Yale SOM Campaign Committee

How has SOM changed your life?  SOM (and Yale at large) has impacted me in several ways. First and foremost, the relationships forged while at Yale have, over the years, provided invaluable perspective as well as enduring friendships. From a more academic point of view, the school helped sharpen my ability to frame and solve problems from a holistic mindset. Creative thought, at the individual and group levels, was always encouraged. And finally, the University is a true champion of supporting an immersive experience pulling from the WHOLE of Yale not just from SOM.

Why does SOM deserve alumni support?  I don’t subscribe to the belief that institutions are ordained with some sort of unassailable right to support; rather, it needs to be earned! This “earning” of support needs to be proven day-in and day-out, year by year. SOM’s mission is clear and the school has been unwavering on that over the decades. For many of us, this lines up nicely with what we as alumni value in our lives. The (sad) reality is that most schools operate with significant financial constraints. Things such as student scholarships, faculty hiring, research, etc. are what keep us in the orbit of greatness. All of this takes money! Tuition revenue alone is not normally sufficient to cover the needs of an institution that desires to be preeminently positioned in its area of expertise. In turn, institutions asking for support should be run and managed in a way that is consistent with its mission and in furtherance of the collective will of its alumni. By my measure the school has delivered on this commitment!  I understand how personal this decision is and how competitive the landscape is for philanthropic donor money, but I encourage everyone to consider Yale/SOM in their list of priorities.    

What is your driving purpose?  I see my ”driving purpose” as having followed a somewhat normal human arc of development. In the years following graduation I was more oriented towards career stability/growth as well as establishing and nurturing my own family. My family focus continues today but now as I re-allocate time and effort away from traditional professional endeavors, I am able to place more emphasis elsewhere. Some of that focus has been at a localized level; helping people and organizations make a better life for themselves and a better society within which they operate. At all points along the arc, however, the character traits that Yale helped develop - of hard work, creativity and honesty – were always present as a driving purpose!  

How has SOM changed your life?  My experience at SOM had an enormous impact on the person I am today. My perspective on community, career, education, and purpose was shaped by the passionate classmates I had and the dedicated SOM professors. To live and learn in an environment with so many driven, committed, and inspirational classmates helped me thrive and push myself to find my own purpose. The students live out the mission - for business and society - and I've been able to do that through my professional experiences working in the corporate and non-profit sectors, as well as finding ways to support my community through volunteerism and active engagement. Whether I meet a current SOM student or a seasoned alum, I feel an immediate connection of camaraderie and mission.

Why does SOM deserve alumni support?  Alumni support is critical to the mission and operations of SOM. Increased scholarship funding is necessary in order for SOM to be competitive among applicants. We never want to lose a top candidate because of lack of scholarship availability. I know that when I was an SOM student, others before me were generous so that I could have the educational experience I had. It's important to pay it forward – to do for someone else what someone did for you. Alumni support is also an important signifier of the positive experience students had at their program. SOM has one of the highest levels of alumni giving among all business schools. This can be a vital statistic prospective students look at when evaluating a business school's alumni network strength and commitment to the school and future graduates.

What is your driving purpose?  Education, connection, and serving the greater good.

How has SOM changed your life?  SOM has great impact on my career path. I was considering a research profession before I came to Yale but studies at SOM led me to reconsider my choices. I eventually decided to pursue a finance career and started that path on the sell side. More importantly SOM changed my life by providing me with basic understanding of the business world and these important business principles learned at Yale are still applicable in my daily business life.

Why does SOM deserve alumni support?  Alumni supports are of critical importance to SOM. Such financial support has historically helped SOM to become a better place for teaching and research, and to provide better services to the faculty and student bodies. As an alum, I feel it’s a great honor to give back to SOM and very natural for anyone who has benefited from this amazing place.

What is your driving purpose?  I was a banker and then an entrepreneur and now an investor. My daily work is so meaningful as the fundings we provide could help the founders achieve their dream: to build a great company and to change the world. On the other hand, our hard work could generate great returns for our limited partners, who are mostly non-profit organizations and these returns will help them advance their respective pursuits to create a better world. On top of that, I get the opportunity to learn the most exciting technology development in the world and for people like myself who has deep curiosity, it’s a dream job.

How has SOM changed your life?  Without any reservation, I can confidently say that Yale SOM has provided me with the tools and network that have launched and sustained my career in the financial and asset management industry over the past three decades. The support and friendship of my classmates and SOM alums that I have received were invaluable.

Why does SOM deserve alumni support?  As alumni of Yale SOM, we have the privilege and responsibility to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders. Unlike other business schools, Yale SOM is unique in its mission of educating business leaders for society, and the fulfilment of this mission is even more critical in the world today. Hence, I would encourage all alumni to join in this wonderful opportunity to help the SOM educate future leaders.

What is your driving purpose?  I have always been touched and motivated by people who saw the world through the lens of serving others especially the less privileged. As Gandhi said, "the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members."

Paula J. Volent ’97 

How has SOM changed your life?  Attending SOM was a complete game changer for me. I came in as an art conservator with an idea that I would learn about business as a path to be a museum director. I came in as an artist and an art historian and ended up falling in love with finance and endowment management through serendipity: taking Ken French’s class; being taught by Roger Ibbotson and Sharon Oster. As many know, my beautiful daughter Vanessa was born after my first semester (somewhat of a surprise!) and I took a break and ended up working with David Swensen part time. All of these were game changers for me, and SOM was such a warm and accepting community for someone who had to inquire what a basis point was the first year.

Why does SOM deserve alumni support?  I am a first generation college student and made my way through my education journey on financial aid and loans. I hope that alumni can support the next generation of students who could perhaps never dream of attending a school such as SOM without some kind of financial support and could perhaps change the world for the better because of their journey through SOM and afterwards. Support also allows SOM to hire the best faculty and to stay on top of important issues in the global economy. (And to be rated highly among our peers, of course.)

What is your driving purpose?  My experiences at SOM and the Yale Investments Office hooked me on markets and the wide range of opportunities and challenges in global markets. So, my passion is about markets. Also, I am passionate about introducing young women to finance and mentoring young women as they enter the asset management industry and rise up to the C-suite.