Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Bohn.
Hi Chloe, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, my name is Chloe and I use she/her pronouns. I am currently in my senior year at American University, studying International Studies and Chinese. I joined Leading Women of Tomorrow (LWT) in 2020, first in American University’s chapter and then our national staff in our partnerships department. This past June, I accepted a promotion to become LWT’s, Executive Director. As a young person who feels my gender should never qualify or disqualify me from a job, I find the lack of diversity in the world’s public leaders to be highly discouraging and infuriating. The LWT community has pushed back against this sexist narrative, creating a positive and empowering community where resources are shared, mentors are provided, and peers push each other to pursue their dreams.
The person best positioned to share the story of LWT is our founder, Medha Reddy, so I want to share her statement below:
“Like many aspiring public officials, my love for government and politics was born from a desire to better my community and country. But throughout my career, I’ve heard countless arguments discouraging me from pursuing this passion that essentially boils down to my gender. The intense media scrutiny, repercussions on family life, and ability to handle the Washington “boy’s club” are the cautionary tales many young women have been socialized to. Unwilling to accept this status quo and inspired by our peers’ talent, optimism, and determination, the founding team gathered to develop a more proactive solution to the gender gap among public representatives. Thus, Leading Women of Tomorrow was born. Our organization strives to equip more undergraduate women with the skills, resources, and confidence to become advocates in their professional fields to create a broader network of change-makers in the next generation. For our vision, Leading Women of Tomorrow was awarded the Resolution Fellowship at the 2017 United Nations Youth Assembly. Since our inception, Leading Women of Tomorrow has been committed to fostering a spirit of ingenuity among our members. We work with leaders from campuses across the country to develop innovative programming, ranging from speaker series with world-renowned experts to engaging thematic workshops. As this movement continues to grow, I look forward to watching the ripples of progress our members will undoubtedly create.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
LWT has certainly encountered obstacles along the way, most recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic! Throughout the pandemic, LWT lost chapters. It became increasingly more work for chapters to draw interest in remote programming, or chapter leaders graduated and could not elect a younger new executive board. This academic year is the first since the start of the pandemic in which all of our chapters can gather in person for events. We are all excited to be hosting in person events again, and we are in the process of growing LWT by establishing new chapters.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As Executive Director, I was faced with the task of organizing and leading LWT’s Annual Chapter Summit, along with the help of LWT’s COO, Malina Brannen. This year we titled it: “Expanding Horizons; What Does it Mean to Work in Public Service?” It was a day-long event, and we put together a series of guest speakers and workshops that focused on different areas of public service, ranging from lobbyists to data scientists. We had about 150 young people from across the U.S. register and enjoyed asking our guest speakers for career development advice throughout the day. For the first time, LWT welcomed a former U.S. Ambassador, who joined us as our keynote speaker. Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch is the first Asian American ever to become an Ambassador. Her story encapsulates why an organization like LWT is so relevant today. Our members learned so much from her!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Our members attend our national-level events to meet members from other chapters and LWT alums. This allows them to ask questions about post-graduation decision-making, finding a first job, and other career development questions. I have taken advantage of the LWT network by noting where other members have worked or interned. This past fall, I reached out to an LWT alumna, Sophia, who had previously worked at a nonprofit I was about to interview at called the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Sophia reached out to the person who interviewed me and recommended me for the position, and I received the offer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leadingwomenoftomorrow.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwomenoftomorrow/?hl=en
