Now, one may be tempted to think that having a job lined up and only being registered for 3 classes is a situation that lends itself well to slacking, but I can assure you that that couldn't be farther from reality. Life is busy as ever as I try to wrap up my Simon career with a bang. This month, I'd like to share with you the latest developments regarding Simon's bid for the prestigious Team MBA Award.Team MBA is "a nationwide initiative in which friends of the MBA community gather together to perform community service and participate in charity events to promote the goodwill of the MBA." The program is administered by GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Council (the same people who administer the GMAT exams). Simon will typically engage in Team MBA-related volunteerism twice per academic year, once in the fall and once in the spring.
Last weekend, Simon maintained its tradition of Team MBA volunteerism by sending a group of students to participate in Rochester's Clean Sweep program. Clean Sweep is a city beautification initiative in which volunteers hit the streets of a city neighborhood to pick up debris, remove graffiti, and generally spruce up the place. Last year, the program was responsible for removing over 1500 tons of debris from the city's streets!
Meeting at Genessee Valley Park, the Simon team worked for several hours raking leaves, sweeping sidewalks, and collecting garbage from Cottage and Elba Streets in Rochester's 19th Ward. Terrence Liverpool (below, in orange), an MBA candidate in the class of 2008 and a good friend of mine, lead our team in this tremendously successful event. Look carefully and you'll see yours truly in back, under the tent. Also pictured from our team are (left to right) James Wright, Bridget Heinsler, Sarah McCue, Raghu Gupta, and Ramandeep Kukreja.
Events like these are always enjoyable, not only for the fact that we have an opportunity to spend time with each other out in the sunshine and fresh air, but also because it is through our participation in them that we help shape perceptions of the university. Being that Kaplan recently branded the University of Rochester one the nation's "New Ivies," it's easy for some to fall into the trap of thinking that Simon's culture is one of arrogance or residence in an "ivory tower." Those who spend time with us in activities such as these will tell you how much of a fallacy that is. In fact, Simon's participation in this community outreach event represents a microcosm of the univerity's efforts to reach out through direct investment in the 19th Ward (via initiatives like Riverview Apartments and participation in the Brooks Landing project).
Simon's participation in this event was preceedeed by it's fall event, in which it sent a 44-person team of students, faculty, staff, and friends to represent it in the Alzheimer's Association's Annual Memory Walk. If Clean Sweep was Terrence's pet project, the Memory Walk was mine. Simon's contribution was so strong that our team raised more money than any other team in the city (at roughly $7,125). To see an article from Simon Business magazine featuring our team, click on the picture at right. (depending on your browser, it may be best viewed at 75% zoom in IE). Teresa Galbier, CEO of the Rochester chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, wrote this of Simon's participation as part of her recommendation of Simon:
"The leadership of these young people for our cause is a true testament to their dedication to a world without Alzheimer's. With their energy and enthusiasm they will be establishing themselves in their own right as the leaders of tomorrow. They exemplify what it takes to make a difference and they are making that difference each and every day by supporting those who are affected by Alzheimer's disease. I am personally proud to call them my friends"!
When combined with Simon's participation in the annual Polar Bear Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics, the school has raised over $10,000 for charitable organizations in the last year. For a school of Simon's size, that's nothing short of incredible. If that isn't Team MBA Award material, I'd love to see what is... and even if it doesn't win us the award, I think it certainly demonstrates our gratitude and desire to give back to our community.
That's all for this edition, folks. If you participated in any of these events and have any particular memories you'd care to share, I'd love for you to add them. Until next time!
