The Globalization, Economics, & Business (GEB) Cohort's tour of the Federal Reserve

Thursday April 11, 2019, the members of The Globalization, Economics, and Business (GEB) cohort, had the chance to tour the Federal Reserve. Because these tours are open only to college students and researchers interested in the Federal Reserve, not to the general public, it was a wonderful opportunity for the women of GEB to experience a part of DC we may not have had access to without WLP.

The tour began highlighting the beautiful architecture of the building and the many works of art that scatter the walls of the Fed. I was blown away by the shear elegance of the interior and appreciative of the Fed’s commitment to supporting the arts.

The most impressive part of the tour, however, was the chance to explore the Board Room. This is the space where the Board of Governors holds their meetings. Pictured below you can see me sitting in Jerome Powell, the current Fed Chairman’s seat. This experience was awe-inspiring. To be in the room where some of the most important monetary policy decisions have been made was humbling. In a previous symposium, GEB watched the film “Too Big To Fail” that pictured a dramatization of the beginning of the 2008 recession. In the film, many of the most important scenes were shot in a replication of the room we were allowed to tour today.

I believe it is incredibly important for young women to experience the professional world in order to be more comfortable entering a field that has been historically male-dominated. Hearing about the impact of Janet Yellen, the first female Fed Chair, was incredibly impactful for me, as I often see very little representation of female economists. I appreciate so deeply that WLP allows us to explore the world of economics outside of the classroom and exposes us to the power of professional women.