Finding the intersection of business and social impact at Goizueta
Can I go to business school and make a positive impact on the world? Throughout the application process and while making the decision to enroll, that question seemed to loom over my head. I started my career as a 2013 Teach For America corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and that experience changed my trajectory. Although I was definitely interested in putting my undergrad business degree to use, I felt compelled to work for an organization whose mission aligned with mine and where I could see the tangible, positive impact of my daily work. Thinking I would be the only person with a nonprofit background, I began business school with a serious case of imposter syndrome. It was obvious to me that the skills I gained in my nonprofit experience made me a competitive candidate and that learning business is essential to the success of organizations in the social sector, but would it be obvious to others?
SE@G fellows celebrating Spring 2019 graduates at Refuge Coffee in Clarkston, GA, in April 2019.
When I joined Goizueta Business School in 2018, I was eager to take on leadership roles in organizations where I could enact positive change. I was very fortunate to find that place within Social Enterprise @ Goizueta (SE@G). SE@G is an action-oriented research center that combines academic research with fieldwork and student activities to make markets work for more people, in more places, in more ways. As an SE@G fellow, I have been able to surround myself with a cohort of peer leaders who share a deep interest in social enterprise as well as a commitment to the core focus areas of inequality and climate change. Fellows graduate from Goizueta and work in all sectors, but they tend to become leaders in the social impact space at some point in their personal or professional life.
In addition to SE@G, I am thrilled to serve as co-president of Net Impact, an SE@G-sponsored club that empowers a new generation of business students to drive social and environmental change throughout their careers. Coupled with the skills and network gained from SE@G, Goizueta’s curriculum is beneficial to anyone interested in pursuing a leadership role in the social sector, either professionally or through serving on a nonprofit board. I highly encourage anyone looking to merge business and social impact to get involved with SE@G and its sponsored clubs—because thanks to these organizations, I can confidently answer my question: Yes, I can go to business school and make a positive impact on the world.