Building Bonds.
Breaking Barriers.
Words from the Founders
Kimberly Godfrey and Taeler Wilson are the Founders of The Leading Ladies Connecting Organization (LLC) at the University of Maryland- College Park. They have a passion for excellence and creating opportunities for women through mentoring relationships with professionals in diverse fields.
Kimberly Godfrey
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Co-Founder & President of LLC
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Double Major in Accounting & Finance
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Junior at the University of Maryland, CP
The impetus for the starting of LLC, first came to Kimberly L. Godfrey during a journalism class in spring 2013. One of her assignments was to conduct research within a specific field of study, on an issue within that community. Since Kimberly’s field of interest is business, more specifically accounting and finance, she researched the problem of the " glass ceiling”, a political term that describes the unseen barrier that keeps women and minorities from climbing the corporate ladder.
After learning more about this discrimination that still prevents women and minorities from rising to top positions in corporations, Kimberly found it important to create a club that encouraged and prepared women to strive after those top positions and not just women in business, but in all majors. After speaking with Taeler Wilson, she found that Taeler also shared this same passion and they embarked on creating the vision of the Leading Ladies Connecting.
Taeler Wilson
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Co-Founder & Vice President of LLC
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Majors in Communications & English
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Junior at the University of Maryland, CP
Taeler E. Wilson is currently an English major at the University of Maryland. After previously serving on the University Senate and connecting with female students of other diverse majors, she soon discovered that many of them felt the need for a place to network with each other. After researching, Taeler learned that there were no organizations on campus that provided an environment for female students to meet and bond with professionals of other fields.
After meeting Kimberly Godfrey, who also expressed an interest in such an organization, both students found it imperative to see their vision come to life. Leading Ladies Connecting is based on the passion and dream of both women to see a rise in the success rates of females in the working world. They hope that one day, the organization will stretch to other Universities across the country.