interesting, go ahead and apply for it! You may never know what opportunities and experience you can get from a job. It is all about the experience and how you use yourself at the end of the day - not the specific experience itself! 2.    Update Your LinkedIn Many job interviews and opportunities I have had were through LinkedIn. It is essential to update your jobs, have a copy of your resume on LinkedIn, and make sure your information is up to date. If you hav

From Left to Right: Conrad, Michael, Keith, Cole, and Garrett Since 2010, Network of enlightened Women has been hosting the Gentlemen’s Showcase each year. Put in place to recognize, honor, and reward college gentlemen, the contest is held during the month of February. Through online voting, young men across the country are selected by women of NeW to compete to win $1,000 for a charity of their choosing. The UNC Charlotte Chapter of Network of enlightened Women are thrilled to nominate five fantastic, Conservative men for the year of 2018. A gentleman is defined as: “a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man.” Each one of these men is an outstanding student and community activist. From the town of Apex, North Carolina, Michael DeSantis is a sophomore double majoring in Political Science and International Business. Michael is brother of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity as well as an extremely active member of College Republicans. Familiar with working campaigns, he is currently

Have you ever noticed the difference between men and women when we state our thoughts while we are talking about a topic, whether if it is serious or not serious? In class or in discussions, most of us women have an opinion on what is being said, whether that is in agreement or disagreement. When we have an opinion, we raise our hand and we start to say what is going on through our minds. We start out with “I feel like…”. We like to say “I feel like..” and while we do feel a certain way, we should start to say “I know” or something that alerts that whoever we are talking too that we stand by our statement. Women have been convinced that we need to be emotional caregivers of the world. We are the ones to deliver bad news and to stay quiet when something needs to be said. However, with the rise of the strong women who are break the glass ceilings, we should start rewording the way we state what we have to say. It is a simple tactic to help ourselves be taken more seriously. Growing