From Club to Career: What Northwestern Leaders Have To Say About Their Future

Northwestern student leaders reflect on what inspired them to take on leadership roles, what they gained from these positions, and how it is currently shaping their future.

The student organization culture at Northwestern is no secret. From business fraternities and a myriad of consulting and finance groups to a large start-up network, extracurricular involvement is integral to developing one’s interests and connections. Campus leaders do just that — these passionate students are dedicated to mentoring other students and giving back to their communities.

Anna Ericson (Communication ’22) is the CEO and founder of Cerer, a company dedicated to sourcing and presenting a curated selection of clothing from sustainable and ethical sources.

“I never really cared about the environment before freshman year at Northwestern until I started taking environmental policy classes,” she said. “While I was doing research on sustainable fashion, I realized that there are many really great smaller, independent brands, but there weren’t many single platforms that brought those brands together to make it easy for consumers, so I decided to found my own.”

Ericson explained how founding Cerer helped her find her passion for sustainable fashion and ethical business. She noted the importance of working for a company that shares her values and creative ideas. She also talked about the importance of empathy.

“I think I’m pretty empathetic. So like, when things come up, I can be pretty understanding. At the end of the day, I want to be the leader of a company that prioritizes people’s well-being over business decisions. I think it’s important to maintain positive relationships with people,” Ericson said.

Similarly, Jacob Mendel (Weinberg ’22) talked about his ”desire to give back” and the importance of mentorship. Mendel is the co-president of Northwestern Capital Management (NCM), a finance group that manages a real investment fund on campus.

“When you’re in a leadership role, and you’re working with the same people over and over again, you have the opportunity to watch them develop in a unique way,” Mendel said. “Just getting to watch people grow and develop a better understanding of concepts is really rewarding. And then when they actually get the job, it’s like, the best feeling ever.”

Mendel emphasized the importance of students receiving mentorship while going through investment banking recruitment. Being in a leadership role has allowed him to watch other people develop in a unique way, helping him realize the significance of true mentorship. Having someone to take the time out of their day to develop one’s technical and personal skills can make all the difference.

Mendel’s advice for navigating career paths and possible recruitment is to “spend more time looking at everything available before following the crowd and pursuing the most commonly targeted paths like consulting or investment banking.”

Fellow student leader Flora Tian (Weinberg ’23) offered similar advice. Tian is the president of ChinaCare, a nonprofit organization for Chinese orphans adopted overseas as well as the vice president of membership for Consultants Advising Student Enterprises (CASE).

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and stand out,” she said. “There is a huge preprofessional culture where you see a lot of econ majors go into business fields, but not everyone has to do that. Being confident in your own path.”

She noted how leaders execute changes within organizations on campus. For example, growth in finance clubs has helped to put Northwestern on the map when it comes to finance recruitment.

Tian also spoke about the importance of pivoting in a virtual environment, as well as being “patient and passionate.”

Each of these goal-oriented students delivered a common overall message: leading Northwestern groups is not just about catchy resume-building titles but also creating an impact for younger students and building a long-lasting legacy.