Student Spotlight: Sarina & Brandon

For our student spotlight the semester, we thought it might be nice to highlight our two graduating GAs from this semester by asking them to share some reflections on their experiences with the Center for Social Value Creation. Congratulations Sarina Gerson and Brandon Prichard, and best of luck in all of your future endeavors!

Sarina

My decision to attend the Robert H. Smith School of Business was largely contingent upon my having the opportunity to work at the Center for Social Value Creation. I was a non-traditional MBA candidate with professional experience in public policy and government relations and a career interest in corporate responsibility. I believed that working at the Center would allow me to bridge my professional background with my MBA interests while enabling me to develop greater insight into trends in the field.

During my two years with the Center for Social Value Creation I’ve had the opportunity to write testimony in support of legislation that resulted in the signing of Maryland’s Benefit Corporation Legislation, a market based solution that allows investors and entrepreneurs to make money while also making a difference. I’ve researched local companies' CSR initiatives to identify key themes as well as ways that the University can be a part of the dialogue. I worked on the Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program, first as a participant, then as a coach, and most recently as the program manager.

Working at the Center for Social Value Creation has been a great complement to my MBA experience. I have received support for my individual pursuits, which included my term as the Smith Chapter’s Net Impact President and my internship in the Corporate Responsibility Department at Brown-Forman. I’ve had the privilege of hearing speakers who are at the leading edge of their field at events like the Social Enterprise Symposium, the Leadership for a Better World summit and ThoughtLeadership events. Finally, I have benefited from the knowledge and experience of my colleagues at the Center, my fellow G.A.s and the Center staff. I know my academic experience would have been incomplete had I not had the opportunity of working with Julie Lloyd, Guillermo Olivos and Melissa Carrier. Thanks for sharing your passion with me and for enriching my time at Smith.

Brandon

The Center for Social Value Creation provided a great, inclusive place for me to learn more about social value from a business perspective as well as to contribute to the growing, interested Smith community and beyond.

My graduate assistantship provided a broader exposure to my current thinking about social value. For example, just coming into the GA office and simply talking with similar-minded people enriched my definition of social value. Executive Director Melissa Carrier, Assistant Director Guillermo Olivos, the other GAs, students in the Social Venture Consulting Program, as well as others simply interested in learning more all share similar interests and experiences. The environment at CSVC is one of sharing and camaraderie, and it is plain fun. The exchange of interests, ideas, and contacts creates a valuable environment that builds relationships and personal insight. New parts of the social value space that I hadn’t heard or thought of before were frequently opened up for me by the natural spillover of quick hallway conversations rather than by in-depth or planned sessions.

Additionally, helping to arrange the 3rd annual Social Enterprise Symposium allowed me to engage with people and ideas that I might not have on my own. The Center gave me the encouragement and access to further explore my own interests and the interests of others. Specifically, I set up and led a panel discussion for this event. While you do not need to be a GA to set up a panel, I felt my involvement with the Center and deeper faith in its mission spurred me on to set up a panel discussing small and medium enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa – the role they play, sources of financing, how to get involved, and so on. The panel event was a huge success. Many people I had not met before expressed their sincere enjoyment. I also learned a lot and was energized by the panel and event as a whole.

The Center for Social Value Creation is a very active center; its institutional enthusiasm led by Melissa and Guillermo are infectious. I am glad to have been an implementer and recipient of its daily work and I highly encourage Smith MBAs interested in anything “profit plus” to seek a graduate assistant position with them.