How 3 Unstoppable Women Pushed Through Boundaries in Male-Dominated Industries

Written by Alexandra Lourenço, 15-years-old

Nothing could hold these women back from their tremendous achievements. Ana Esteves, Melissa Schoennagel, and Vandana Balachandar share valuable advice and personal experiences that contributed to their success.

Municipal Judge Ana Esteves attended Rutgers University and New York Law School. Growing up she was surrounded by resilient women who greatly impacted her life.

“My mom was a strong female role model because of her strong work ethic and organizational skills. My grandmother was a huge role model because of her strength while raising 6 children alone,” Ms. Esteves said.

Despite advancements made in the Judicial system Ms. Esteves has still felt affected by gender stereotypes. This stemmed from her upbringing and professional life. 

“I felt that being a ‘woman’ meant being a good wife, mother, and housekeeper,” Ms. Esteves said. “I was never directly affected negatively, although I did feel out of place at times, especially when the room was mostly men who associated together outside the courtroom.”

Her advice…you can’t control how people treat you; only how you respond to them.

Melissa Schoennagel is the Business COO for European Credit for Apollo Global Management. She attended Dartmouth College and New York University Stern School of Business.
Mrs. Schoennagel’s main female role model was her mother who cared for her and her two sisters while running a business. 

Although the finance field is mostly still male-dominated, an increasing number of women are pursuing the industry, and more importantly, women are progressing into more senior positions.

“I’ve always found it inspiring to see women in a senior role when I walk into a meeting… I hope I can also be a source of inspiration to young women,” Mrs. Schoennagle said.
Finance is a competitive field. There will always be times when you’ll need to find ways to have an edge.

“When everyone is so talented you have to figure out what you bring to the table,” Mrs. Schoennagel said. “I’m never trying to outcompete anyone else, but I’m always focusing on my strengths.”

The advice she would offer women interested in pursuing male-dominated fields: always network yourself and maintain a good reputation.

“Always think about what you want your brand to be,” Mrs. Schoennagel said. “By focusing on that, the right people will mention your name in the right circles.”

Vandana Balachandar acquired her business degree at Boston College. She works for the owner of Leeds United, a Premier League soccer club, and helps the team with commercial business.

Her role model was her mother who raised three kids while studying to start a new career and her father was constantly at work.

She said in the sports industry there are many times when gender stereotypes do affect women in the field. For example, she noticed that female opinions are not as valued since many still believe men know more about sports. 
She also mentioned she has subconsciously conformed to gender stereotypes before.

“I was in a meeting…the only female in the room. I asked if anybody wanted coffee, so I made coffee for the people in the room,” Ms. Balachandar said. “My boss who is a male turned to me and said, ‘Thank you for doing that but you realize you’re just perpetuating the stereotype that women are the ones who make the coffee.’”

Her advice for girls interested in male-dominated industries is: to make good impressions and have faith in themselves.

“Believe in yourself, have confidence and we can do what men can do. Never forget that,” said Ms. Balachandar.

About Alexandra Lourenço:

Alexandra is a freshman at Lyndhurst High School and part of the Wonder Girls chapter at her high school. A few things she loves to do include fencing, traveling, spending time with her friends, and attending games of her favorite sports teams.