News Archives: Brooklyn Broaders: Finding Her Voice
Wednesday, June 21st, 2023
NWP Alumni Brooklyn Broaders
It took taking a year off from her studies for Brooklyn Broaders to understand what she wanted to pursue as a career.
Broaders was the 2022 to 2023 President of Northwestern Polytechnic Students’ Association. In 2022, Broaders completed her Business Administration diploma at Northwestern Polytechnic. Her career with the Students’ Association began when she was elected for Vice President Internal, which is a position she held for two years before becoming President.
Her academic career started in the education program at NWP, and after a year in the program, she decided it wasn’t the right place for her and took a year off, gaining a management position in retail.
“It was during that time I realized that I enjoyed working in management, but maybe not necessarily retail,” said Broaders. “I decided to go back to school to explore business administration.”
Broaders explained that once she enrolled in her business courses, she began to excel in ways she hadn’t in her previous studies.
“I was doing much better in classes I was interested in, emotionally and academically,” said Broaders. “So, I knew I was in the right program.”
Through her time with the Students’ Association, Broaders was been able to expand her personal skillset. The networking she had been able to partake in has opened her eyes to the different opportunities and career paths she can pursue.
“The best options for me will be at organizations that allow me to stay involved in the community and make many connections, but there’s room to explore other opportunities within the organization.”
For Broaders, being a part of the Students’ Association had been easy. It’s provided her with so much variety, which she values immensely.
As an introverted person, Broaders didn’t think she would’ve ever gravitated towards a position in the Students’ Association because of all the public speaking and having to get our of her comfort zone.
“I didn’t use to enjoy public speaking and doing speeches,” said Broaders. “But as the President, I had to speak so many times in front of hundreds of students. I had to force myself to talk to people, but it’s served me well. I am no longer nervous talking to people or giving presentations”.
Before regularly practicing public speaking, it was common for Broaders to be told her voice would come across as nervous in class or speeches. Now that has changed.
“I recently was told after a class presentation that I had one of the best presentations and that I sounded confident speaking in front of everyone,” Broaders said. “I thought, wow, really?”
When thinking about where she started compared to where she is now, Broaders is most proud of the growth she has seen in herself.
Public speaking and making connections are now skills the she has confidently mastered.
“It’s crazy to see that change in myself.”
As a student, when she wasn’t working for the Students’ Association or in class, Broaders enjoys attending Campus Recreation and athletics events at NWP and is also volleyball coach for the Velocity Volleyball Club.
Interested in NWP's Business programs? Visit NWP.me/Business to learn more.
