blog

Time to Come Home

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:55:15 EST

Today we left El Salvador, but not before checking out the beautiful black sand beaches of Playa Dorado! Thanks to the abundant hospitality of Rosa's aunt, Sylvia, we were able to spend a couple hours at her beach house before heading the airport. This was truly a great way to end our trip. Standing at least ankle deep in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, we all dreaded our imminent return to Babson and the 30+ degree that we would soon face.

Thank you El Salvador and Habitat for such a wonderful experience this week. It's been a life-changing experience for all of us. Thank you also to everyone who helped make this week possible.

Dream Team and Team Numero Uno

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:01:46 EST

Work Day #4

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:52:52 EST

Today was our last day on the work site. And guess what... we didn't have to dig any more ditches. Most of the morning was spent helping the masons lay the rebar in the ditches so that the foundation can be poured (after we leave, of course!). The self-proclaimed "Dream Team" challenged team "Numero Uno" to a cinder block moving contest... and lost handily! Lunch brought an end to the intra-Babson competition.

After lunch we cheered on 5 Babson players (and a potential Babson recruit) as they played on the international volunteer (IV) soccer team in the Habitat soccer tournament. Although the IV team lost in the first round, our very own Doug Griffin was the team's MVP --- way to go Doug!

Before leaving the work site, all the international volunteers were treated to some mouth-watering El Salvador specialities while being serenaded by a local band (Our own John Norton joined the band for a couple notes, but then, well,... was asked to sit down.... Good try, though, John!) We also heard an emotional testimonial from the first physically disabled Habitat homeowner in El Salvador; her house is currently under construction in our village!

We tried out a local restaurant, Quattro Estaciones (Four Seasons), for dinner tonight and we were pleasantly surprised to find such a chic restaurant in Santa Ana. The delicious meal combined with the true comraderie of the group made this a special way to end our time in Santa Ana. No need for Mao tonight!

Work Days 2 & 3

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 06:10:33 EST

On Tuesday, it was exceptionally hot but the teams pushed on continuing to make substantial progress on both duplexes. We continued to dig the trenches for the foundation which is strenuous and dirty work. At the end of the day when we have seen all that we have accomplished it is extremely gratifying. After lunch break which was chicken and rice, there was a soccer match between the English speakers vs. the Spanish speakers. I am proud to say that it was an impressive 1-0 victory for the English speaking side (Billy, Justin, and I played).

In the evening, after the workday was done and the long process of dirt removal was completed, some people ventured out to get ice cream at a nearby shop. For dinner we had hamburgers and fries here at the hotel. We concluded the night with a long game of Mau (An extremely humorous card game) on the roof terrace. Doug and Tiffany were recognized as the hardest workers of the day.

Wednesday, the "Dream Team" made groundbreaking progress on our foundation. We began to pour concrete mix in the numerous trenches that we dug and pound it until was flat. The other team led by Billy and Brian also made strong progress beginning the same process as the "Dream Team". It was very hot again today, but not as bad as Tuesday. Thankfully, we have had an endless supply of purified water provided by Habitat.

Just before lunchtime a hefty gentleman working on a different site passed out from the heat. We later found out that he had been stubborn all morning, refusing to drink water. A few members of our Babson team (Myself, Billy, Doug, John, Justin, and Dan) assisted in helping/carrying this man to a truck in which he was transported to the hospital. It was announced later, that as presumed, he was dehydrated and would be fine. Work continued on for the rest of the day.

John continues to impress the local women with his brute strength continuing to acquire a number of prospective wives. Justin, Dean Hanno, and Dan are also competing for the same prospects. For lunch we had beef, vegetables and rice which were accompanied by cool water (which was a treat). Rosa, Emily, Claire and Billy all have been extremely instrumental in their mastery of the Spanish language. Today, John and Billy were recognized for outstanding efforts throughout the course of the day. The night was concluded with a chicken dinner followed by dessert and another game of Mau on the roof. Overall, things have been going very well. People are having fun while being productive and interacting with other groups of people. By my count we burn 8000 calories a day, sweat 2 gallons of water, move 5 tons of dirt, help around 30 families, and have a great time doing it. Tomorrow, there should be less digging and more constructing followed by a parting fiesta and most likely some more card games.

Work Day #1 El Salvador

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:04:47 EST

We arrived in El Salvador on Saturday at about noon time. We were able to visit a lake at the base of a volcano on Sunday. Today was our first day arriving on the work site. This year, we are participating in a blitz build. There are about 200 volunteers each day working on about 50 houses.

Our first day was very successful at the build site. We split into two groups, and we cleared lots, dug out a tree stump (by hand), and began digging trenches for the foundation. John Norton was eyeing some girls from California who were wearing flip flops to the work site because they supposedly lost their luggage in transit. Dan Flaherty tried to reel the girls in before John could get to them, which resulted in more time flirting than working. We have a few people on the trip who are petrified of getting malaria, so we tell them everything they do will cause malaria. After digging out the stump, we discovered a snake which John managed to chop into pieces with the machete we were using on the work site. Dean Hanno's daughter Emily proved to be a true asset to the team today. She is fluent in Spanish and dug a trench with the help of Garrett Bates while speaking with some of the families' children. Brian Duggan managed to break the handle of 3 pick axes today. We told him to lay off the muscle milk this week. Billy Bregianos and Marlaina Symanski proved to be true workers on the build site today by working almost non stop. Overall, it was a great experience. We are all getting to know each other and pushing ourselves to work harder than we ever thought we could. We all look forward to another successful day on the work site tomorrow.

Hard Saying Goodbye

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:58:09 EST

Today, the members of this trip defied the gravitational limits placed before them...literally. We all went to the rain forest where we walked hundreds of feet in the air on an authentic Ghanaian canopy. We also went to a local crocodile pit just off of the beach.

The business plan competition was absolutely phenomenal this evening! The students from all the schools were well prepared and it showed. They spoke exceptionally well and displayed an advanced level of understanding and comprehension of entrepreneurship (I wonder why??).

We only have a few days left before we arrive back in the States and I don't want to leave. I would love to continue teaching the students at Takoradi High. It was hard saying goodbye to them, but I have a special woman waiting for me back home so I have to take a pass on staying.

1st Step Towards Closure

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:57:48 EST

This blog has been so difficult to write; so many emotions and events that it is hard to know where to start. Today was our last day teaching entrepreneurship in the high schools. Today could be seen as the first step towards closure as we chose who would represent the schools in the business plan competition.

This closure shocks me as it feels like it was just yesterday that we were in the Boston airport set to leave, yet so many things have happened since. I can assure you that education has never meant so much to me after this trip. Teaching high school kids with no technological resources, just a business plan book, is a challenge. Teaching entrepreneurship in five days is an even bigger challenge.

I have learned with the students about business plan writing. I have learned with them things about their culture. I have also learned how I and others react towards various situations which has definitely made me grow. Being here has been a blessing in every way and it's hard to believe that the time has come to start completing the trip and assuring that what we've learned will help us mark everything we do in life.

Other interesting facts:

3 of the girls have gotten marriage proposals on the trip from local Ghanaians
Nobody has malaria
Crazy, serious shopping has occurred helping the local economy

This Weekend's Big Game

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:48:24 EST

We're starting to wind down for the week. Thank god, as I'm exhausted! Yesterday was a long day. Today is our last day of teaching and we are heading off to some recreational things tomorrow and for the rest of the weekend. The first African Cup soccer game is on Sunday. Probably around the same time all of you back at home are cheering on the Patriots, we'll be having a Sunday viewing party with the Ghanaians as we watch the Africa Cup game on TV.

Fourth Day of Teaching

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 22:38:58 EST

Today was our fourth day of teaching in the schools and churches. Today's weather was a bit of a shock as we had to get used to the warm, humid weather again after the rain on Wednesday. Many of the Ghanaians wear long sleeve shirts and pants, even in this heat. For me, I am most affected by the heat in the middle of the day when we are teaching in the schools. Although, it is nice to enjoy temperatures in the 80s and 90s before we return to the winter weather in Massachusetts.

We have all been very impressed with the motivation and eagerness of our students. The high school students that my team is teaching all have great ideas and use everything we teach to develop a well-written business plan. They ask lots of questions of Monique, Matt and myself and are not afraid to present in front of the class. I look forward to our business plan competition on Saturday when one team from each of the 11 schools will present to us and hundreds of community members.

The motivation of the adults is best explained in a story that Aaron told during his reflection before dinner tonight. Earlier in the week, his Babson team was holding a business seminar with 70 adults in a local church. All of sudden, the power went out at the church and it was pitch black. Aaron said he could not even see his hand in front of his face. The group decided to continue the discussion in the dark, and they answered the questions one-by-one until the end of the seminar. It reinforced my thoughts that our entire group is accomplishing things that have a direct impact on this trip.

Personally, the trip has made me realize how much I have learned at Babson and how I can make such a huge, lasting difference in the lives of others. I strongly hope that groups of Babson students will have the opportunity to visit Ghana for many years to come.

Video from Ghana

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:54:04 EST

Twice a year, the undergraduate school staff get together to kickoff each semester with a 1/2 day meeting of knowledge sharing, team-building and professional development. Since I could not be there in person, I worked with a local film company earlier this week to put together a video thanking the entire staff for their tremendous efforts during this past year and updating them on our current trip. Within a 48 hour span, we were able to film and quickly edit the video in Sekondi, Ghana and have it aired at the meeting on campus in Wellesley, MA - a true accomplishment only possible in this great age of digital media and global citizenship.

While it's filming was intended for the undergraduate staff and some of the remarks are tailored towards them, I thought it would be great to also post it here. Much of the content will give you a complementary visual and audio understanding of our work here in Ghana that can partner with the great blogging done by our students during this past week. Thank you to each of you that participated and assisted in putting this together.

http://www.babson.edu/video/hanno/hannoGhana.html

Index Cards and Paste

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:41:45 EST

Hey!! I woke up so tired this morning. Luckily, funny memories from the night before gave me an energy boost. There was a power outage last night and I got stuck in the shower in complete darkness! After Monique rescued me (with a flashlight), we played a few games until bedtime. Breakfast was fulfilling as usual. Mrs. Andoh's cooking is sooooo good! There was a huge rainstorm this morning. It inspired a few of us to go for a jog outside.

When Aseem and I showed up to teach class today, quite a few of the students were absent because of the weather. We continued to teach them how to create their business plans and develop their ideas. We were so happy when we realized the students were retaining the information and applying our lessons to their business plans. We planned for a leadership activity at the end of class where students build a tower using only index cards and paste. They were so proactive in making a plan of action before building their towers. Seeing their excitement really inspired my team. The winning team received little prizes and we took pictures of each group standing next to their creations.

Back at the church, Victoria and I went outside to meet some more kids from the area. We were greeted by a little one in a double mask with a full wig and we couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to scare us. Free afternoons mean one of two things: venturing out to shop or napping. I've chosen the former most of my time here and today was no different. Our friend Clifford took us to Takoradi to buy more paintings, carvings and other cool things.

Later, we were greeted by a blackout for the second night in a row, but this time at our church consulting session. Right as we were getting ready to begin, everything went black. We still managed to answer a few questions while people in the audience pointed there flashlights at us. Then, the lights came back on and we did a great job.

I can't believe we're more than half way done with this trip. It's been amazing so far. I'm learning so much about myself and everyone here. Nailah sends a shout out. :) Good night!

A Day Full of Adventures

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:27:23 EST

We started off the day by waking up to Dean Hanno's Bob Marley music and zombie-walking to the showers. After opening the faucet, I realized there was no water. Dean Hanno taught me how to take a shower with the bucket.

Breakfast continued as planned with Mrs. Andoh's tasty omelets. At school, the students had already made groups and begun thinking of business ideas for the competition. For tomorrow, they are writing the first part of their business plans.

Back at the church after our work at the school, I interviewed a couple local businesses - Cobina, a local renowned painter, and the ice cream manufacturer across the street (a really good place to chill). A few of us met a seamstress in town named Regina who will be making us some custom clothing. Adventures didn't end there - it was time for us to go to churches where my group met with at least 100 adult attendees. It wasn't easy!

Back at our own church at the end of the day, the night ended with the electricity going out. Tomorrow, I'll be sent to a new school that just expressed interest in joining our competition.

Learning More Than Teaching

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:27:06 EST

On Monday, the group woke up with a myriad of excitement for our first real day of teaching and more than a little fatigue from the previous day. After a nice breakfast and send off from Dean Hanno, we divided into our groups and started off for our schools in Sekondi and Takoradi.

With a little reservation and humility, my group entered our school where we were quickly greeted by the headmaster. He was a friendly man who invited us into his office. We shared personal stories and engaged in political and religious discourse for more than an hour.

Following this meeting, we learned the school's schedule and were introduced to the classes. As we introduced ourselves to the students, our names were met by stifled chuckles and friendly faces. Since the students had exams, we promised to return the next day and went back to our church.

In the evening, we again divided into groups and left to teach business seminars for the adults. My group went to Takoradi, and after arriving we were surprisingly met by about 80 adults in the church. We were asked to lecture to them and we discussed basic business and idea generation to a sea of blank faces; only later realizing that we needed a translator for the predominantly non-english speaking audience.

After our lectures, we stayed for service where we danced, were prayed for and were warmly thanked by our future students, showing us their now famous Ghanian friendliness and hospitality. Coming all this way to teach, I am getting the impression that we are all learning more than we are teaching.

This Is All Worth It

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:33:50 EST

How do I put this experience into words?!

Today was probably the most rewarding so far. We went to church in the morning - such a magical experience! Dancing and singing galore! A few songs, "Amazing Grace" and "Shout to the King", were songs a few of us knew so we could even participate. Reverend Andoh spoke about prosperity - "To live prosperous is to live without luck", meaning to follow dreams and be/live wholly, wholesome and then you can be prosperous.

After church, a few of us ventured off to the old Dutch port next to the naval base down the street. For a few cedis, we got a guided tour - very enlightening. We spent the rest of the day with the children of the community, playing games and reading to them. More than 100 showed up at the church and they all really looked up to us. All in all, this experience means something different to each of us, but whatever that is - this is all worth it.

Patti says "Mom and Dad, I'm alive!" Kate says, "Me too!"

Mom and Dad, thank you so much for supporting this opportunity!! Have some rice ready for me when I get home. :)

Bus Trip & Arrival in Sekondi

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:58:20 EST

Today, we took a bus for five hours from Accra to Sekondi, where we will stay for the remainder of the trip. During the ride, we saw some amazing things! We came across the new stadium they built for the Africa Cup Games. Ghana is hosting the cup so it is a big deal for them.

The hotel rooms are comfortable. We have ceiling fans so each room is okay in terms of temperature. The only problem was a couple of creepy crawlers!

We walked around town to some mixed reactions. Most people waved and welcomed us; others were a little reserved and skeptical about us. Overall, children had the best attitude toward us and loved to take pictures.

We had great food from Reverend Andoh's wife and then broke into our groups to plan for the week ahead. We had to soak in a lot today and I can't wait for what's to come!

Sekondi

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:41:25 EST

The group has arrived at Sekondi! This is essentially our final destination as we spend the next 8 days here before returning to the capital city of Accra to travel back home. Look for a blog posting tomorrow from another one of our students!

Ashesi University

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:32:52 EST

After a traditional breakfast of eggs, bread, bean and local fruits, we went to meet and listen to local officials on the current state of Ghana. We were presented the subjects of history, law, banking and regulation at Ashesi University. One speaker apologized for the chilly weather. Though in fact, I would say the mid-80s to be very pleasant!

We learned that Ghana is a growing country, making major steps forward in the African economy, and views itself as a world player. After listening to the speakers today and having met many of the students, I believe this to be true. Our visit to Asheshi benefited our group and I hope we had a positive impact on them.

We returned to our hotel through the central city of Accra to allow us an up-close view of the center. The number of us and the limited time prevented our shopping and the adventurous group is returning this evening for more activities in the city.

Time to Relax and Recuperate in Accra

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 23:25:15 EST

We made it to Ghana safely! We are at our hotel in Accra and everyone is safe, sound and well-rested. Boy, do I have stories to tell you guys when I get back to the states! I am already missing everyone and I will do my best to have a great experience.

Everyone is doing just fine adjusting. The journey went incredibly smooth and we had no problems getting to the hotel. Being in an airport in Ghana at night is certainly a thrilling experience.

I have to keep this short so I hope you look forward to seeing my pictures when I get back. Aisha, Keisha, Anika, Kathleen - I love you a lot. Chad, I miss you as well and don't forget the pills.

Stay tuned for more updates from many of us!

On Our Way to Ghana

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:07:50 EST

Greetings from London's Heathrow Airport, the first stop on our trip to Ghana to work with the schools and businesses in the cities of Takoradi and Sekondi. As I look around, I see many of our group of 37 using the long layover to catch up on some overdue sleep. While it's early morning here, their bodies are still telling them that it is the middle of the night. Getting everyone on the plane from Boston with their personal luggage and more than 30 boxes of books, clothing, supplies and computers went smoothly - thanks to our packing manager, Billy Bregianos. We did have six people who were surprised when they arrived to find out that they did not have tickets on our flight, but an impassioned call to our travel agent resulted in a quick miracle that kept our group all together.

There is nothing but enthusiasm in the air as everyone is looking forward to arriving in Ghana tonight and sharing our first experience together tomorrow at Ashesi University in the capital city of Accra. It seems like a fantastic group, with many new friendships already forming. I hope you'll check back here often for updates since I will try to have the students share with you their experiences by posting to this blog. Stay tuned!

Habitat for Humanity - Day 4

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 21:26:51 EST

As of today, one house is finished and the other house now has the walls up and the hole is starting to be completed. As a gift, we fixed the basketball backboards for the children and painted them. The waterfalls, aka cascadas, were gorgeous. I wished I lived near something as magnificent as that. The children love all the group´s members. Everyone takes time to play with them and learn spanish and they deeply appreciate that. They want us to stay another week and come back next year to their town.

Tomorrow the group is taking a tour of the cigar factory called Te Amo, visting another cascada, and hopefully going on a boat cruise to Monkey Island.

I am so looking forward to Saturday were we will have a big fiesta with the locals. They have promised me to dance Cumbia and I'm so exicted to learn.

This trip, thus far, has been such a great experience and I am enjoying every minute of it. Pictures to follow! Hasta Luego todos!

Habitat for Humanity Mexico = Day 3

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:19:03 EST

First day of work went well. We have two houses and each is in a different stage of construction.

The first house only needed a roof installed and a cement floor poured. After today, the roof was complete and a third of the floor was poured. 8 of us really raised the roof to get that done!

The other 8 dug deep by finishing the foundation on the 2nd house and starting to dig a 6 foot deep hole for the septic tank.

We ended the day with a soccer game with the community members and a quick trip into Catemaco -- a resort area 10 minutes from our work site.

Tomorrow its back to work and then off to see some waterfalls, including one featured in the movie Apocalypto.

Habitat for Humanity Mexico trip = Day 2

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:06:05 EST

We made it! After an additional delay last night at Logan, we arrived in Veracruz by 10 AM. After grabbing breakfast in Veracruz we made the final leg of our journey to San Andres Tuxtla. We did not start working today, but we were warmly recived on the work site by the Habitat and general community members.

The big surpise of the day ... we have 2 houses to work on! We are determined to finish at least one and hopefully both.

Habitat for Humanity Mexico trip = Day 1

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 08:31:51 EST

Well, we've hit a road bump early in the trip this year. Friday's snow storm, which battered most of the Northeast (including our layover city of Detroit), closed Boston's Logan airport late in the afternoon. Not long after, our 6 AM flight to Detroit on Saturday was cancelled. So for a brief period we were without a way of getting to Mexico. Persistence paid off and we found flights that fit our schedule. By 11 PM Friday night we're back on track!

It's now Sunday morning. We are still at Babson but will head to the aiport at 3 PM. We have a flight direct to Mexico City at 7:55 PM tonight and then from Mexico City to Veracruz at 8:30 AM tomorrow morning.

We should be on the work site by early afternoon on Monday.

Global Citizenship & Outreach

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:42:05 EST

In a recent podcast with Rev. Dr. Tom Sullivan, Director of at Babson College and John Mecham, MBA Class of 2007 and President of the (BGOE), we discussed two unique experiences the three of us were able to enjoy during this past January. Both examples exhibit students helping others by putting classroom experience, shared knowledge and business concepts into practice. While allowing the students to also learn about different cultures, the trips to Uganda and Ghana are great examples of what I believe it means to be a global citizen.

Student Entrepreneurs

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:31:51 EST

Five businesses established by Babson students and alumni were among the 25 businesses featured in November by Businessweek Online in their Top 25 under 25. The businesses are among those selected by BW in its second annual search for the best entrepreneurs under 25-years-of-age.

Current students Matt Lauzon '07 and Jason Reuben '07 were among the Top 5 winning businesses in the voting competition with their company, Paragon Lake.

SGA President Alvin Wade and I recently sat down with Matt and Jason to discuss amongst other things how they balance life as a college student while running a business.

Recent Podcasts

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:10:17 EST

Here are a couple links to two of my most recent podcasts...

John Hume, 1998 Nobel Peace Prize Winner - John briefly discussed what he considers the biggest revolution of the history of the world and why he thinks it is important for students to understand conflict resolution in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Student Government Executive Board - SGA President Alvin Wade and I sit down with the members of the executive board and discuss the variety of student ogranizations currently on campus and the diverse opportunities available for student engagement.

Peace Through Commerce

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 17:42:17 EST

An announcement occurred last week that was a small blip on the world news scene, but one that I think has important consequences for all of us. Muhammad Yunus, founding and current board member of Grameen Foundation, was selected to receive the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Yunus visited Babson in March 2005 to discuss his pioneering work in micro-lending and micro-credit. The choice of Yunus sends a strong signal about the importance of economic activity and institutions as a mechanism for bringing about peace. Arguably, a primary reason for the existence of business schools is to develop leaders of economic institutions and activity. Thus, this year's decision on the Nobel Peace Prize suggests that you have the ability to have a real and substantive impact on world peace.

As one reflects on how career choices might affect world peace, I suspect that you might find it hard to believe that you could have a significant impact as an investment advisor, an accountant, a production manager, or whatever profession you choose. Yunus is a shining example of how something that started off as a very small scale entrepreneurial and philanthropic activity (lending $27 to women starting their own businesses) turned into something with the ability to change society (22 million families have had their lives improved by Yunus and his partner organizations). I hazard to guess that you might be able to afford the $27 to lend to entrepreneurs in emerging economies, and I suspect that you would feel a great sense of accomplishment if that investment had the same impact as the one made by Yunus. Of course, finding the best way to invest your time or money to have this kind of impact is the challenge, but unlike many in the world you have the option of choosing to pursue that challenge. As you make decisions about how you allocate your human and capital resources, remember that even the small decisions you make have the potential to have great impact.

Think for a second about how the world of business is related to peace in the world. Some, but not all, of the strife in the world is driven by economic inequities. As noted by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in its statement on this year's Peace Prize, "Lasting peace can not be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty." Reducing poverty helps to create economic stability, bringing with it political and social stability. People working together in economic activity often find a way to get the job done even in cases where significant cultural and personal differences might exist. Once these differences are bridged, the understanding formed makes it is less likely that conflicts in other non-economic interactions will occur. Business is also intertwined with much of the fabric of society. Choices about such things as food consumption, use of natural resources, and infrastructure development have both business and societal impacts. And conflict between societies often occurs over issues such as these. It's clear that business can play a role in fostering peace.

You can make a difference in the world with the choices you make. You have power in the form of knowledge and opportunity and you can put it to use to affect society. When you make choices, reflect on the ways that they might impact your development into someone who promotes peace. Seek to broaden your understanding of society and strive to bridge the gap between those who you might perceive as different than you. These are important first steps to becoming a socially responsible and global person.

John Hume from Ireland won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his efforts to resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland and he will be on the Babson campus this Thursday, October 26. If it is not already on your schedule, I highly encourage you to attend his 4 p.m. presentation at the Glavin Chapel on the Babson College campus as he discusses his take on peace and commerce. It is open to the entire Babson community and public. Hopefully, I will see you there!

Seize the Networking Opportunities

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 15:56:06 EST

I hope that you were able to enjoy the fun and festivities of some recent Babson events - Back to Babson, Career Expo and Family Weekend. I was impressed with the wide variety of activities that took place, and even more impressed with the many positive opportunities that existed for interaction among students, faculty, staff, alumni and parents. The Undergraduate School staff had great fun with its pirate float in the Back to Babson parade, and as we marched along the route we gave away much of the loot we had pilfered from Roger Babson's ship. I hope you got some of this priceless treasure!

I was impressed with the quantity and variety of employers who attended this year's Career Expo - it is clear that employers want to hire Babson students and that the Center for Career Development is doing a fantastic job connecting with these employers. In fact, I know that there were several undergrads from other colleges in the area who came to our Expo rather than attend their own since we had a better slate of opportunities to offer. That's a huge compliment to the Babson students and our Career Development staff!

These are great examples of events that give the Babson community an opportunity to engage in an all important activity - networking. It's important to realize that the informal opportunities to network, like Back to Babson and Family Weekend, are probably just as important as the formal opportunities. I can tell you from my own personal experience that just about every career decision I have made has been influenced by some personal relationship or network that had developed totally independent of a job search or direct professional motive. You never know who you will meet (and when you will meet them) who might open new doors for you. And one thing is for sure: you will never have these doors opened if you don't take advantage of opportunities to meet people and network. I think it was Wayne Gretzky who said, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." This is certainly relevant to any conversation about networking.

Networking involves more than just being at an event. Networking means getting to know people, and, more importantly, them getting to know you. Sometimes this is not easy, and you have to be bold. What I would encourage everyone to do is at the next event you attend, introduce yourself to at least one new person you have not yet met. I know it may sound strange, but walk right up to them and say, "Hi! I'm (your name) and I'm pleased to meet you!" As someone new to the Babson campus myself, I can attest to the fact that their reaction will be a pleasant one since it is always nice to feel welcome. Tell them a little bit about yourself and find out something about them. Don't be shy! It's always great to meet new people, and before you know it you will have a new connection. You never know where this connection might lead.

Go to different events to meet new people, introduce yourself, figure out ways to have people get to know you. You should seize the many opportunities to make new connections that exist for you every day.

Welcome and Fall Update

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:02:10 EST

With my first blog entry as a member of the Babson Community, I wanted to provide you with some updates on the Undergraduate Program as well as my first impressions. Since podcasting has arrived at Babson, I thought this would be a great way to provide you with this information. In the accompanying podcast, I discuss with SGA President Alvin Wade '07 topics ranging from student life to rankings to career services to the incoming freshman class. Below are some detailed statistics on a few of the topics we covered. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I'd be interested to know what you would like to hear in future podcasts.

Rankings

U.S. News & World Report ranked Babson:

#1 undergraduate program in the U.S. for Entrepreneurship for the10th consecutive time
Improved from #26 to #23 in the Best Business Program category (#29 in 2004)

Black Enterprise magazine ranked Babson #23 among Top 50 colleges for African Americans; 1^st time included in ranking

Career Services

Career Expo - 95 corporations in attendance (up from 84 last year)
The number of companies and nonprofits interviewing on campus increased by 19%
There was close to 900 job postings for students; an in crease of 38%
Management Consulting Field Experience = 150 students on 34 projects with 31 companies and not-for-profit organizations

Incoming Class of 2010

Record number of applicants (3,438 - up 8% from 2005) and, similar to last year, 37% were admitted
41% of all first-years are women
Students come from 28 states and 37 countries
21% of the students are international and 22% are domestic minorities