Females from across Iowa congregated in the Gerdin Business Building on Monday for the Young Women In Business Conference.

The group was compiled of 71 females between 9th- and 12th-grade, and college students, who were in the minority.

In an attempt to garner more female attraction to the College of Business, the conference held many different sessions to show the variety the college has to offer.

“We noticed that the number of females was dropping recently and we’re nervous because it shouldn’t be male-dominated,” said Kayla Christensen, planning committee chairwoman and lecturer of accounting.

Although this was the first women’s conference of the year, it was not the first one of its kind.

“They ran it several years ago, but once the number of females began to increase, they stopped,” Christensen said.

The conference helped to tie up any loose ends that Crestwood High School senior Courtney Reinhart, 18, had.

“There’s a lot more to [business] than they teach you in high school,” Reinhart said.

She plans to double major in agricultural business and general business when she attends Iowa State next year.

“I had a good idea [of what the conference would be like], but I still learned a lot,” Reinhart said.

Multiple guest speakers attended different sessions in order to give the girls a better idea of what they could expect to encounter with a business major.

Ted Oberlander, senior manager of Clifton Gunderson LLP, worked with the attendees to show different aspects of accounting.

“I hope that they will just look at the variety of things you can do in accounting,” Oberlander said.

She also discussed the importance of teamwork and breaking down stereotypes.

“There’s so much you can do; it’s not all working behind the desk in accounting,” Oberlander said.

The conference was well received by those who attended and helped to narrow down which areas of business were appealing and which were not.

“Some things made me want to steer away from [business] because I’m bad at math,” said Sarah Fell, 17, senior at North High School. “But I’d be more interested in designing, marketing or helping to sell things.”

Jan Duffy, adjunct instructor of accounting, hoped students who attended would walk away with the knowledge of what they’d like to do in the future.

“[The conference] gives people an opportunity to explore,” Duffy said. “It provides a good opportunity for students to participate in business, gain leadership skills and ultimately find rewarding careers in business.”

There are other options to be found within the college besides general business and marketing.

“We’re hoping to educate them on the different opportunities we have to offer,” Christensen said. “We wanted them to start thinking about business, start thinking about what they want to do. Business kind of plays into everything.”