Senior Spotlight
The school year is starting to close - this is the perfect opportunity to highlight Collegiate Women in Business graduating senior leadership. In this article, I interviewed five leadership team members and asked them about future plans, advice for younger members, and favorite memories from Virginia Tech and CWIB.
Sraavani Jayanti-Co -Chief Operations Officer
Sraavani is the Co-Chief Operations officer who is graduating with a degree in Business Information Technology and a concentration in Cybersecurity Management and Analytics. Post-graduation, Sraavani will be going on a senior trip to Puerto Rico with some of her friends and she will be participating in an international program in Spain. Then, she will be moving down to Austin, TX to start her full-time job at Deloitte in September. One of her favorite Virginia Tech memories is helping run the Hokie Hi picnic for the freshman class. She said, “I loved being able to welcome the new class in and show off our Hokie spirit.” And, one thing she will miss most about Virginia Tech is the people. Sraavani highlighted that “everyone is so kind and helpful, and you can easily strike up a conversation with anyone and make a connection.” One of her most memorable CWIB memories is hearing from Joanie Fredericks, who spoke at one of our monthly meetings about LOTS which is Ladies on Transportation Services in South Africa. Sraavani said, “It was so inspiring to hear the ripple-effect of impact the organization can have on the general public in South Africa!” Lastly, her advice to the younger members of CWIB is to take the leap and just go for it. This could be in CWIB or applying for jobs and internships. Don’t be afraid of being rejected because you never know what will come out of the opportunity.
Emily Hynson- Co-Chief Operations Officer
Emily Hyson is the Co-Chief Operations officer who is graduating with a degree in Accounting. She will be returning to Virginia Tech in the fall and be part of the Masters in Accounting Program with a focus on Accounting Analytics. In addition to this master's year, she will be studying for the four CPA exams prior to working full time in Fall 2023. One of her favorite Virginia tech memories is the UNC football game from the fall 2021 semester. It was sentimental for her to be back in Lane Stadium post-pandemic. One thing she will miss at Tech is the people she has met throughout her college experience and being able to see her friends whenever she wants throughout the week. Emily's most memorable CWIB memory was going on the New York City trek this past spring semester and spending time with other CWIB members exploring the city and going to Central Park. Some advice that Emily has for the younger generation: “ Take advantage of all CWIB has to offer. You will not get anything out of it if you don’t attend meetings and events as much as you can. Take the time to get to know the people attending events with you, network with each other and professionals, and take everyone’s advice that you can.” She believes that you will never know what can come from who you will meet along the way. Emily also recommends that everyone take the opportunity to be part of the leadership team in CWIB, because it has allowed her to become more confident as a leader.
Allison Gray- Chief Development Officer
Allison Gray is the Chief Development Officer and will be graduating with a degree in Financial Accounting. She will be working with KPMG this fall as a first-year Internal Audit and Enterprise Risk Associate in their Federal Advisory practice in Tysons Corner. This summer she plans to travel and study for all four CPA exams. One of her favorite Virginia Tech memories is eating her first Hokie sausage at the first football game back this past semester. Her family was in town for the game and it was great for them to meet her friends and to be back jumping in Lane stadium. Allison says the people are what she will miss most about Virginia Tech. She said, “It’s going to be hard not being surrounded by all my friends all the time, but I’m thankful I’ve made friendships I know will last a lifetime.” Allison’s most memorable CWIB memory was the New York City Trek this past spring semester. Although she had been to one other trek before freshman year, she said it was fun to get to know the general members and become closer to the leadership team on the Trek before graduating. Lastly, some advice that Allison would give the younger members is to “don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Definitely go to as many CWIB events as you can. There is a great way to network with outside companies.” Also, being able to meet new people in Pamplin is so beneficial. Lastly, she said don’t be afraid to apply to anything you are interested in and to remember that “Everyone starts somewhere!
Caroline Macri- Co-CEO
Caroline is one of our Co-CEO’s of CWIB and she will be graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Technology with a concentration in Cyber Security Management and Analytics and a minor in Business Leadership. This summer, Caroline will begin working for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Digital Assurance and Transparency Associate. This role will focus on information systems consulting within the commercial business sector. Before her start date, she is excited to travel with family and friends. One of Caroline's favorite VT memories is the Virginia Tech vs UNC football game from her freshman year. “We went into six overtimes, but my favorite part was being surrounded by friends and alumni in the East stands with all of us screaming ‘Enter Sandman’ a second time during the game. I felt like our Hokie spirit and community feel was at an all-time high because strangers were even linking arms with us jumping up and down in the stands!” Caroline will also miss the community here at Virginia Tech - she said it might be one of her hardest goodbye’s. She said, “I will absolutely miss walking across the Drillfield, hearing ‘Let's Go’ from a student and yelling ‘Hokies’ back and jumping to Enter Sandman during our football games.” However, she is grateful to have attended “a university where its community of students and faculty is immeasurably welcoming, supportive, and energetic about the Hokie spirit!” One of Caroline’s favorite CWIB memories is the annual Sinkland Farms Trip. This is a great way to meet other CWIB members and leadership team members. Caroline also highlighted the New York City trek, believing that “our treks provide a great opportunity for members to meet more members, Virginia Tech alumni, and gain professional experience.” Lastly, her best advice for the younger members is to be more confident in themselves and what they offer. She elaborates that “CWIB is an incredible organization that provides members with ample opportunities to learn business etiquette, gain confidence when speaking with company representatives, etc., and I think the more you put into CWIB’s events and activities, the more your self-confidence will grow.”
Kate Taylor-Co-CEO
Kate Taylor is the second Co-CEO of CWIB. She is majoring in Finance with a concentration in Corporate finance with a minor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. She will also be graduating with the Honors Laureate diploma. Post-graduation she will be working with KPMG in the Federal Financial Transformation Department in late July in the Tysons Corner office. One of her favorite Virginia Tech memories is from freshman year during finals week when a snowstorm hit. Kate said, “VT ended up canceling morning exams the next day, so my friends and I hung out all night and went to the annual civilian vs. cadet snow ball fight. We had so much fun and the next day we went sledding on the hill next to Owens!” Another thing she will miss about Virginia Tech is the community: “Virginia Tech has allowed me to build this strong network of friends and I will miss living so close to them. I love running into my friends randomly on campus and meeting new people in the lines of local coffee shops.” Kate believes Virginia Tech has become a very supportive community for her these past four years and this shows through the continued effort spent building alumni networks across the country. Kate has so many CWIB memories, but if she had to pick one, it would be the September meeting this past year. “Our leadership team put in a lot of hard work over the summer planning the fall semester and rebuilding our organization. It was incredibly rewarding to see all the work paid off and continue to lead by CWIB's pillars.” Lastly, Kate wants younger members to get involved where they can. There are so many opportunities to grow and learn in this organization, including being part of the mentorship program, being a Chronicles writer, or working in one of the many committees.
CWIB is an incredible organization that inspires young women to become more confident and strong leaders in the future. You never know what will happen if you take the leap. We are very thankful for our senior leadership. We will miss their presence in the organization and we wish them all the best!
By Sarah Viebrock
