Congratulations to Barbara Jordan, George Mitchell, and MASO Award Winners!

This past month, UBC and the Barbara Jordan-George Mitchell Leadership Awards Committee had the opportunity to recognize six students and two McCombs Affiliated Student Organizations for their outstanding leadership and service to McCombs.  These awards serve to highlight the incredible things our students are doing through a huge variety of outlets both within McCombs and in the University at large.

George Mitchell Leadership Award Winners

The George Mitchell Leadership Award is given to underclassman students who have already demonstrated leadership through their involvement at McCombs and who have also shown a vision to make an even greater difference with the remainder of their time here.

Angela Morisette

Freshman

This year, Angela has already begun to make her mark on McCombs through her leadership in the University Securities Investment Team (USIT) and UBC.  She has served as USIT’s Advertising Chair as well as UBC’s Visit Chair and BBA Legacy Campaign co-chair and next year she will be serving as USIT’s Marketing Director.

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Peggy Wang 

Freshman

Peggy has set herself apart as a leader already through her work with FBA and UBC this year.  She organized FBA’s first ever underclassman case competition and, as Texas Revue chair, led UBC to the university-wide talent show for the first time in three years.  Next year, Peggy will be serving as FBA President and UBC Fall Case Competition Chair.

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Ezequiel Calderon

Sophomore

In his first two years at McCombs, Ezequiel has already made a powerful impact through his work with the GLBTQA Business Student Association.  This year he served as the president of GBSA and led the association to grow from being largely inactive to providing a welcoming, safe environment for over 30 members this year.  Next year, Ezequiel will be continuing his involvement in GBSA, Longhorn Singers, and will be studying abroad in the spring.

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  Fernanda Alvarez

Sophomore

Through her involvement as Faculty Relations Chair of UBC and through working as a Peer advisor in McCombs Career Services, Fer has made an impact on McCombs both in bridging the gap between students and faculty and in mentoring younger students and growing new leaders.  Next year she will be serving as a mentor in the TIP scholars program and will be a member of the UBC Executive Board as the Academics Director.

Barbara Jordan Leadership Award Winners

The Barbara Jordan Leadership Award is given to two graduating seniors who have been leaders, mentors, and role models during their time at McCombs and who have left a tangible legacy on the school and on individual students.  This year, McCombs students, faculty, and staff also had an opportunity to nominate seniors for this award so that deserving students could be recognized for the contributions they have made to this school.

Bhargav Srinivasan

During his time at McCombs, Bhargav has devoted himself to serving both the school and the University as a whole.  Last year he served as the Fiancial Director of UBC.  This year he was the Financial Director of the Senate of College Councils, the co-chair of the McCombs CTBAC, the chair of the new UBC Student Curriculum Review Committee, and a member of the UBC Audit Committee.    He has also served on a variety of committees including the President’s Student Advisory Council and started an organization in McCombs called Management Consulting Association.  Through all of his hard work, vision, and motivation in serving  UT, Bhargav has made very tangible changes which will benefit students for years to  come, but he has also made a lasting difference by acting as a mentor and role model for other students of what it means to serve others selflessly and passionately.

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    Michael Koetting

Michael has made a difference to McCombs through his service in UBC as an executive board member for two years, through his work as a Peer Mentor in the UPO, and, most significantly, through his commitment to investing in and mentoring younger students and developing the future leaders of McCombs.  Through his work as Internal Controls Director and Vice President of UBC, Michael has helped to build community within Council, but has also worked to build community among the different organizations of McCombs.  In his final year in the business school, Michael has served as co-chair of the new BBA Legacy Student Giving Campaign committee and has dedicated himself to literally leaving a legacy of increased student involvement and investment in the business school.  Finally, throughout his time at McCombs, whether it was as FBA President, UBC Exec member, or UPO Peer Advisor, Michael has always committed himself to mentoring younger students and giving of his wisdom and experience to help them grow as individuals and leaders.

McCombs Organization Award Winners

Most Improved Organization:

Freshman Business Association 

This year FBA made huge strides in developing as a professional organization and improving membership retention and involvement.  Through submitting the organization’s first corporate sponsorship packet and hosting the first-ever underclassman case competition, FBA’s members this year have been able to experience even greater professional and leadership development  than ever before.

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Most Outstanding Organization:

University Securities Investment Team

As a relatively new organization, USIT has shown itself to be an outstanding organization this year through incredible growth and through excellence in providing members with completely unique learning experiences. USIT stands out because of the vast number of opportunities that are provided for underclassmen to become involved in organization leadership, even during their first semesters at UT, and the fact that they provide all students a chance to learn about the world of finance in ways that would never be available to them otherwise.

New Committee Applications OPEN!

Applications for the committees below are due September 30th, 2011 at 11:59 PM.

Audit Committee

Constitutional Review Comittee

Wiki Team

2011-2012 Committees and Chairs NOW OPEN!

It’s time to get down to business, Council! Applications for committees and chairs are now open. All listed applications will CLOSE on SATURDAY NIGHT, September 17th, at 11:59 PM.

Administrative Assistant	Community Service Committee	Company Field Trip Committee	Corporate Relations Committee	Faculty Relations Committee
Fall Case Competition Committee	Financial Assistant	Publicity Committee	Traditions Committee	Technology Team
VIP Committee	Audit Chair	Constitutional Review Chair	IM Sports and Wellness Chair	MBA For a Day Chair
Public Relations Chair	Traditions Chair	VISIT Chair	Wiki Team Chair

Remember to contact previous chairs and committee members for more information about each position. Happy applying!

Congratulations to the 2011-2012 Elected Representatives!

and the 2011-2012 Elected Representatives are…

Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior
Anthony Chen	Khushboo Kamnani	Jenny Feng	Ian Beckcom
Sudip Das	Jay Thakkar	Stephen Friedberg	Shang Gao
Armaan Ismail	Seongeun Yoon	Rachel Rubin	Stephen Wendorf

Apply to UBC!

UBC At-Large and Elected Representative applications for the 2011-2012 academic year are now OPEN! Applications can be found at www.TexasBusinessCouncil.com and are due by 5:00pm on Tuesday, August 30th, 2011.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact UBC President Michael Daehne at daehne@utexas.edu.

My Favorite Thing About UBC: Global Support System

My Favorite Thing About UBC: Global Support System

-Cameron Clawson, 2011-2012 Internal Controls Director

 

UBC really connects you to the real world. Every major city (in the U.S. and overseas) has a Business Council alum who is always willing to show you the city, give you advice, or even counsel you about your career and personal life. There is an automatic feeling of trust and family simply from them knowing you were a part of this organization. The bonds you form are incredible and life-long. The people are absolutely amazing and will be there for you in more ways than you can imagine. Business Council prepares you for the real world where current and past members will support you through every step of your way.

My Favorite Thing About UBC: Mentorship

My Favorite Thing About UBC: Mentorship

-Leanna Swain, 2011-2012 Administrative Director

 

I think it is fair to say that most students that enter McCombs have pretty substantial hopes for achieving success both in and outside the classroom. You want that perfect GPA, that killer internship, and that job offer that guarantees you happiness and/or a pretty paycheck after graduation. Every student has the right to these dreams and the fruition of them as well. The cool thing about being at McCombs is that everyone is capable enough to do so if they have to tools to seize the right opportunities when they arise. It takes knowledge, courage, empathy, and an ability to connect with others in a way that makes you memorable. These assets are not those that many are born with in perfect condition, but rather it takes time, effort, and guidance to garner the perspective necessary to even know how to strengthen them for yourself. The Undergraduate Business Council in both its mission and structure is set up to create an environment for relationships and mentoring that can radically improve a student’s chance of making it as big as they imagined the first day they walked on campus. It is pretty easy recognize success and see a resume of what it took for someone to get there, but it takes selfless, committed upperclassmen to look at freshman and sophomores at an individual level and inspire and empower them.

There were three seniors my freshman year on UBC whose influence and example set me up to have a college career that includes a good GPA, case competition wins, leadership positions, lasting and giving relationships, four internships, and a job offer before my senior year even begins. I hate to imagine what wouldn’t be on that list if it hadn’t been for them.

The first was my amigo (the term we use for our internally assigned mentors). Thomas was a charismatic redhead with degrees in finance, business honors, and plan II and job offers from Goldman Sachs and McKinsey. His accomplishments beyond that went on for days. I wanted all of that. I can’t tell you today how he got those jobs or his study habits because all of those things I listed out to me became unremarkable in comparison to the choice he ended up making of becoming an officer in the Marine Corps. He chose his values and making a difference for his country over the six figure salaries he could have had in a heartbeat. The strength and courage of that decision have never left me. It’s easy to lose sight of what matters, but thanks to UBC and his example I have someone that I can always look up to whenever I’m in doubt. College and the brink of adulthood is the ideal time to discover and define your values. This task is not an easy and actually living by them through intentional decisions is even more difficult. Thomas didn’t let his values fall by the wayside, but rather he took the path that would fill his life with more purpose and personal accomplishment. Getting the chance to be so close to someone so strong gives me the courage to try and do the same in my personal and professional choices today.

My second most influential mentor was a banker named Hunter. He was and still very much is the perfect balance of spontaneity, hard work, and openness that makes people just fight to be around him. He could have filled all of his time with partying and hanging out with people much cooler than I was as a freshman. He understood how powerful his ability to impact young lives was through UBC thanks to his predecessors. I will never forgot, it was after a three hour UBC meeting and he had a test the next day. I didn’t know this and myself and another freshman got up the nerve to ask him to go grab coffee since he had mentioned that he might be doing some studying. That coffee trip turned into a two and a half hour conversation filled with stories that had this incredible mix of the fun I wanted my life to be filled with and amazing people that helped him find his own way through college. I loved every one of those stories. I love even more though that just because we were in an organization together meant that he didn’t even hesitate to make himself stay up all night studying just because we asked him for a little time. The example he set that night means that I know that it is always possible for me to sit down with any younger or older member that asks to make sure that I can share a few stories that have the chance of making some kind of impact like the one Hunter did.

The final senior I have to mention was Lauren, UBC’s reigning president and a complete rock star. We didn’t actually even get along that well which is somewhat funny to remember. I can’t even remember why. There is so much I remember about the way she led our organization and ran her own life that far overshadows any awkwardness I probably caused between us. She had this unbreakable strength of mind and sense of dedication that she never seemed to let drop. She didn’t seem to ever need to let up on the intensity because there was an opportunity out there for her to do something that was more productive for UBC, her classes, or most importantly, her friends. She proved that you can work hard constantly and through that have the world at your finger tips. You can keep fighting daily and it won’t make you weaker but so much stronger in every sense of your life. Her example wasn’t flawless but the fact that she never gave up fighting was almost inconceivable and still is a little today. Her steadfastness has given me the ability to keep raising my own bar of what I am capable of. Without that constant push for more, I don’t think I would be where I am today.

I know those stories were long and I wish that you could meet these people because this entry does not do them justice. The Undergraduate Business Council isn’t about just exposing you to successful people which many organizations have. Rather, there is this almost magical feedback loop of mentoring that is so ingrained into the culture that I don’t see it fading for as far ahead as I can see. People make a difference in young members lives because they probably have the same sense of gratefulness that turned this short note on mentoring to a full article without even realizing it. As I have in previous years but more so than ever before, I am absolutely itching to get our new members this year in order to commit my time and energy to making sure that I do what I can to clear them of inhibitions to allow for rocket ship style growth. I just hope I can live up to the UBC mentoring giants that have come before me.

My Favorite Thing About UBC: General Meetings

My Favorite Thing About UBC: General Meetings

-Connie Tao, 2011-2012 Academic Director

 

I love, love, love Business Council, every bit of it. One of the reasons is because of the weekly meetings. I’ve had friends ask me, “What? … Your meetings are 3 hours, what do you do for all that time?” Lots goes on. It’s the time for a weekly check in with friends and the time to get updated about McCombs/UT events and unite with the rest of Council to make things happen.

I met some of my closest friends though UBC, and I’m always glad to see them each week. During meeting, we sit in “UBC families” and usually the loving “parents” bring us food, delicious baked goods, or even piñatas. There is a different theme each week and we all have the option of dressing up. Some people get really creative with these, some previous themes were: Royal Wedding, Hipster, Halloween, and International.

Aside from having fun, we also get some serious business done during meetings. The Senate and Student Government reps present legislation, and then UBC gets to discuss, debate, and vote. During this time, people get to voice their concerns and I’m always impressed by the level of thought that people put into these discussions.

Meeting is also a great tool to find out about all the opportunities available at McCombs. Different org reps tell us about the events that their clubs are hosting. Sometimes we get to hear from Dean Gilligan or Dean Allert about the new initiatives that are taking place at McCombs. We get to find out about committee openings, exciting company field trips, volunteer opportunities, faculty presentations, student panels, game nights, corporate events, VIP speakers… the list could extend a couple more paragraphs.

Interested in what goes on during UBC general meetings? General meetings are open to the public, so join us on Wednesdays at 7:00pm in GSB 2.126!

-Connie

My Favorite Thing About UBC: VIP Speaker Series

My Favorite Thing About UBC: VIP Speaker Series

-Yuezhi Zhan, 2011-2012 Vice President

 

Dell, Pepsi, Proctor & Gamble, Xerox, Whole Foods, etc. These are companies who provide products that we use in everyday life. However, before I decided to attend McCombs, I had never EVER imagined meeting the CEOs of these companies in person. The VIP Distinguished Speakers Series is the official McCombs School of Business Lecture Series hosted by the Undergraduate Business Council. And during each speaker event, students can hear a C-level executive from businesses ranging from consumer products (above) to finance (Deloitte, BB&T, BP Capital Management, etc.) speak. Through an intimate discussion with Dean Gilligan, the executives share their personal philosophies and their individual stories to success. Students are also encouraged to ask questions directly to the executives after the discussion and in some cases, stay after and attend “meet and greet” sessions.

The VIP series has opened my eyes and made me realize the possibilities business students can achieve. Their personal stories also remind me the determination that is required to overcome hardships, and the sacrifices that need to be made to be where they are today. I will never forgot Indra Nooyi’s advice to focus on your current job and find your “core Horse power”, AG Lafley’s stress on the importance of maintaining a family life, T. Boone Pickens’ habit to exercise on the treadmill before beginning work every day, or Barry Salzberg’s humble beginnings as a paper boy. The VIP series allowed me to see these business leaders as real people and evaluate my personal values against theirs. Every opportunity to attend a session has truly been inspirational.

-UZ

My Favorite Thing About UBC: Real World Insight

My Favorite Thing About UBC: Real World Insight

-Eugene Chou, 2011-2012 Technology Director

 

Being a part of Business Council gives you amazing opportunities to meet corporate leaders and our University’s innovative faculty. Sitting in Faculty Research Presentations gives you a glimpse of the cutting edge research being done at McCombs and helps put into perspective what your education is all about. Attending large seminar events like McCombs Executive Summit is a terrific experience to discuss the most pressing current issues in the business world with leading officers of some of the world’s most prestigious companies.

Being part of Council means you will often be behind the planning of these events, and the work you put into it will push you to think outside of the box to have engaging dialogues with the some of the brightest researchers and business people we have the privilege to meet. There’s always something to learn through UBC, whether it’s great career advice, a breakthrough concept, or just cool trivia. The amount of knowledge  you are exposed to through UBC makes you feel like you’re at a TED Talk everyday of your college career!

Best,

Eugene