BY ASHLEY DALLAIRE ‘18

Pam Borton, the winningest women’s basketball coach for University of Minnesota and current president and CEO of Borton Partners visited Nichols College this week. She discussed her experiences as a coach and how we all can be successful—no matter what obstacles we face.

Borton attended a lunch earlier this month with faculty and staff, including Rachel Ferreira, director of the Institute for Women’s Leadership; Charlie Robert, visiting assistant professor for sports management; Beth Gionfriddo, assistant director of student involvement; and Lorraine Martinelle, director of public relations and social media.

To kick off the conversation, Ferreira asked Borton if she noticed any specific patterns or trends that hold women back from advancing in their careers.

“Ourselves,” Borton replied.

“As I have coached both men and women, I have seen that women lack confidence, don’t take as many risks as men, and are scared of challenging themselves in fear of making a mistake,” she added.

Using her 27 years of coaching experience, Borton has made it her mission to develop leaders as well as empower women to reach their full potential. She has two non-profit “passion projects” that inspire, encourage, and develop tomorrow’s female leaders. TeamWomenMN and Empower were created in hope of building an environment where women are supporting each other—from grade school to boardroom.

Resilience is the capacity to quickly recover from difficulties—or, in other words, toughness. Borton said that resilience is the key to getting out of your comfort zone, which is how we grow as individuals. During the discussion, she touched on how women tend to say “yes” to requests of them, and she admitted that one of her resolutions was to say “no” more often.

“Women tend to feel like they have to say ‘yes’ because it is in our DNA to want to help and improve ourselves,” she said. “We have to learn what is important to us and ask ourselves why we are doing something.”

Borton explained that figuring out our “why” is important to a woman’s success. When she is working with clients, she refers herself to their “thought partner.”

“My clients have the answers; I just ask the right questions, which in turn makes them critically think,” she said.

Everything that was discussed at that lunch resonated with every person there whether they realized it or not. Toward the end of the discussion, Professor Robert said,” I think life skills are needed alongside the reading, writing, and arithmetic they teach today.”

Borton was inspiring, and everything she said to the group was comforting.

Yes, comforting is not the first word you would describe Borton—she is strong, respected, and was feared on the court—but she let her audience know that they are not alone. She let them know that there is a reason behind all of their struggles, feelings, and mindsets. And before women put the blame on someone else, they need to first look at inward. Women need to love themselves and know that they can do anything they set our minds to.

Ashley Dallaire is a Nichols College senior and a public relations intern in the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Nichols College students and staff share with the Bison Chronicles team what they love most about Nichols! Happy Valentines Day from our team to you!

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

BY JOYCE SALLES ’19

Hi! My name is Joyce Salles, a junior marketing major and hospitality minor. I wear many hats on campus, including serving as the Student Government Association’s (SGA) Class of 2019 president, residence life community manager, Professional Development Seminar teacher’s assistant, and a member of the Honors Program, Emerging Leaders Program, Zeta Alpha Phi Honors Society, and the Management Club. The latest and greatest addition to my “hat collection”: becoming an intern for the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Freshman-year Joyce would be shocked to see this much in an intro paragraph! The fact is, my involvement at Nichols has transformed me into a better leader, student, citizen, and professional.

Before Nichols, I would never step up to lead a group, yet today I represent my entire class in SGA. I was shy and afraid of public speaking, but last year I delivered my elevator speech in front of the whole school. Previously, I minded my own business and focused on academics. Now, however, I help teach a first-year course while maintaining Dean’s List.

With that said, you’re probably wondering: “Joyce, when do you have time to actually go to class, watch the latest Netflix show—or  even brush your teeth?”

The simple answer to these questions: time management and priorities.

Discovering how to balance my passions, academics, and social life was a hard but necessary battle. I keep busy by doing the things I love, including setting aside “me time.” Luckily, I have been able to maintain good academic standing, binge watch “The Office,” and regularly brush my teeth (a must, especially since my mom is a dentist).

The newest opportunity added to my iPhone calendar is my marketing internship. I knew I wanted to pursue marketing since sophomore year in high school. I love the creativity it allows me to express and share, the consumer interaction and psychology in advertising, and the innovation behind huge marketing firms. So, you can only imagine the excitement I have for starting this new position!

From writing blog posts to creating videos, I will be exposed to different avenues of the marketing world. It’s one thing to read about it in textbooks versus getting to experience the action first hand.

My goal is to be like a sponge, absorbing all the marketing knowledge I can and to hopefully take a step closer to becoming the businesswoman who lands an amazing marketing job upon graduation!

Joyce Salles is a junior marketing major and hospitality minor. She is also an intern in the Nichols Office of Marketing and Communications.