UMSL Ambassadors Participate in Women’s Leadership Institute

On Friday March 10th some of our UMSL Ambassadors attended the Women’s Leadership Institute in the Millennium Student Center. Presented by Women’s

Jennifer Oertli
Director, Client Success at Bonfyre

Giving Circle and Student Involvement, the program provided a variety of informative and interactive sessions focusing on networking, career advancement, moving beyond perceptions of women in the workforce, and thriving in diverse cultures.


The program began with the keynote speaker, Jennifer Oertli—a successful and non-traditional professional—who shared her journey to becoming a self-assured, female leader. The program then split off into three breakout sessions, a networking lunch, followed by a closing panel. Participants had the choice to attend one of five smaller seminars for each breakout session. The first breakout session was dedicated to navigating your personal and professional life. After that, a luncheon was held before breaking off for the last two sessions of the day. The luncheon included a networking exercise where participants played networking bingo to encourage conversation. The following two breakout sessions highlighted navigating perceptions of women in the workforce and navigating cultural competencies.


Our female ambassadors who attended had a great time and can’t wait to share their experiences with others who will hopefully get to attend in the future.