BOLD WLN Spotlight Series: Colby-Sawyer College

Colby-Sawyer College is the last partner institution in our BOLD Women’s Leadership Network spotlight series! Colby-Sawyer joined the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network in 2018 and is directed by Jennifer Tockman, with Robin Burroughs Davis serving as the BOLD Lead.  

Colby-Sawyer’s initial cohort of BOLD Scholars was made up of seven women-identifying students in their junior year, all of whom were also first-generation college students from rural locations in New England. By bringing these women together, the program at Colby-Sawyer sought to place an emphasis on this often underrepresented demographic of students, providing them with a safe support network and environment to nurture their professional preparation and skills. 

Throughout the school year, BOLD Scholars attend monthly all-cohort meetings, most of which incorporate guest speakers on various career and professional development topics. Each BOLD Scholar is required to meet individually with Jennifer to work on professional and career development goals. At these meetings, topics include: plans for internships, resume review, mock interviews, fellowship discussions, graduate school discussions, and general planning for graduation and their futures.

Scholars also regularly meet in smaller subcommittees to accomplish goals in relation to Magic Grant projects, which tie into overall programmatic goals of community awareness and engagement. One of the most notable projects that has come together is the Colby-Sawyer Career Closet. The Career Closet was a Magic Grant worked on by a cohort of Scholars in 2021 (and each Cohort since) to provide professional attire for job interviews to the student body of Colby-Sawyer. To execute this project, Scholars met with and without the Director and Lead of the BOLD program, allowing time for them to connect and ideate on their own, resulting in excellent exposure to teamwork opportunities and ways to hone in on project management and leadership skills. BOLD is now known across campus for this well appreciated professional resource that will continue to operate under future BOLD Scholars at Colby-Sawyer. Over the course of the past academic year, the Scholars hosted three Career Closet Open Houses providing professional attire to over 150 students. 

Additionally, in our most recent Magic Grant Pitch Competition, Colby-Sawyer BOLD Scholars pitched the implementation of a Wellness Room on campus, in light of college students struggling with mental health issues at an alarming rate. The effects of the pandemic have increased mental health challenges faced exponentially. The room seeks to include various meditative spaces along with tools and resources to help students with focus and connecting to themselves and one another. These Magic Grant projects have solidified BOLD WLN as a leader in building a more inclusive and supportive community on campus! 

Colby-Sawyer College has established itself as a champion of women’s empowerment through its participation in the BOLD Network and all the work it does to support women students and leaders. Their display of community awareness and engagement through the Career Closet and other projects demonstrates their dedication to causes bigger than themselves. Learning how to integrate oneself in society and become a problem-solver is crucial to success in the professional world, and the Scholars receive ample opportunity to practice this through BOLD. We are so proud of the Scholars and wish them the best in their personal and professional aspirations and goals!