By Brianna Saylor, News Editor
Originally Published November 14, 2023
The Career and Professional Development Center partnered with the McKenna School of Business to host a Women in Business Panel on Tuesday, November 7, at 6:15 p.m. in the Fred Rogers Center. The panel featured four women educated in political science, marketing, international business, business administration, public administration, and digital media. Each panelist shared information about their current role, insight into their career journey, and advice on preparing for the workforce.
Taylor Hochard, senior finance and accounting double major and President of Women in Business, led the event throughout the evening. First on the panel was Megan Loughner, Sourcing Manager for Kennametal, Inc., and double SVC alum. Loughner has a bachelor's in international business (’10) and an M.A. in Management: Operational Excellence (’14). Second was Katie Shockey, Director of Corporate Partnership Activation for the Pittsburgh Pirates, in addition to being on the board of Women in Sports and Events (WISE), and University of Pittsburgh alum. She graduated with a bachelor’s in marketing with a certificate in digital media (’14). The third panelist was Anna Krinock, a proposals/contracts coordinator for Duraloy Technologies and an SVC alum. She graduated with a bachelor’s in business administration (’18). The final panelist was Sarah Robins, a Human Resources Administrator at Westmorland Intermediate Unit and SVC alum. She graduated with a bachelor’s in marketing (‘15).
All of the panelists spoke about their career paths and how they have led them to the positions they currently hold today, in addition to addressing what it’s like to be in male-dominated fields and their experience as successful women in the workplace.
Loughner discussed how entering any field can be challenging, especially those that might be initially unfamiliar, for both the individual and the people they may work with. She says, however, that she has found it important for women to put their best foot forward because they a lot of value to bring to that field.
Shockey expanded on that by offering valuable insight from her experience working with the sports industry.
“In my field of work, it’s fifty-fifty; you get the sports side, which can sometimes make you feel like it’s a ‘boys club,’ and in those situations, you have to lean on your support system and talk it through. The other side of the coin is the business side. This has become female-dominated, so you must be aware of both sides,” said Shockey.
While Krinock agreed with the other panelists, she briefly addressed how her experience entering a male-dominated field was particularly challenging, and she initially got a lot of pushback.
“I had a lot of challenges to overcome,.. but I found that maintaining mutual respect was key because no matter where you go, there will be obstacles to overcome. You have to learn to play your strengths,” said Krinock.
Lastly, Robins reiterated the importance of individuals not being afraid to get out of their comfort zones, make meaningful connections, and building trust. She explained that people may never know what their futures will hold, who they might meet tomorrow, who may be their boss one day, or who might be a strong connection.
Prior to the panel, the McKenna School held a dinner for the four panelists and invited students and faculty to attend. The panel itself was open to the SVC community, where registration was not required.