Student Spotlight: Daniela Catubig

Benjamin Noel
News Reporter
​
Daniela Catubig is a Marketing student, president of Gael Women in Business (GWIB), SEBA peer-advisor, active member of and soon-to-be SalesForce employee. In short, a superstar. Although she’s a senior now and getting ready to walk in May, Daniela wasn’t always as active around campus.

At age 17, Daniela wanted to go to school on the East Coast, far from her native San Francisco. However,after not getting into her dream school, her mom told her to give Saint Mary’s a shot, saying it will grow on her. Daniela didn’t believe her. During her first year, she didn’t join any clubs, but stayed in, focused on getting high grades, and was bitter about not being where she thought she needed to be. This all changed her sophomore year after a member of GWIB approached her at a club fair. “And the rest is history,” said Daniela. Her perspective changed and she got involved with several clubs, became a SEBA mentor, and now, will miss Saint Mary’s after graduating this May.

Daniela is most known around campus as president of GWIB. The club meets every other Monday to provide resources, tactics, and opportunities for members to grow and succeed in the workplace. While it is a fairly new club, founded in 2018, Daniela has worked to grow the club, organizing its first-ever Women's Mixer. This event consisted of female professors across the curriculums who discussed their own journeys and challenges, sharing advice for young female professionals. Daniela’s work for the club won’t end after she graduates. With 5 out of the 8 executive members of the club graduating this spring, the club created an internship program to train potential executive members to take over leadership of the club. Daniela plans to keep supporting the club even after joining the workforce by coming back to speak to the club and provide guidance to the next generation of GWIB. She believes keeping a strong network will create a positive change for women across the industry in which they face many challenges due to their gender. 

As a first first-generation college student, Daniela greatly values her parents' sacrifices to provide her with a quality education. Inspired by these sacrifices, Daniela seeks to set up those around her for success. She works with students to create 4-year plans and teaches fellow GWIB-ers the confidence needed to thrive in a male-dominated industry. Her mission is to pay it forward by inspiring younger generations to “recognize their worth and believe in themselves.” While her career is just taking off, she is already the epitome of success. She navigates unique obstacles she faces as a woman and person of color and dedicates time to lift up the women around her. Five years down the line, Daniela sees herself with an MBA, possibly in the process of opening her own business. More importantly, she intends to make an impact on her community; she received many resources, opportunities, and help from mentors that she hopes to pay this back by empowering those around her, creating a ripple effect of positive change.

Join GWIB on April 5th from 5-6:30 pm for their event, “Redefining Confidence” with Roxanne Christophe, CEO of Girls Crushing It for tips on boosting confidence and increasing self-worth!
Sign up on Handshake.