While most college and graduate students headed home or to the beach when the fall semester ended this past December, 10 M.B.A. students from NSU’s Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship (HCBE) took off for a rural town in Colombia, called San Roque, Antioquia.
The group was on a mission, but not a religious one like some other college trips. Their goal was to perform community service in a unique way – by sharing their knowledge of business and entrepreneurship.
“Students led workshops with local residents on how to take an idea and create a successful business plan,” explained Albert Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of Finance and Economics, and faculty adviser for the Graduate Student Business Association (GSBA) “They taught from a manual that they developed and left behind for the future business owners to follow.”
“We were able to change the lives of so many people and represent NSU internationally,” said Bridget Guerrero, student coordinator of the trip and GSBA president. “It’s the greatest satisfaction that any student leader could have.”
“I was so proud of our team, their acts of kindness and devotion to the San Roque students made this experience unforgettable,” explained Guerrero. “NSU’s Core Values were demonstrated in each and every one of us. Today we are fortunate to continue mentoring and supporting these students as they carry on the work we started during our visit.”
The other nine NSU students on the trip included: Angela Maria Nunez Mejia, Immacula Carpentier, Jacqueline Benigni, Juan G. Velez-Cock, Marie Ang, Michelle Nadine Wilson, Norwing Rivas and Victoria Braverman. Greissy Amorocho, accounts manager, Student Affairs & College of Undergraduate Studies, also accompanied the group.
During the two-day workshop, 70 San Roque teenagers and adults listened attentively as the HCBE grad students provided step-by-step lessons to help them with a business idea to solve a problem in their farming community. Twelve groups were formed and developed business plans that incorporated sustainability of the natural resources in the community with a focus on eco/agri tourism.
According to Williams, “The villagers created names and mission statements for their companies and determined management requirements. They estimated revenues, expenses, profits and the cost of financing. One group even created a PowerPoint presentation and did projections in Excel.”
The San Roque “students” created marketing plans, developed logos and, of course, included the 4Ps of marketing (price, product, promotion and place) – a core learning objective in HCBE’s curriculum. The M.B.A. students coached them through the process, providing guidance and presentation tips along the way.
“The workshop made me proud to be a NSU student because I saw that I can apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to help others,” said Jacqueline Benigni. “I also was proud that the Huizenga College supported me to grow as a person through a trip like this. There is no price tag for that!”
Williams agreed that the NSU students’ impact was impressive. “When the town residents presented their projects, we were amazed,” he said. “One group started with a prayer and then another group started by singing an original song, thanking us for sharing. There was even a group that brought samples of a local drink that they wanted to sell. There were children, teenagers and adults working together on the projects; they took the lessons in finance and ran with them.”
Benigni added, “During this trip, I realized that as long as you have prepared yourself with the right education, you have a duty to help someone else become aware of what they are capable of. We showed them that with hard work, guidance and the right motivation, the world becomes flat and anything is possible.”
Williams added that the town’s mayor even came out to make a presentation. “We definitely felt the love from the community,” he said. “Just as importantly, our students learned so much from the trip. This was an education that they will never forget!”
