The "Women & Work" conference for college and university students is "a great opportunity for all students - first-year, sophomores, juniors, and seniors - to understand the value of their degrees [and] to understand how they might leverage them into careers inside and outside of their majors," said Joan Lucy, assistant director of Career Services at Sweet Briar College.

Organized annually by the Consortium of Virginia Women's Colleges and Universities, the one-day career development meeting will take place Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Dana Science Building of Hollins University near Roanoke.

Two Sweet Briar College alumnae, whose current careers expand the boundaries of their majors, will lead breakout sessions for students studying the natural and social sciences. Jae-Young Lee '99 studied sociology and now works in investment banking. Amy Leigh Campbell '97, a biology major, is now CEO of her own consulting firm and a published author.

"I am so grateful for the Sweet Briar education," Campbell said in a recent interview for the SBC Alumnae Magazine. "I learned to think, to write, and to speak persuasively. I easily double majored in biology and government, two very different disciplines. I didn't just attend four years of college - I was invited to immerse myself in a whole new world view, and I eagerly accepted."

Sessions for fine arts and humanities students will also be available. Students can register for the conference through their Career Development Center. Fees are $10 for consortium students and alumnae and $15 for other guests.

The Consortium of Virginia Women's Colleges and Universities includes Sweet Briar College, Hollins University, Mary Baldwin College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College.