LUC student Jennifer Pfister on Deconstructing Generation Z
Social entrepreneur, Co-Founder of 'Women in Innovation and Leadership' and LUC student. In a recent article published by German news outlet 'Bento' third year student in Governance, Economics and Development Jennifer Pfister spoke about her role as a social entrepreneur and student at LUC.
Deconstructing Generation Z
Pfister has an outstanding academic record and a CV that places her among the outliers of exceptional students, not only within her university but among her generation. Her social engagement with highly politicised issues and role as self-made social entrepreneur has enabled her to pursue her ambitions across the atlantic for a semester at the University of Berkeley California, but where does Pfister lie when it comes to Generation Z?
The aim of dividing generations is to examine the behavioural traits that differentiate one generation from one another, Jennifer Pfsister however has shown that labels and stereotypes are limited in their extension. In her recent interview with ‘Bento’ Pfister commented on her view regarding generation Z. Pfister’s entrepreneurial style of thinking is a typical feature of her generation however aside from Pfister’s mindset her salient commitment towards achieving her ambitions is what pushes her ahead. Pfisters ambitions are to become a changemaker and have a positive impact on society. In 2018 she was selected by Leiden University to attend the ‘One Young World Summit’ which gave her access to one of the largest networks of young change makers in the world.
Jennifer Pfister
“Looking around me, and at my friends I do not think I am an outlier. Most people I know at LUC actively engage in extracurricular activities, work extremely hard and pursue their ambitions. Sometimes I have the feeling we tend to be too ambitious. I think that everyone has to define the meaning of 'success' for themselves. For me it is about being of value to my community & society and constant learning. The most important thing I realized in the past 2 years is that it is all about mindset and courage. Adapting a growth mindset, not believing in failure and taking risks helped me achieve some of my ambitions. I constantly try to remember Maya Angelou's words: "courage is the most important of all virtues because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently".”
Social Entrepeneurship
Pfisters engagement with projects have been deeply influenced by her own experiences. Her time as a teacher in Lebanon and role as a female student and entrepreneur laid the foundation for her drive to help others. In 2018 Pfister helped found a network to build bridges between students and professionals 'Women in Innovation and Leadership'. Since its foundation the network has expanded rapidly and now consists of over seventy-five members. Pfisters ability to bring her ideas into action has been pivital in her accomplishments thus far and her success in building support for her projects is a testament to her leadership skills. Her upcomming projects include building an online platform to connect organisations globally in order to further access to learning resources.
The future is bright for Pfister but the challenge will be navigating a world and translating ideals into action to engineer social solutions that will create lasting change.
Read the full article with Bento ( German only ) 'Faul und verwöhnt? Was Arbeitgeber an der Generation Z nicht verstehen' with Larissa Rehboch in 'bento' Magazine here.