FOSTER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT DINNER
The Spotlight Dinner is an annual event aimed at celebrating the many accomplishments made by Foster School of Business community over the course of the academic year. The event consists of a formal dinner, keynote address, and awards ceremony planned by a select group of students on Undergraduate Business Council. My responsibilities included high-level strategy planning, delegation of work, overseeing the nomination process, selecting award winners, printing certificates, and having them framed.
This year, we presented upwards of 40 awards to students, faculty, and staff. It was great to show our appreciation to the Foster community and recognize some outstanding work. The event seemed to go off without a hitch, and with a great deal of support. We were able to secure donations from various business as well as generous alumni- without their help the event would not have been possible.
Although the actual event went smoothly, there were more than a few speed bumps during our months of planning. Specifically, I ran into trouble when ordering the award frames and working with our printing company for out certificates. Both endeavors initially failed: the first order of frames had quality defects and the printing company lost track of our order in its stocking room. Each of these situations was very frustrating, but every challenge was still a learning opportunity. With the frames, I pulled heavily on our team for help. A few key individuals aided in making time-sensitive decisions and helped our team get budget clearance for the new order. Additionally, finding a solution to our printing problem underscored the importance of people skills in accomplishing tasks. Dealing with the lost order required lots of communication and patience as well as sustained effort. I boldly asked the vendor for what UBC wanted, and had to haggle to get a refund. However, I tried to do this in the nicest and friendliest way possible, which actually helped speed the order through and meet the project deadline.
These experiences really echoed the concepts I have been learning in my management classes. As a manager you have to be willing to fearlessly lead a team. It takes trust to delegate work. Sometimes it would be simpler and faster to do a task yourself, but then an opportunity is missed to partner with someone and help them learn. Additionally, I experienced the constant need of management to be flexible, supportive, and defensive of their team. To do all of this, you have to be bought into the end goal and willing to put some skin in the game to get your team there.
I am very thankful to have been afforded the opportunity to serve on the Spotlight Dinner Planning Committee this year. Looking back I see how my efforts contributed to the overall success of the event and am proud of the work I did. Additionally, how my experiences have built upon my classwork and will be valuable in the future as I enter the workplace.
This year, we presented upwards of 40 awards to students, faculty, and staff. It was great to show our appreciation to the Foster community and recognize some outstanding work. The event seemed to go off without a hitch, and with a great deal of support. We were able to secure donations from various business as well as generous alumni- without their help the event would not have been possible.
Although the actual event went smoothly, there were more than a few speed bumps during our months of planning. Specifically, I ran into trouble when ordering the award frames and working with our printing company for out certificates. Both endeavors initially failed: the first order of frames had quality defects and the printing company lost track of our order in its stocking room. Each of these situations was very frustrating, but every challenge was still a learning opportunity. With the frames, I pulled heavily on our team for help. A few key individuals aided in making time-sensitive decisions and helped our team get budget clearance for the new order. Additionally, finding a solution to our printing problem underscored the importance of people skills in accomplishing tasks. Dealing with the lost order required lots of communication and patience as well as sustained effort. I boldly asked the vendor for what UBC wanted, and had to haggle to get a refund. However, I tried to do this in the nicest and friendliest way possible, which actually helped speed the order through and meet the project deadline.
These experiences really echoed the concepts I have been learning in my management classes. As a manager you have to be willing to fearlessly lead a team. It takes trust to delegate work. Sometimes it would be simpler and faster to do a task yourself, but then an opportunity is missed to partner with someone and help them learn. Additionally, I experienced the constant need of management to be flexible, supportive, and defensive of their team. To do all of this, you have to be bought into the end goal and willing to put some skin in the game to get your team there.
I am very thankful to have been afforded the opportunity to serve on the Spotlight Dinner Planning Committee this year. Looking back I see how my efforts contributed to the overall success of the event and am proud of the work I did. Additionally, how my experiences have built upon my classwork and will be valuable in the future as I enter the workplace.
Are Do Gooders Doing good?
Honors 232 D: "Are Do Gooders Doing Good" was an experiential learning class that partnered with the Carlson Center. In this service learning class I set out to examine my prior service experience to evaluate the effects, both positive and negative, and think about how these experiences played into society as I whole. This class challenged my motives, made me critically consider the byproducts of service, and the attitudes volunteers have towards the people they serve. Each week I worked a 3 hour shift at the University District Food Bank where my responsibilities were to greet customers, restock items, sort donations, help package food, and check the guests out.
I selected this engagement because I have participated in a wide variety of community service opportunities but had never even considered the possibility that I was doing anything but good. I find it really compelling to think otherwise: what if my motivations are selfish? Are their possible negative outcomes to the work that I am doing? Do these people really want my help? What might they say or think of me after I leave? This class did not make me stop serving, but through thinking and discussing these tough questions, it made me a better volunteer.
I selected this engagement because I have participated in a wide variety of community service opportunities but had never even considered the possibility that I was doing anything but good. I find it really compelling to think otherwise: what if my motivations are selfish? Are their possible negative outcomes to the work that I am doing? Do these people really want my help? What might they say or think of me after I leave? This class did not make me stop serving, but through thinking and discussing these tough questions, it made me a better volunteer.
briauna_azer_final_presentation.pptx | |
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Final Reflection Paper | |
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Academic Synthesis Paper | |
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