First UCFA retreat a success despite low attendance

10.31.2017 - Reporting and writing (Jour 2010)

 The University of Cincinnati Fashion Association (UCFA) held its first semi-annual retreat last Friday at Crossroads Church Uptown. Despite a lower attendance than organizers expected, spirits were high among attendees. The event, which featured a talk by headline speaker Dr. Jane Sojka, expected nearly 40-60 UC students. But the retreat had a final attendance of 20 people.

The less than impressive attendance was largely due to a scheduling mistake between the church and the club. “We were supposed to have [the retreat] on Saturday, but the church thought it was Friday, so we were forced to change the date,” UCFA Vice President Justin Klei explains. “Once we changed the date, we expected a much lower turnout.” According to Klei, this new expectation was because it may be hard for students to get a Friday afternoon off to the event.

In spite of low attendance, the retreat reached its goals of growing empowerment and building community through Dr. Sojka’s ‘Confidence Workshop’. “I am beyond glad I went!” Senior UCFA member Maggie Mochty says. “Professor Sojka was a phenomenal speaker, and I feel as if the smaller group size allowed her to be more engaging.” Sojka is a professor in UC’s Lindner College of Business and teaches pioneering classes such as Women in Sales -- a class solely dedicated to building the confidence of women in business. Although a majority of attendees were women, Sojka says her message on confidence can be applied to anyone. “if you do not have a seat at the table, you are probably on the menu.” Sojka said during the retreat.

At the end of it all, it was an impactful speaker with a message such as Dr. Sojka’s that saved the retreat. “I still consider it a success,” Klei says, “I truly believe those who did attend got a great experience out of it, and we will be able to take that back to the rest of the club.” 

Started in 2016, UCFA “aims to provide students with the knowledge, experience, and network to enter the various fields of the fashion industry as young professionals,” the organization's website says. “We work to strengthen and inspire all students with varying backgrounds through creative expression, skill-building, and a community-driven purpose.” Overall, the semi-annual retreat seems to be a great addition to the fast-growing club. Along with incorporating and improving the retreats, the organization plans to start its own job fair to connect UC students with opportunities in the fashion industry. “We have had some great success with events in the past, this was just a hiccup,” Klei says. “The next one will be bigger and better, but still with the same goal to empower and inspire!”