Reflecting on my MBA experience
I wrote a speech for a Commencement Speaker Contest at Babson highlighting my perspective on my MBA experience. The winner earns the honor to address the graduating class during commencement.There were a slew of submissions and unfortunately my speech did not get chosen for the final round. My peers who were chosen are for the most part pretty interesting characters and I am looking forward to what they have to say. 6 students have been chosen to deliver their speech on April 30th, 2009 at Babson in front of an audience of their peers. The winner receives the honor of speaking at commencement. Good luck all - looking forward to it.
My speech is below:
Good Afternoon President Schlesinger, Faculty Members, Graduating Students, Families and Friends.
I am thankful to have been part of this Babson experience - thankful that I got a Valentine’s Day message from Bob Wagner in admissions welcoming me to this diverse, rich community - thankful for the first and last day of class – thankful, despite the dreadful state of the economy, for the perspective it has given me and how it has made me rethink my ideas both of entrepreneurship and personal fulfillment in life – and most of all thankful for the deep and meaningful friendships I have made within the extended Babson community. A friend once told me, at no other time will you have as many people working towards your success as you will during your time at Babson. So I am thankful - for all of the people (present or not) that have helped me understand through their own daily walks what it means to be a good person, a global citizen and an entrepreneur.
We have all been inundated with information over the course of our MBA – but there are two things that I want to highlight to all of you as we prepare to leave as MBA students and return as Alumni. I have heard these lessons both in class and through conversations with my peers, or at Roger’s Pub - discussing BCAP, group-work, club issues or career aspirations.
Rule #1 – Always be opportunity obsessed. That means we need to keep our eyes open – whether we are starting our own company or working for a larger organization – we need to operate in real time and be present and alert. Problems are opportunities to do something different. Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google recently said in a recent speech at Stanford University Graduate School of Business that “The economy and the situation that we’re in now will create phenomenal opportunities that are before each and every one of you. If you think about it, this is literally the best time to graduate in 50 years. Assets are cheap, and expectations are set realistically.” We live this here – its been made apparent to me by the work that this community has been engaged in through all the clubs, organizations and endeavors both on and off campus that are undertaken. We cannot predict the future, but we can be ready to act decisively. Babson has given me both the tools and the perspective to be able to deal with whatever may come my way. And I am thankful.
Rule #2 – It is all about the people. In retrospect, I realize that every single case discussion or business issue can be boiled down to how best to understand people and their needs, whether it’s customers or colleagues.
This community at Babson is only as good as its people , and in that we are extremely rich. Faculty, administrators and students are the most visible – however the people who make this institution run every day are the unsung heroes – the individuals whose daily actions keep the school moving, keep our bellies fed, our paths clean and clear – these are the people that allow us to engage in the types of discussions that foster our sense of Entrepreneurship. From the people at Pandini’s making food throughout the day – to the maintenance staff cleaning Olin when we are safely ensconced in our beds – to the public safety officers patrolling campus – to the IT folks who keep our network up and running and allow us to communicate whether right down the street or across state lines – to the GPSA and the administrators and staff who equip us with the tools that allow us to learn and to the countless others who help us daily yet act in the shadows. If Babson is the #1 School in Entrepreneurship, then it is because we have the #1 people working towards our common success. And I am thankful.
There is a lot of turmoil in the world today – but I believe in our creative imagination and our ability to turn problems into opportunities. I believe the world needs us to be authentic and transparent and show respect to the fellow human beings within our companies and communities. We have shown and lived it thus far in the confines of Babson’s campus. It is now time for us to go forth into the world and share our message of Entrepreneurship, Kindness and Humility.
Thank you, congratulations, and God bless you.
