Fisher Student associations drive the program
Change is the in air at Fisher! The fact that the weather has improved has everyone with an even greater bounce in their step as the summer begins to come upon us. The other change has been the fact that student associations who make up such a large part of the college have been in the annual process of changing the guard so to speak. The associations ranging from the Marketing MBA Association to the Real Estate Association have changed their officers with new presidents coming in ahead of the end of the school year as they aim to prepare for September and the new students coming in.
The associations are supported strongly by Fisher as the college sees them as a way for students to develop their leadership skills. It also fosters new friendships and creates an endless opportunity for networking and developing a professional and social net which will prove useful to students throughout their careers. The Latino association for instance attends NSHMBA in October of every year which the college helps to support as well as planning a range of events including bringing speakers and people who can offer advice on successful career paths.
A new association has peaked my interest, Innovation Fisher, within the last six months a solid core of students has come together to develop a conference ‘What IF’ which aims to bring in speakers who have produced innovative concepts which have worked in the real world and offer excellent insight into what a new idea needs to be taken to market. The process of setting up this conference has allowed me to make new contacts with prospective speakers while also helps to propel fishers cutting edge attitude to the forefront of regional and national companies which can only help future graduates!
Congratulations to all new presidents, treasurers, vice presidents and other positions to which students have been elected. The positions are a learning experience as you get a chance to show your leadership abilities within a safe environment, and also lead your chosen group to a successful year. The work may be at times awkward and time consuming but in the end your club will support you and help you get the job finished to give everyone an exciting and rewarding experience as part of Fisher college of Business.
The following are testimonials of some of the talented outgoing Fisher leadership:
Being part of the team that has led the Fisher Entrepreneurship Association and both founded and led Innovation Fisher has been my most meaningful experience as a Fisher student. Innovation Fisher in particular entailed building an organization from scratch, mapping out a growth strategy, recruiting talent, involving the community and executing on a vision, all vital components of really any area of business. The process has made me a better leader and I would encourage next year’s student organization leaders to not only develop themselves as leaders but also develop those around them. Fisher, more than most business schools, is about collaboration and mutual development. Student organization presidents can help that happen, strengthening members of next year’s graduate programs as well as Fisher itself.
I got to work very closely with a great team of my peers outside of my core so the experience allowed me to become close with and learn from classmates that I may otherwise have only known in a social setting. Managing peers and an organization like Fisher Board Fellows that has to take into account the interests of different stakeholders taught me a lot about mundane things like time management, and more significant things like what it means for folks when they can be a part of a mission they feel is worthwhile.
Fisher is on the up-and-up! This is in huge part due to the students we attract and their dedication to making Fisher a better place through their hard work. I’m always impressed by everything the student organizations accomplish considering all the constraints and my only advice would be to keep dreaming big!
- Mike Hrostoski (President of Fisher Graduate Student Association)
Being a president of a student organization is a great way to test your leadership ability in a safe environment. It is better to make some mistakes running a student organization, as opposed to making those same mistakes in the real world. Being involved in many of our student organizations has allowed me to really connect on a personal level to many of our classmates. It certainly adds some time to your already hectic schedule, but the benefits far outweigh the costs.
My recommendations for next year's leaders are to:
- Try to introduce yourself to all of the incoming first years. Make them a priority.
- Try and make one big change or put on one large event a quarter. The quarters are short, so set realistic goals for your organizations.
- Reach out to the international students. Make sure they have everything that they need to succeed.
- Work together with other student organizations to put on bigger and better events.
- Use SOURCE funding!!! The more we get from the OUAB, the more events we can put on for our students.
Thank you to our wonderful leaders for your legacy, we will work hard to continue improving the Fisher brand through service and leadership !