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The Leeds School of Business is the 8th oldest business school in the nation. Founded in 1906, when Boulder was little more than a rugged outpost town in the wild Rockies, the school's founders were true visionaries. It is hard to understand what caused the University's original patrons to believe so strongly that Boulder would become an intellectual hub, but they saw it, they dreamed it, and they did it. 

Flash forward to 2016, 110 years later. Many changes, both on campus and off, make today's Boulder quite different than that of yesterday, but the important values remain. As President of the MBA Association, I hold the honor and privilege of representing this community. 

I work closely with the administration to represent student perspectives on key issues, ranging from curriculum policy to school leadership, which affords me the opportunity to get to know the incredible team that keeps the program running, behind the scenes and to little recognition.  
 

I work with an all-star team of student leaders, whose dedication to continually improving the program inspires me and drives me to do better every day. A few examples of what my team and I have already accomplished this year include: 

- Hosted the inaugural Buffs2Business, a graduate-only career event that connected alumni, community members, and current MBA and MS students 

- Piloted the Leeds Graduate Admissions Ambassadors Program (LGAAP) to solidify current students' contribution to the school's admissions recruitment process. 

- Launched a food-drive competition between the classes to benefit a local food pantry, donating over 1000 lbs of food

I am quite proud of my program. When I applied to graduate school, I had no intentions of running for class president. A mentor prodded me to consider it by asking, "How can you affect the most positive change, right now, where you are, with what you have?" I weighed the programs' opportunities for improvement with my experiences and skills and saw the potential for progress. I threw my hat in the ring and won the support of my class. 
 

While it's not uncommon for classmates to mention how busy my schedule is, there's a little secret. Sure, I am not one to say no to things, and yes, it can be hard to find group meeting times between interviewing potential applicants, planning Buffs2Business, and so on -- but I get so much out of each experience that serving as President occasionally feels self-serving and honestly, a bit selfish. I meet with leaders in the community and on campus. I've continued to develop my leadership skills, learning my weak spots and honing my strengths. I am able to see my contributions affecting my classmates in tangible and positive ways. Honestly, it's been an honor -- and a lot of fun.  
 

For any student considering their own legacy in the Leeds program, or others, I ask of you what my mentor asked me: "How can you affect the most positive change, right now, where you are, with what you have?" You might just be surprised at all that you can accomplish.