Elizabethtown College International Business (IB) major Blake Stolarik ’26 (Huntingtown, Md.) recently attended GE’s Dare to Lead 2023 Women’s Leadership Conference in late July. This highly selective and competitive, all-expenses-paid conference took place in Greenville, S.C. and helps students who are pursuing a finance career to increase their leadership, grow their networks, and uncover their passions.
Dr. Hossein Varamini, Turnbull-Jamieson Chair and Professor of Finance and International Business Director of International Business at Etown connected Stolarik with the conference after receiving word about the opportunity from International Business Alumna Sofia Nicot ’04.
“We constantly acknowledge the value of networking and the role of alumni to the success of our students,” Varamini said. “Blake’s selection for this competitive conference and the expected gains for her are the result of a close relationship between our alumni, IB Advisory Board, and current students.”
“I was incredibly excited to attend the conference,” Stolarik, who holds concentrations in Finance and Spanish language with a minor in Economics said. “I’m grateful for this opportunity as well as the close connections with professors and alumni at Elizabethtown College that made it a possibility.”
During the conference students engaged in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary discussions with their peers, working as part of a team to solve challenges and compete in business problem-solving simulations. Students’ professionalism and critical-thinking skills were refined through analytical activities, networking, and interviews. Students learned about internship and career opportunities being offered by GE and received a tour of GE Vernova’s gas turbine manufacturing facilities.
“From this experience, I not only gained many valuable insights into leadership and clean energy but also gained a multitude of new friends and professional relationships,” Stolarik said. “I learned through practical experience the ways in which to effectively encourage, manage, and motivate a team in solving a task, navigating risk, and earning profit.”
