Pursuing a Legacy

[Posted by Betsy Stiles, MS·MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management, Class of 2011]

I gave my last presentation of the school year on Tuesday, for our team project this semester. It was actually a really fun project, studying Palm, which has a lot going on right now. My team this semester was a fabulous, laid back but still hardworking group. It was really easy to work with them. That was probably helped by having a semester under our belts and learning great lessons from our teams in the first semester. (Or they might just be fabulous…) And, I think the presentation went reasonably well. Actually, all the presentations were really good, and it was neat to see how far our first year class has come in a year. A lot has been accomplished and it went by really fast. It is kind of surreal. There are still two exams and an individual paper left, but little by little the semester is coming to a close.

We are also starting to make plans for next year already and getting excited about the incoming class of students. The 2012 class is mostly formed. Conversations are already buzzing on Facebook, and get togethers for admitted students are being planned all over the world. It has been great to see many of the new faces at the Open Houses, and the enthusiasm everyone has. I think the first years will really bring a lot to the program, and boy have we got plans for them. With all the lessons we have learned this year, I think many of the soon to be second years are really interested in finding ways to help incoming students and make their business school experience even better.

While we are making plans for next year, the second years are in the midst of “disorientation,” wrapping up classes, participating in their last Thirsty Thursday, singing at the last kareoke night, nailing down jobs, and getting in the facetime they can with all of their friends. I have had a chance to see some of the activities for the outgoing second years this year, including a celebration luncheon where professors and staff reminded students of the amazing contributions they made to the program and one another. It will be a hard act to follow. The outgoing second years really left an inspiring legacy and they will be sorely missed. I remember the first couple of weeks I was at school, and all the advice and encouragement that the second years gave me. Their words and comraderie were really helpful.

And though there is hardly any time to think about it with finals coming up, but here and there are momentary thoughts, questions, and reflections on the year. “Halfway through…” “Have I done what I wanted to?” “What’s left?” “What do I want to make sure I still do?” “How can I leave a legacy too?” Hopefully, the summer will give some time to regroup and we will all hit the ground running in Fall. At any rate, we will give it our best shot. Thank-you to the outgoing second years for setting the bar so high. I’m sure we will appreciate the challenge.