ISU Registered Student Organization empowers students through communication and community

Image courtesy of Redbird Life

NORMAL, Ill. – In the walls of Fell Hall at Illinois State University, the Association for Women in Communication (AWC) is elevating the student experience by blending professional development and community engagement. 

“We’re open to all majors and all genders, really everybody,” AWC President Allison Walter said. “Communication is a skill that everyone can use so we definitely are open to anybody and we try to bring in speakers and do events that cover a wide range of things so that anybody from any major can show up and gain something.”

The organization recently held a networking and mocktails event with ISU alumni during COM week and worked with the Labyrinth section of the YWCA. In addition to professional development, the club also hosts monthly stress-relieving social events, such as crafts or relaxation activities, designed to help members unwind.

“We really focus on empowering women and creating opportunities for them within the field of communication,” Walter said. “Things like networking opportunities or events where they’re able to connect with people and learn about options they can go into in such a broad field and really just empower them and uplift them, as well as just creating a group of people that they can reach out to throughout their career including people at ISU that they can work with while they’re here, and reach out to if they need anything in the future.”

Walter spoke about how a previous AWC event led her to join the club.

“I truly think until I joined AWC, I didn’t realize how much of an impact networking really has on somebody and their journey in their career,” Walter said. “I can pinpoint the first ever Mocktails that I attended because someone told me to join AWC, and ever since that point, I feel like I can map out everybody that I’ve met through this and what opportunities it has led me to, so I think just learning to network and put yourself out there. Networking is definitely the biggest thing I’ve taken with me from AWC.”