Entrepreneurship Educaiton
My interest in entrepreneurship education started with my own path in academia at Babson College. After only 1 semester at Babson, I became invigorated with the entrepreneurial spirit and decided to teach secondary students in Ghana, Rwanda, and Tanzania what I knew. I became more involved with Rwanda, where I interned with the Babson-Rwanda Entrepreneurship Center. In Rwanda, I saw that entrepreneurship education in secondary schools was having a positive effect on the country’s stability. I believe Rwanda’s model of introducing entrepreneurship to kids could be replicated in other countries. In order to prove that, I’ve designed a research project for my senior year to examine quantitative evidence of the relationship between secondary school entrepreneurship education and peace.
Travel
Before College, I had not been East of the Oregon border. Three years later, and with the help of my scholarship, I’ve been to 13 countries. Every time I go somewhere, I learn. I’d like to help more people find travel experiences that immerse them in learning. During my sophomore summer, I interviewed business owners from the travel industry and travelers to find out how to get more people traveling beyond their resort walls. The conclusion: people want to make stories when they travel. If I could help people create stories while traveling, they might be more likely to step outside their comfort zone. I’d love to open a travel business one day.
Sustainability
I grew up in Oregon, so sustainability is in my veins. Just as all people deserve respect, I believe our environment does too. I am a proponent of building sustainable practices into daily life, making it easy to be green. I don’t believe that extreme lifestyle changes are needed, just positive habit changes and simple choices when it comes to priorities. I’ve worked for the Sustainability Office at Babson College for two years and I’ve learned that students want to be green, but they need a little nudging. As the education coordinator for the sustainability club at Babson, I tried to provide that nudging. We showed documentaries and brought speakers, we held events with green vendors and food choices, and we worked with teachers to get sustainability into the curriculum. My project for next year? Babson doesn’t have a bike share program, and I’m going to make it happen.
The Outdoors
Who doesn’t love the outdoors? I like anything to do with being outside, from summer barbeques to climbing a peak. I kayak, snorkel, rock climb, swim, camp, run, backpack, hike, and use any other excuse I can to get out into the woods. This summer, I’m backpacking in Yosemite and doing part of the Pacific Crest Trail. I’m also getting open water certification for scuba diving. Hopefully, I’ll be able to dive in another country soon!
Impactful Business
I know, I know, this is an extremely vague term. Impactful businesses are those that do more than sell. They create a positive change, whether that be environmental or social. The triple bottom line is a proven business model. Just look to companies like Patagonia and Ben and Jerry’s for proof. I’ve learned a lot about impactful businesses at Babson, but even more from working at Social Venture Network in San Francisco, which is an organization that brings the leaders of impactful businesses together. Consumers are changing, are demanding transparency and holistic practices. Businesses that fail to respond will be left behind.
Miscellaneous
My interests change all the time. I’m one of those people who can get absorbed in just about anything unique or unusual. However, I do have some other ongoing interests that probably won’t ever change. Soccer, cooking, and concerts top the list. More obscure ones include kombucha, Jack Kerouac manuscripts, and welsh corgis. The list is always growing...
Follow Me:
If you'd like to talk or ask a question, I'm all ears!