An associate consultant at a marketing firm in Los Angeles, Lindsey Walter had a unique insight into the culture at UCLA Anderson. Because her company exclusively recruited Anderson MBA students for its Los Angeles office, she got to know plenty of alumni and liked what they had to say about the school.

At the time, she was considering pursuing an MBA herself in order to move to the next level in her career, improve her communication and leadership skills, and round out her understanding of other business functions. Having heard all about Anderson’s entrepreneurial, collaborative, and student-driven environment from her coworkers, she knew it would be an ideal school for her.

When she arrived at UCLA Anderson, Walter was happy to discover the Women’s Business Connection Club, which organizes professional, social, and personal identity activities and programs.  “I thought this would be a great opportunity to meet more female students from all of the programs at Anderson as well as faculty and alumnae,” she says.

Signing up for the club’s Mentor Program, Walter’s assigned “buddy” happened to be the club’s president who not only encouraged her to become more involved with the club, but also to run for president when her term ended. Walter was excited by the idea, as she thought it would be a great opportunity to develop her communication and leadership skills as well as to help the club grow its presence on campus.

Walter, who was recently elected as the club’s president, is now working on implementing additional career events, increasing interactions with UCLA undergraduate students, conducting more community outreach programs, and organizing health-related events to benefit women’s causes. She also wants to ramp up the program that matches local alumnae with club members.

“Being involved in the Women’s Business Connection Club has really strengthened my relationships with other females on campus,” says Walter. “It’s very valuable to be able to get to know other women students, faculty and alumnae and build stronger connections with everyone. Having the opportunity to lead this club is a great example of the collaborative and student-driven environment that attracted me to Anderson in the first place.”

– MBA Admissions and Financial Aid