For female freshmen, the first few weeks are everything

The second week of my freshman year, I applied to five leadership positions, and successfully earned four. My secret? No other women were applying.

The next year, I attended a lecture at Harvard University given by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. “Stand up,” she told the all-female audience, “if you have ever said out loud ‘I’m going to run my own company’ or ‘I’m going to be the president of the United States.’”

I remained seated. Stationary, and in a moment of desperate inner crisis, I remember asking myself, what does that say about me as a leader? I do want to run my own company…I could be President. Should I stand up?

A Princeton study found the first few weeks of college are crucial for female students, particularly to determine their position as leaders on campus.

A freshman woman who steps forward as a leader will receive long-term benefits, as friendships and networks solidify within the first few weeks of the semester. After this short period at the beginning of the year, leadership opportunities for women are few and far between.

Undergraduate BC women have to act fast

Women of the class of 2019, congratulations. You’ve stood up again and again, as presidents of your high school class, as soccer captains, as founders of non-profits, organizations, and companies of your own.

You’ve stood up as you took multiple AP courses, ACT/SAT prep classes, and applied to many universities. You probably stood up as you were crowned Prom Queen, Valedictorian, or whatever other royalty your high school offered.

Now you’re at Boston College, you may think you’ve made it.

In fact, your work has just begun.

This is especially true for you, as a female first-semester student. The Princeton study concludes, “an early willingness to step forward as a leader will lay the groundwork for future opportunities.”

Boston College has God, not the Greeks, so you won’t have sisters to mix with or a Big to bring you to a Mod party. Our Kappa Kappa Gamma is just Appa — Appalachia Volunteers — it’s Tri-Delt opposition is 4Boston.

“Rushing” comes in the form of competitive, essay-based applications with group and individual interviews.

So getting the positions you need early on is going to require just as much time as finding your 8-man group.

By doing so, you will position yourself as a leader on campus, whether that be the next female UGBC president or WOM forum leader.

Alexis Teixeira is the President of Women in Business, the first junior to hold the prestigious role in the history of WIB.

Take this example: junior Alexis Teixeira joined Women in Business as a freshman representative. With the support of WIB, she initiated and executed the first Boston College Women’s Summit: Own It. This year, she serves as President of Women in Business to over 900 undergraduate women at Boston College.

Alexis achieved this by saying out loud, “I want to be President,” and then standing up to prove why she deserved the role.

So, to the women of the class of 2019: stand up now.

Because before you know it, you will be a SWUG, or even worse: an alumna.