Internship Fund: Success!

All I have to say is that my class is full of rockstars! For those who don't know, the Internship Fund raises money to help provide salaries for students going into nonprofit/public sector internships. This is one of the central components of the SOM community. SOM was the first school to have a program like this in 1979. This being the 30th anniversary, we had to have a really good time.

The Internship Fund raises money through various channels, but one key channel is through students. Last week was the student fundraising drive, Funds N' Games. Every day at lunch there were fun things to do that got people excited about the Fund. There was "Inside the Actor's Studio" with Dean Oster and Professor Swersey, Recess (games in the hallway), Twister in the Hall of Mirrors, and finally, there was Star Search, the talent show. We had a team of people ready to take pledges all the time, but also available to answer questions about the fund and receiving funding.

And guess what? We had the highest class participation in the history of the internship fund...and we raised the most money too. We raised over $22,000 in just 4 days. Everyone was good spirited and generous. Of course, there was a friendly cohort competition involved, but it IS business school!

This was a chance for classmates to show the respect they have for each other's career paths. It was an opportunity to commit to the diversity of backgrounds and interests that SOM cultivates. I feel lucky to be surrounded by people who believe in each other's futures.