Were all of the black MBAs from your office noticeably absent last Wed-Fri? Thought you missed a memo? Not so much. Like me, they were probably in Atlanta for the National Black MBAA 33rd Annual Conference & Exposition. I attended the career fair with my company to recruit top talent for our MBA leadership program and for direct hire roles. While at the conference, I also seized the opportunity to connect with friends and faculty from my alma mater.
On Friday, I had the privilege of catching up with Professor Sherwood Frey. You may (or may not) recall: Professor Frey and his wife Marietta are the namesakes of the scholarship I received in my second year at Darden. The scholarship “was established not only to honor Professor Frey and his wife, Marietta, but also to provide financial support to students, who, as a result of the opportunities afforded them by their education at the Darden School, show promise and commitment to being role models for future generations of African-American leaders.”
After exchanging salutations and niceties with Professor Frey, what do you think was the VERY first thing he asked me?
“So what have you been busy doing in the community?”
#Fail.
It was a genuine (but pointed) question that pierced me to my core. I humbly acknowledged that I haven’t done much since graduation, that I’ve been (irrationally) pre-occupied w/my job, and that I’m currently working on striking a balance between work and anything non-work related—a task that is admittedly hard to do in a 24 x 7 industry. However, Professor Frey’s words convicted me to figure something out. Quickly.
Must. Do. Better.
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