Hoveida Farvardin hosted French Toast with the First Lady to empower Stevens women with an open forum on leadership.
After introducing and giving her background, Farvardin shared that she studied engineering in Iran and that she currently works at the World Bank in Washington D.C, and commutes between Washington D.C. and Hoboken every week. She also shared her passion for Stevens history and archives, relaying the work that she has put in to ensure the preservation of the university’s artifacts.
Following her introduction, students were invited to enjoy breakfast. Farvardin has taste-tested numerous French Toasts to decide which one to serve. The resulting French Toast used brioche bread.
After the guests enjoyed their meals, Farvardin opened a ‘Question and Answer session,’ where she addressed topics such as the transition from college to the real world, time management, and being a woman in the workplace.
In regards to entering the workforce and the real world, Farvardin understood the fear of going from the known structure of college to an ever-changing adult life. She said that the biggest question in this transition is “how do I apply the thinking I learned to the work that I do?” She recommended finding a mentor at work, as she did at her first job, and to always ask questions and admit when one does not know something.
In regards to time management and balancing one’s workload, Farvardin recommended that instead of taking on too many tasks, students should “let go of certain things that don’t energize them.” Farvardin encouraged students to focus their time on what they like: if someone tries to do too much, they can never truly get involved with the things that they are passionate about. To practice better time management, Farvardin suggested reading the book Getting Things Done.
When addressing being a woman in the workforce, Farvardin stated that she is aware that her male colleagues may not face the same challenges as women, as the business world was created by men. However, according to her, it is not their fault. Farvardin explained that “…for me, being a woman is a beautiful thing, and I don’t want to apologize for it or regret it.” When people get to work, they need to use their skills and intelligence to produce successful results, regardless of gender.
Hoveida Farvardin hopes that through French Toast with the First Lady she will be able to share her experiences with the students of Stevens and serve as an unbiased point of contact to help with personal, professional, and any other advice that is needed. She looks forward to students continuing to contact her after the event on March 24.
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