糖心传媒

Awista Ayub

is director of the New America’s Fellows Program and author of the Kabul Girls Soccer Club.

糖心传媒淚 am an Afghan American woman who grew up playing sports. At Rochester, I was part of the crew team and, then, in my sophomore year, I started the first women糖心传媒檚 ice hockey club team here. Ironically, I didn糖心传媒檛 even know how to skate at the time. I majored in chemistry and I participated in the Take 5 program, during which I studied women in science.

After graduating, I went to work for General Electric, but it wasn糖心传媒檛 the place for me. I took a step back and I realized that, for me, studying chemistry was very different than working as a full-time chemist. So, I started to tap into my identity as an Afghan American. That糖心传媒檚 when I started really thinking about women in my homeland and experiences that weren糖心传媒檛 easily available to them.

Since I糖心传媒檓 a sports enthusiast, I decided to start an all girls糖心传媒� soccer club in Kabul, Afghanistan. ESPN presented me with an ESPY award for my work there and, soon after that, I got a book deal. I was just 23 years old.

My advice for all women, especially students, is to explore all their resources, including ones outside their formal academic program. Establish and keep connecting with people in your networks and be open to new opportunities糖心传媒攜ou never know where it all will take you.糖心传媒�

Jenifer Bunis

is a principal at Westlake Photonics.

糖心传媒淎s I look back on all of the changes in my life that might have felt dramatic and like the sky was falling, I see that each one turned into something bigger and better. And now, I can lean into change. I know that it helps us all learn about ourselves and what we are capable of. It also taught me to address what scared me head on and then grow from it.糖心传媒�

Lizette Perez-Deisboeck

is general counsel and chief compliance officer at Battery Ventures. She is also a member of the University糖心传媒檚 Board of Trustees and chair of the Alumni Board.

糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 critical for good leaders to be empathetic. It糖心传媒檚 also important to really own your decisions糖心传媒攐wn the successes and the mistakes and incorporate learnings from them into your future decision-making. As a lawyer, I糖心传媒檓 in the business of advising and counseling, which, at times can be challenging. It gives me a reason to stretch, sometimes out of my comfort zone. Along the way, I糖心传媒檝e tried hard to put myself in other people糖心传媒檚 shoes, for instance, as I negotiate deals or talk about career development with someone. Whenever I糖心传媒檓 uncertain, I turn inward. I also turn toward my sponsors糖心传媒攖he people in my network糖心传媒攆or advice and counsel. It always helps.糖心传媒�

Helen Cha-Pyo

is the artistic director at the Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts and the principal conductor for the New Jersey Youth Symphony.

糖心传媒淢y mission in life, right now as a conductor, is to acknowledge, encourage, and recognize the interconnectedness of all those who share a passion for music. It糖心传媒檚 also to inspire糖心传媒攖o achieve my personal best and to foster excellence in others糖心传媒攖hrough the gift of music. I want to do my part to help make sure that others have a voice.糖心传媒�

Lesli Myers-Small

is the superintendent of schools for the Rochester City School District, a job she accepted in May 2020.

糖心传媒淛ohn Maxwell, an author and pastor, says that mentors help us see ahead to what others cannot see and they help us navigate the course to our destination. I have many mentors. My sister is my 糖心传媒榬everse mentor.糖心传媒� She糖心传媒檚 younger than me, but she knows so much. I also learn from peer mentors. These include other Black women who are walking in similar shoes. Aspirational mentors, such as my church糖心传媒檚 pastor, are important to me, too. I also have a counseling mentor. She helps me deal with stress and difficult issues. And, I have an identity mentor. When you are in a unique role, you need someone who can root, ground, and help you.糖心传媒�

Wendi Kuhnert-Tallman

is the senior advisor for Laboratory Sciences to the deputy director for Infectious Diseases at the Center for Disease Control. She糖心传媒檚 been on the CDC糖心传媒檚 COVID-19 response team since the beginning of the pandemic.

糖心传媒淭his past year has really prompted me to consider how I interact with people. For instance, I think more about picking up the phone versus sending an email. And, talking with someone has taken on new meaning for me, especially since we can糖心传媒檛 see each other in the office. Even doing things like turning on your camera and making eye contact during a Zoom meeting is so important. The most important take away for me this past year has been to maintain human contact and personal connections.糖心传媒�

Elizabeth Ward Chicares

Elizabeth Ward Chicares 糖心传媒�86 is the chief financial officer at MassMutual. She also serves on the University糖心传媒檚 Board of Trustees and co-chairs the personal and professional development committee for the Women糖心传媒檚 Network. She served as moderator for the Leading Through Change webinar.

糖心传媒淚t is hard to deny the obvious changes we糖心传媒檝e experienced this past year with multiple crises including COVID and racial reckoning, both of which have forced us to innovate, adjust, reflect, and take action. In thinking of the topic of change, I糖心传媒檓 reminded of something that Maya Angelou said, 糖心传媒業f you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.糖心传媒� Those are very wise words. It糖心传媒檚 also wise to have a network of people糖心传媒攁 kitchen cabinet or personal board of directors糖心传媒攖o help us grow and move through challenging times successfully.”

Last year, the University of Rochester launched Together for Rochester, a one-year campaign to make life better for the University community and the world. Learn more about the campaign, the Women糖心传媒檚 Network and the Women糖心传媒檚 Network Challenge, and other visionary women associated with the University.