Women of Walker

Empowerment • Professionalism • Partnerships

The program is a recommendation-based student program designed to prepare students with essential skills needed for success in pursuing a career in business. Furthermore, the skills and knowledge acquired through this program can be applied to all facets of being a contributing member to one’s career and personal communities.

The mission is to accelerate professional development, personal growth, and leadership abilities for business majors at Appalachian State University through networking, career exploration, travel, and professional development workshops and seminars.

Vision

The governing values include three overarching and significant areas:

Empowerment – Growing and maturing as a person and as a future business professional
Professionalism – Working inside the Organization: for self, for others and for the Organization
Partnerships – Being mentored and serving as a mentor to others. Receiving and Paying it Forward.

Requirements

Faculty/Staff written recommendation submitted to Advisory Board members
Ability to attend all program interactions
Complete all exercises and reading materials provided
Engage with assigned mentor/mentee match throughout the program

Benefits

Members receive a variety of benefits that will prove helpful in building a well-rounded resume, networking opportunities limited to a select number of students and a diverse line-up of workshops:

Leadership education
Mentoring: Pairing student members and local business professionals
Shadowing and major job exploration opportunities
Seminars and/or workshops twice a month at a minimum. Topics will include areas related to business professionalism: entrepreneurship, dining etiquette, interview skills, information on creating a positive social media footprint, financial literacy and brand and pitch development
Access to a library of professional resources
Conference and meeting travel
Networking opportunities

Advisory Board

Amy Odom, odomah1@appstate.edu
Jackie Garner, garnerjn@appstate.edu

Mentoring Program

The Watauga Women in Leadership (WWIL) Mentor Program is an initiative led by Watauga Women in Leadership in partnership with Women of Walker, an experiential professional development program for business majors at Appalachian State University. The program provides one-on-one mentoring opportunities between WWIL affiliates and business students in order to motivate, empower, inform, and encourage both mentors and mentees in the Watauga County community.

Pre-determined meetings will be scheduled throughout the academic school year to allow mentors and mentees consistent interactions in a one-on-one format. In addition, Women of Walker members will be invited to attend all Watauga Women in Leadership events to participate in group settings with affiliates and community members.

Program Dates

Registration for Spring 2026 is closed.

January 8, 2025 | Mentor Training
January 23, 2025 | Mentor/Mentee Match Up
February 13, 2025 | Speed Interviewing Session
March 20, 2025 | Women in Business Panel & Networking Social
March 28, 2025 | Mentor Shadow Day & Luncheon
April 30, 2025 | Pinning Ceremony & End of Program Celebration
One-on-one mentor/mentee interactions

Program Activities

Mentor Training

Training is provided to all mentors prior to initial interaction with mentees. The training provides expectations of the mentor role and ways to successfully engage the mentee in the program.

One-on-One Interactions

Mentors and mentees will be required to meet throughout the program. Interaction frequency and timeframes will be set by the Watauga Women in Leadership board members and provided to mentors and mentees prior to the start of the program. Interactions will provide opportunity for mentors and mentees to build relationships and rapport with one another outside of a large group setting.

Team Building/Community Development

An emphasis on community and relationship building will be incorporated throughout the program. A strong group dynamic is developed through icebreakers, team-building exercises and social interactions. A kick off event will take place at the beginning of the program so pairs can meet, interact and conduct icebreaker and team building activities to build rapport before meeting one-on-one.

Professional Workshops & Networking

Student mentees will be invited to participate in all Watauga Women in Leadership Coffee Connections, Social Connections and large format events to provide exposure to professional development opportunities and networking with community partners and female leaders. An end of program networking event will be held so pairs can come together to reflect on their experiences, share those with others and practice important networking skills with their peers.

Service

Serving the larger community creates self-awareness of an individual’s impact on the bigger picture and fosters an appreciation of the community surrounding them. Watauga Women in Leadership and Women of Walker will collaborate on a minimum of one group volunteer event/project designated by WWIL each program year.

Watauga County and Economic Development Awareness

Over 76% of Walker College of Business students remain in North Carolina after graduation however less than 10 % remain in Boone. Provide exposure to local business owners, community leaders and potential economic development opportunities to retain top talent to reside and work in Watauga County post graduation.