TAMPA -- During Eryka Extejt鈥檚 time at the 91社区, she has had one guiding principle 鈥� empower women to change the way people view females in the business field.
Her efforts have brought many opportunities to the community of women around her and have allowed females to become one step closer to becoming 鈥渢he norm鈥� inside an office setting.
鈥淢y dream for the workplace would be one where female leadership is no longer a bold statement, but just an everyday reality,鈥� she said.
Extejt is the president of the USF Women in Business Society, a student organization that empowers women by providing them with insight into how to excel as a female in the business field.
Women in Business is the reason Extejt became a business major in the first place. Before pursuing business, she had been a political science major and was not 100% sure if it was the right fit. After attending her first Women in Business meeting, Extejt knew business would be a career path for her.
While the student group plays a huge role in her life, Extejt鈥檚 passion for female empowerment and success does not stop there.
She has been inspired by her former female bosses and mentors and she one day plans to operate a business where she would hire mainly women to run her team. She believes that 鈥渂y encouraging young women to use their voice and step into the positions of power they deserve, we create a future generation that will make this dream a reality.鈥�
Although Extejt has battled social anxiety in her past, she has never let it set her back. For many years, she dealt with feeling as though she was her own worst enemy. To overcome these obstacles, she has a list of things that help her be her best self 鈥� socially and academically.
Extejt tries to visualize and keep her goals in sight. She also believes it is important to stay involved and 鈥渢o put yourself out there,鈥� especially as a woman. Opportunities will pass you by if you don鈥檛 take the risk and it is "better to fail and know that you tried," she said.
A big part of Extejt鈥檚 personal and academic life includes 鈥渕anifesting鈥� and vision boards. This includes printing out visuals and sayings of anything you would like to see yourself accomplish in the future, whether it be the next few weeks, months, or years. While vision boards help her envision her goals for school and her future career, Extejt also uses them to picture future life goals and even things like traveling. She one day hopes to travel to places within Europe and Africa.
In the future, Extejt would like to not only inspire women in business and other professional fields but also actively help them succeed. This will bring her one step closer to her dream of seeing female business leaders and CEOs become the standard in society.
Before USF, Extejt lived an academically driven childhood where her focus was to excel in school. In high school, she graduated as an AP Scholar, an achievement that honors students who excelled on the College Board鈥檚 AP exams. After high school, she looked forward to the next step in her academic journey and was excited to see what new opportunities college would bring.
When Extejt was applying for college, she did not see herself in a college town. Having grown up in Englewood, 91社区, she felt she had already experienced what it was like to live in a small town. She said she was ready to spend her undergraduate years in a place that offered 鈥渞eal-life opportunities and experiences.鈥� After visiting Tampa and experiencing all that it has to offer, Extejt realized that USF was the perfect school to get that 鈥渞eal鈥� experience that she was seeking.
Extejt is a junior at USF and is confident she made the right decision to enroll at USF. She is set to graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 in marketing and finance in 2023. After graduation, she plans to get her real estate license and begin working as an agent.
Extejt said she is choosing real estate as a career for its growth potential. 鈥淩eal estate is one of the most exciting industries you could be entering right now,鈥� she said. 鈥淭ampa Bay was voted as Zillow鈥檚 top real estate market in the country last year.鈥�
During the remainder of her time at USF, Extejt will continue to be the President of Women in Business and will keep encouraging the women around her to aim high. Her academic success will not only ensure her legacy as a USF student but is also bound to lead her to great things.