What about the students?

Sometimes in life, we are so focused on a single goal that we lose sight of the “bigger picture.” As educators we often focus on research, enrollment numbers, and rankings. As alumni we may worry about our alma mater’s performance on the field or court.

While these are important matters that can have great impact on a school or university, we often forget to ask, “What about the students?”

To relate to students, I often put myself in their shoes and remember where I came from and what it took to get where I am today. Many students today are walking the same paths that you and I walked not so long ago.

And, one of my guiding principles lies in what for me is one of life’s greatest paradoxes. That to live powerfully, I must live with the humility and gratitude to accept that it took the hard work and dedication of those who raised, taught and supported us—as well as many generations before them—for us to have the opportunities that we have had in life. The gratitude for those who supported me financially, because without financial support I would not had been able to go to graduate school—literally.

Today’s students and their families understand the importance of education and the impact it can have on their lives. It is the responsibility of us, the educators, to deliver the knowledge and experiences that will carry our students down the path of excellence. And I urge our community, both business professionals and alumni, to embrace the responsibility to support future generations by ensuring they have opportunities to seize, whether it be in the form of scholarships, internships, jobs or mentoring.

I invite you to choose the responsibility to build a community that we are proud to pass on to future generations. It is up to us to create the next generation of leaders.

And our next generation includes students like those on the winning team of the School of Management’s Capstone Competition. Samantha L. Carter-Jackson is a 32-year old, wife, mother, former business owner, and undergraduate marketing major. Matt Kern is an IRS Systems Accountant by day and part-time accounting student by night. Chen Shen and Yijun Niu are both international exchange students as part of Mason’s China 1-2-1 program.

Let’s remember that each of our students travels a different path but they are all working toward similar goals. They are all seeking opportunity through education. And many of them can benefit from your support.

Let’s make it our responsibility to make a difference—to create opportunities for future generations.

Please make your contribution, today.