I spent my first two years prior to Ivey in BMOS studying Human Resources. I learnt a lot about subjects like the science of effective teams and successful leaders and wanted to apply what I learnt outside of the classrooms. As a believer of learning through action, I ran my own window cleaning business, hired student employees, led an international Habitat for Humanity volunteer trip and competed in case competitions as part of the MOS Case Competition Team. By becoming extremely involved in the community as I could, I gained a breadth of experiences that shaped my interest towards social ventures.
Additional Information
Personal Definition of Sustainability
I view being sustainable as the capability to be self-sustaining in the long term. It is an all encompassing perspective that balances the needs of current and future stakeholders of the organization. A commitment to sustainability is adopting the ability to see beyond the norms by thinking and acting innovatively. Personally, I believe an important aspect of sustainability is the act of giving back to the community without necessarily expecting a financial return.
Sustainability-in-Action
Following Hurrican Katrina, I co-planned a week long international volunteering trip with Habitat for Humanity for 30 students. My group assisted in the local efforts to fix the damage from the natural disaster and offer assistance to families to become self-sustainable again. One of the reasons I believe in the Habitat for Humanity is because of their efforts not to just provide aid, but to encourage families to become self-sustaining. There is also a cyclical operation; the costs of houses of primarily subsidized through volunteers so the mortgage payments from the family help fund the building of another house.
This coming summer, I hope to travel to Ghana, Africa with Ivey as part of the Service Learning in Africa course. I believe in the tremendous value of this course, as it is the partnerships with African academic institutions and local students that will create economic growth. Beyond this course, I hope to find an internship in the non-profit sector or at a consumer packaged goods company. I hope to meet other like-minded individuals during the summer that also care passionately about the local and global communities.
