Meet the Team of Spring 2019
Rija Arif
President
Rija Arif is the President of Bauer Women Society this Fall semester. She was previously the Media Director, Finance Director, and Vice President. She is currently a senior, double majoring in Accounting and Management Information Systems. Wish her luck. She plans to end school with a hefty amount of unwanted debt. Her dream job would be to be an accountant or data analyst for Chanel, Hermès, or Christian Louboutin. Really, anything to pay off that debt would be great.
Rija is a frequent flyer. Some of her favorite places she has visited are Australia, Portland, and Paris. She loves to seek adventure in new places and learn cultures in different countries worldwide. She will also probably leave spontaneously for a trip and inform everyone a day before. She apologizes in advance.
Outside of school, Rija has a passion for all things beauty. She is a certified makeup artist and does freelance hair and makeup. Her biggest client to date has been the Houston-based rapper, Slim Thug. If you need your makeup done, she’s your girl. One of her main aspirations is to build her own makeup brand inclusive for all skin-tones, races, skin-types, etc. Rija has been an active member of Bauer Women Society since Fall 2016. She credits BWS for providing her with many opportunities and helping her through her first semester at the University of Houston. As a transfer student, she understands how stressful it can be in a new environment and wants to be there for any member who needs help.
Helen Aihevba
Vice President
Helen Aihevba is the Vice President for Bauer Women Society and has been a member of the greatest organization in Bauer since her freshman year at the University of Houston in Fall 2015, previously serving as the organization's Media Director and Logistics Manager.
​She is currently a Senior and decided, after much trial and error, to major in Marketing and go to law school after she graduates from the C.T. Bauer College of Business. She hopes to one day finish all her schooling with a degree in International Law.
​Helen loves to spend her time eating with friends, working out (which she knows is very contradictory), volunteering, and exploring/ traveling Houston and the world. She was born in The Netherlands, does not speak Dutch, and has visited over sixteen countries. She loves meeting and interacting with new people and is always open to trying new things, except roller coasters, escargot, and zoos, which are all no's for her.
Ginnessa Johnson
Finance Director
Ginnessa Johnson is the Finance Director for Bauer Women Society. She began her college experience at the University of Houston in Spring 2017 as a transfer student and is currently working on her Bachelor's degree in Finance and Human Resource Management. ​
Upon transferring to UH, Ginnessa explored different ways to give back to the community and make connections. She immediately found a home with BWS. As a member, she was thoroughly involved in BWS events and was later recognized for various awards, including the Most Active Member Certificate and the BWS Academic Award. She went on to serve as the Media Director in Spring 2018 and now hopes to continue the society’s efforts for diversity and inclusion, leadership development, and providing for the members and community. ​
In addition to her involvement with BWS, Ginnessa is also a troop leader for the Girl Scouts of the San Jacinto Council. She assists young girls with building the three C's: courage, confidence, and character. She currently enjoys discovering new karaoke restaurants to sing at in the Greater Houston area.
Obumneke Jiwuaku
Operations Director
Obumneke Jiwuaku is the Operations Director for the Bauer Women Society. She is a sophomore at the C.T. Bauer College of Business where she is pursuing an accounting degree. She has been an active member in BWS since Spring 2018. The organization has given her the courage to branch out of her comfort zone and network with others. She wants others to “not get comfortable” and to embrace new challenges in their lives.
In her free time, she enjoys listening to many genres of music, watching basketball games, eating, collecting t-shirts, and hanging out with friends. She loves helping and motivating others to reach their full capabilities.
Kate Banwell
Logistics Manager
Kate Banwell is the Logistics Manager for Bauer Women Society. She is a sophomore majoring in Management at the C.T. Bauer College of Business and has been an active member BWS since Spring 2017. She credits BWS for not only creating lasting connections within the Bauer College but also helping herself develop professionally.
Kate enjoys spending time with her family and friends, taking yoga and cycling classes, and snuggling her precious pup, Leo. Kate is a truly dedicated individual who commits herself to creating new traditions and making an impact within everything she does. She is very excited to meet all the new members for the fall semester and hopes to create a place where anyone is comfortable to be themselves.
"Buckle up, and know that it's going to be a tremendous amount of work, but embrace it." -Tory Burch
Sarah Taylor
Corporate Relations Director
Sarah Taylor is the Corporate Relations Director for Bauer Women Society. She is a junior at the C.T. Bauer College of Business. She plans to major in Supply Chain Management. She has been a member of BWS since Fall 2018.
In her free time, Sarah likes to cook, paint, and listen to music. Cooking while listening to music is the best combination ever. She is also a fan of reading, her favorite genres being historical fiction and fantasy. Sarah also has a very spoiled rescue dog (terrier mix) named Arwen. She demands constant snuggles and will force herself into your lap any chance she gets.
Sarah grew up in a military family. She is from Virginia but has also lived in California, Hawaii, and Okinawa, Japan. She graduated from high school in Honolulu and earned an Associate of Arts degree from Lonestar College-Montgomery before transferring to UH. Bauer Women Society made her transition a much easier, more enjoyable experience than it would have been if she did it alone. She wants to return the favor and help others going through this situation. People can reach out to her if they have questions or just need someone to talk to.
Aariellynn Viera
Member Relations Director
Aariellynn Viera is the Member Relations Director for Bauer Women Society and has been a member since fall 2018. She loves everything this organization stands for and is so grateful to be given the opportunity to be a part of what makes BWS the best it can be. This organization has helped her come out of her shell and be more confident in what she is capable of.
She is currently a sophomore in the C.T. Bauer College of Business majoring in accounting. She hopes to one day to become a CPA and have a master's in accounting. She is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Academic Success Program and Accounting Society.
When she is not working or at school, Aariellynn likes to spend her time hanging out with her friends, reading, dancing, going to yoga, taking different classes at the Rec Center, and trying new restaurants. Her favorite places in the whole world are Puerto Rico and Disney World. Her weaknesses include saying no to sweets and playing with cats.
Aariellynn is excited to make new memories and friends in BWS this semester!
Bhavna Kaparaju
Media Director
Bhavna Kaparaju is the Media Director for Bauer Women Society. She is a junior in the C.T. Bauer College of Business double majoring in Accounting and Management Information Systems. She is also getting an Internal Audit Certificate. Bhavna hopes to get her CIA and CPA certification and hopefully become a CFO or CIO one day. Ben Affleck's version of an accountant would be cool too. She has been an active member of BWS since Fall 2017.
When she has some free time, Bhavna likes to work out and watch Netflix. Her favorite movie genres are action, thriller, and fantasy. Bhavna also enjoys a wide variety of music as long as it is not country or hard metal. She also loves dogs very much and would do anything for any dog even if she has not met them yet.
Bhavna wants BWS members to grow professionally and personally. She also wants them to feel empowered. BWS helped her break out of her shell and make new friends and she wants to help others do the same.
Marium Murphy
Community Service Director
Marium Murphy is the Community Service Director for Bauer Women Society. She is a sophomore Finance major in the C.T. Bauer College of Business. She aspires to be a certified financial planner someday. She has been active in BWS since Fall 2018.
In her free time, Marium likes to watch Netflix. Her favorite shows are The Office and That 70's Show. She also enjoys baking and cooking in her spare time. Her favorite food is pho and Bahn Mi.
Marium likes volunteering and helping people out. She hopes that BWS members gain valuable experience in the volunteering events that BWS has.
Stephanie Segovia
Secretary
Stephanie Segovia is the Secretary of Bauer Women Society. She is a Junior double majoring in Accounting and Supply Chain Management. She transferred from Houston Community College where she completed her basics and decided to continue her college education at C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. Although this is her second semester at UH, she managed to become secretary after joining BWS in Fall 2018.
Apart from her BWS duties, she spends her free time visiting different cafes and boba places to experience the different flavors each place has to offer. If you need any recommendations on where to eat, she is the person to go to. She loves skating with her friends although she might not be very good at it. Lastly, she indulges in different genres of music which range from K-pop to hip-hop to EDM.
Stephanie’s goal for BWS is to create a motivating and fun atmosphere that encourages everyone to explore new business opportunities. She wants people to feel comfortable and motivated like her when she first joined BWS.