The Glass Ceiling’s Power over Women’s Success

Ava Giaimo, Verrazzano Class of 2020, completed major in Accounting with minors in Finance and Management 

          Writing my capstone and completing honors in my major was a very rewarding experience.  I majored in accounting and minored in finance and management and I knew I wanted to incorporate all three of these components into my capstone.  After thinking about topics, I decided I wanted to conduct research on the glass ceiling in the financial industry. 

One of the main reasons I wanted to research this topic in detail was because of my association with the Women’s Bond Club of New York.  The Women’s Bond Club is a community that empowers its members to accomplish their career goals and succeed in the workplace.  Established in 1921, it is one of the oldest professional organizations for women in finance.  Its mission is to bring together professional women from all sectors of the corporate industry in order to forge strong personal networks and assist women in advancing within their chosen fields.  They provide education, mentoring, and network opportunities for women pursuing a career in financial services and related industries. 

Being a part of this organization has allowed me to get a glimpse of what my future may hold.  I was able to experience first-hand how the financial world works and see how women fit into its so-called “egalitarian” atmosphere.  Writing my capstone allowed me to understand not only why the glass ceiling exists in the first place, but also ways to break through it and overcome the barriers.  My involvement with the Women’s Bond Club gave me background knowledge to begin my research and explore possible solutions to this problem.

One of my favorite parts about writing my capstone was conducting my own research. I conducted personal interviews with a number of women from various backgrounds, age groups, and career stages.  Being able to connect the articles I read with the research I collected was very interesting.  Speaking to various women about their experiences in the work place and their careers inspired me to begin my career and help the women around me reach their full potential.

Even though completing this 20-page paper while taking 22 credits was challenging, it was well worth it.  Being able to work with and learn from my faculty advisor Professor Rechberg

made this process much easier.  I hope to continue to build on my research and incorporate all that I have learned when I pursue a graduate degree.  As my college experience comes to an end, writing my capstone and learning more about the field I will work in is something I will never forget.