Her Story
About Ava
Ava Waterman manages a team to execute events at a private club. Her career path began in high school when she planned school events such as prom and realized her interest in event planning over a medical career. She pursued a degree in hospitality management at K-State, where she took specialized classes in event planning, executing events, and managing challenges. Since graduating college last May, she has been in her field for about a year and a few months and stepped into her current position at a young age. She is proud of her accomplishments thus far and notes that being young in her role has taught her a great deal while presenting opportunities for growth in the vast private club industry. Ava attributes her success to her mentors at work and professors who have shown her the importance of noticing small details and being a good leader. She values communication and collaboration, believing that anything can be accomplished when ideas are shared and everyone's input is considered.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ava
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'd say my mentors at my job, they've really just taught me a lot, made me, like, notice the small details and events, and, you know, I've had, like, professors and the people above me that have really taken the time to, like, show me what it means to be a good leader, and I really attribute a lot of my success to them.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to do everything you possibly can. You don't know what's, you know, what you're gonna love. And... You know, it's okay to try something and not like it, and then and you move on to something else. Also just to, like, be confident in yourself. You know, being, like, young in a woman can be inter... like. It's kind of scary going into the workplace. But, Honestly, you can do, like, anything, so...
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the biggest opportunity is just knowing how much I can grow with the time I have and, like, the position I am in now. ... one of the biggest challenges has been, like, being young in the job I am, but honestly, it's taught me so much... the private club industry is vast, and there's a lot of different places you can go with it, so... That's a super exciting opportunity
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I'd say definitely communication and collaboration is a big one for me. I think anything can be done, as long as you guys are talking about it, and... You know? I think everyone's ideas are valued, so it's super nice to collab with other people and see what ideas they have, why you think the way you do. Yeah, I'd say communication pulls off anything.
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