Megan Christopher had an idea of where she wanted to go. She also thought that Vanderbilt could help her get there.

As an undergraduate, Megan says, “I knew I wanted to integrate my passion for entrepreneurship and social enterprise.” Long term, she hoped to work in social venture capital.

“I wasn’t totally clear on what that career path would look like until I came [to Vanderbilt],” she says. “The career services department and executive coaching have helped me tremendously. They helped me turn my goals into actionable plans.

“Megan Nicholas [in Career Services] met with me almost weekly at the beginning of the year. She helped me with preparing my résumé [and] cover letter and helped me choose which job offer would be best for my long-term goals.”

Women, Megan knew, are usually a minority in finance programs. At Vanderbilt, though, the majority of the professors she worked with were women. “It’s refreshing,” Megan says. “They’ve really helped me feel empowered where being a woman in finance can sometimes seem like a disadvantage.

“There are also so many great programs at Owen for women in business. I’ve really enjoyed the speaker series and the Women of Business club. They have made me see that being a woman in business is not something to fear but to feel excited about.”

As she completed the program, she was especially excited about her next stop. “I never would have thought I’d be moving to New York [after 10 months],” Megan says. “It never would have been possible without the amazing women at Vanderbilt challenging me and empowering me to be myself.”

Fun Fact: Megan taught English in Cambodia and has been to Disney World nearly 100 times.

“[My professors] really helped me feel empowered where being a woman in finance can sometimes seem like a disadvantage.”