Business Matters

Last spring, a group of students in the College of Business’s Women Mean Business club were invited to tour Naumes Inc., Harry and David and Lithia Motors and see the inner workings of some of southern Oregon’s economic cornerstones. 

Club leaders and members got to sit down with employees who worked at the companies and ask questions in a supportive setting.

“Being able to travel to southern Oregon was an amazing experience,” said Madi Moore ‘24, the club’s co-president. “Meeting with each of these companies was so informative, and we got to learn things that you can’t always see in a classroom setting.” 

At Harry and David, for example, students started out in the orchards, handling pears, and ended in the warehouse to see employees bagging candy. 

“There’s so much value in seeing the back-end mechanics of what makes a business operate efficiently,” said Kate O’Brien, who is a program manager on the College of Business student engagement team and advises the Women Mean Business club. “Students get to assess the culture and visualize whether they’d be a good fit there.” 

For Claire Glazer ‘24, also club co-president, meeting Laura Naumes, vice president and chief operations officer of Naumes Inc., was a highlight of the trip. “Laura was so personable and was truly engaged when we talked about our experiences,” she said. “It was inspiring to talk with such a successful woman in industry. It makes the work you do in college worth it, and it makes you want to work harder to inspire the next generation.” 

O’Brien is hoping to facilitate more immersive trips for the Women Mean Business club. “We want to give students the chance to gain practical knowledge beyond the classroom,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to do that.”

To learn more about how you can support student clubs visit the OSU Foundation.