Smith Hosts 15th Annual William D. Bradford Minority Awards Banquet

Over 100 Smith community members and employers attended the 15th Annual William D. Bradford Minority Awards Banquet on April 2, 2008 at the Samuel Riggs Alumni Center. Sponsored by the Black MBA Association and the Hispanic MBA Association, the event aims to celebrate excellence in the African American and Hispanic communities at Smith. Dr. William Bradford, a professor of finance at the University of Maryland from 1980 to 1994, initiated the first banquet in 1994.

Corporate sponsors Air Products, Constellation Energy Group, General Electric, Huron Consulting Group, and Kraft were on hand to celebrate outstanding contributions from Smith’s minority community. Dean Howard Frank welcomed attendees, reflecting on the banquet’s history and how far it has come.

“When I look at these two organizations and what they’ve done, this is what I want our school do to and look like,” Frank said. “I challenge you to make this a model for the school.”

Keynote speaker Eric-Vincent Guichard, managing director and chief investment officer for Gravitas Capital Advisors, LLC, shared his lessons learned concerning conviction, humility, learning by proxy and innovative thinking.

“When I look back at what I’ve learned from my experiences, a couple things come to mind,” he said. “One is conviction. It’s difficult to break way when it comes to entrepreneurship. It’s hard when you have all the evidence stacked against you and naysayers are everywhere.”

Guichard urged students to remain true to themselves, no matter what challenges they might face in their career. He said one of his personal principles is to always help others.

“I never hesitate to help that individual out,” he said. “You never know what that person will become.”

Denise Gonsalves, president of Smith’s Black MBA Association, said the banquet presents a unique chance for students to celebrate peers’ achievements.

“For me, it was an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and cultures of the Black and Latino students at Smith,” she said. “It showcases Smith's diversity and encourages businesses to participate.”

▓ Donna Lin, MBA Candidate 2009, Smith Media Group