Fortune 52: Shelley Wojtkiewicz

Shelley Wojtkiewicz

Six years ago Shelley and Jeff Wojtkiewicz left Louisiana and moved to Mastic. They both work at Quantronix, a supplier of laser systems based in East Setauket. Shelly is their marketing manager and technical writer, Jeff is a laser scientist.

Starting a new life in another part of the country is never easy, especially when you don’t know anyone there. “I was having a hard time meeting people and connecting,” Shelley told me. Her mother-in-law suggested that she join the local chapter of the Junior League. “In the past it was something you needed to be sponsored for,” Shelley says, “but it’s not required now.”

Shelley signed up to attend the annual Junior League of Long Island Super Saturday recruitment event, and though rather shy, she went alone. “It was very difficult for me,” Shelley recalls. “But after I got there, I felt so welcome. I made a really good friend there, and that made it easy to get to know everyone else.”

The reserved young woman from Louisiana finally felt that she belonged on Long Island. She flourished as a member of the Junior League here (JLLI), and then took the next step by serving on their board. When an opening arose, Shelley was approached about becoming the chapter’s next president. “They recognized my passion for the Junior League,” Shelley says. “I never missed anything, a meeting or an event.” She was assured that her natural reticence wouldn’t be a detriment. It was her energy and her new ideas they were interested in. “I’m very quiet,” Shelley says, “but I was told it doesn’t matter − and they were right.” Shelley’s family back home gave their full support, knowing that they would be seeing less of their daughter. Being president is “a big commitment,” she says. “You have to have people behind you, but it’s worth it.”

To read more, visit Fortune52.com