Melissa Marsh

 

"When I was in High School I wanted to become the President of the United States - so I applied to the Universities that had the best American Studies and Political Science Programs. When I wrote to Columbia University for an application, they sent both an application for Columbia and for Barnard College.  Even though my grandmother had gone to Smith College, I had no intention of going to an all woman's college.  I didn't think having a four year break from competing with men would be beneficial for my career. But when I applied and ultimately accepted a spot at Barnard, I had no idea that it was a woman's college.  It's amazing that it happened this way, but I am so proud to have gone to a woman's college."  Melissa is the founder of PLASTARC and is an expert in workplace strategy.  "In the end, I decided that through Architecture and occupant advocacy I could start/make change faster than if  I were President. I may or may not be right."

Luisa Orozco

 

Luisa has been working at Rent The Runway for the past two years and she aspires to do something more intellectual in the fashion industry.  "I want to do something where I make a difference in the world. The fashion world is disillusioning - I want to make clothing more meaningful, more intellectual and less about having something."  She pointed out that sometimes it sucks to be a woman.  "I am into politics. And there are huge inequalities between men and women. Even in fashion - everything costs more for women. It sucks.  A lot of things suck about the inequalities between men and women and they go unnoticed or even if they are noticed nobody does anything about them," she said.  She is Columbian and though she is an American citizen, when she travels alone to Columbia she has a hard time getting through security without a hassle. "It's like it is looked down upon to be a woman traveling by yourself. I was recently going to Columbia and there were all these other men traveling alone too, but when I put my passport or ID through the scanner I always get an X and have to go through further security scrutiny.  I have to wonder if it is because I am a woman, none of those other men traveling alone who are in the same line get an X."