Thanks to the Iowa State College of Business, women in grades eight-12 can take a closer look at their futures today.

The conference will be held to make them “more aware of their different career options,” said Mary Harms, adjunct instructor of marketing.

The conference, “Exploring Opportunities for Our Future,” will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

The women will be able to participate in hands-on workshops, take tours of the campus and have a chance to look at informational booths about learning teams, the honors program, career services and financial aid.

Barbara Valerious, principal of the Chicago High School of Agricultural Sciences, will present the keynote address entitled “Choices … the 90’s Decade.”

She was chosen because she has always encouraged women to be involved in the business field and can give a different perspective since she lives outside of Iowa, Harms said. She also has a tie to ISU because her son is a student here.

There will be about 25 speakers from Minnesota and central Iowa who will give 25-minute presentations throughout the morning in different locations. The seminar is divided into four segments and the speakers will present their material in no more than two segments.

When the women registered for the conference, they had a chance to pick which speakers they would like to listen to during the seminar. Harms said each student will be assigned to a speaker they didn’t pick so the student can become aware of a subject they aren’t as familiar with.

The women each had a registration fee of $10-14 to cover the expenses of their lunches and to receive a folder of business materials they can take with them at the end of the day.

Harm said one of the reasons she decided to coordinate the conference was because “my daughter is 15 years old and I realized there are many opportunities out there for her, and she needs to think about what direction to take.” She said she hopes to continue the conference for high school women every year.