Standing out from the crowd. - Eller College of Management ...

FEATUREREACHINGOUTFinding time for community outreachand student leadership in the middle of abusy MBA curriculum can be tough Butit can be done. 2008 graduates LeeannChristensen and Courtney Martin wererecognized for the contributions theymade over and above academics at theannual MBA awards in May. Both havenow relocated to Portland, Ore., forpositions with Intel.Christensen, now a consolidationanalyst, received the Rogers Award inCommunity Service, established by firstMBA class alumnus Tom Rogers (MBA ’53)to recognize an MBA student whoexemplifies volunteerism.She came to the Eller MBA programfrom Expedia.com, which sponsoredcompany-wide volunteer days. “I alwaysthought it was a good way to stayinvolved in the community,” she says,“So when I moved to Tucson, I registeredwith VolunteerMatch.org and wasmatched with Aviva Children’s Servicesas a life book writer.”The project was fun but time-consuming,so once the MBA program gotunderway, Christensen developed timemanagement strategies so she couldcontinue to give back. “I decided thatsingle-day projects would be better,” shesays. “One of the first things I organizedat Eller was a volunteer day at SaguaroNational Park.” Christensen contacted thepark and set up a day for MBAs to clearbuffelgrass, a non-native brush species.“I found that I was able to do more whenthe semester was starting or windingdown,” she says. Christensen also coordinatedan adopt-a-family effort over theholiday break and gathered a team toparticipate in the Arthritis Foundation’sRun for the Cure, both through theMBA Student Association.The association also provided a jumping-offpoint for Courtney Martin’sengagement with the MBA community,for which she was awarded the Ray H.Johnson Award in Leadership, establishedby Johnson and colleagues atPricewaterhouseCoopers to recognizeindividuals whose personal and professionalleadership qualities have made asubstantial difference at the College.“The Eller course load can beextremely demanding at times, so it wasoften difficult to balance courseworkwith extracurricular activities,” Martinsays. “But it was a priority for me,because it enhanced my overall experiencein the program.” While at Eller,Martin was an active participant in theUA Peace Corps Fellows Program, andworked with community organizationsincluding Catholic Relief Services andHouse of Neighborly Service.Martin also completed the McGuireEntrepreneurship Program, in whichshe and her team created a venturearound the concept of urban agriculture.“As a team I feel we met thischallenge with enthusiasm and creativityto fully articulate how our conceptcan enhance offerings in the marketplace,”she says. “At the same time, wewere able to address concerns aboutresource conservation,” she says.“Within my class, there were so manystudents who really went above andbeyond in leadership roles to create abetter learning, professional, and socialenvironment for everyone,” Martin continues.“I’m proud of the opportunity Ihad to work with such diverse studentsand develop personal and professionalrelationships with my colleagues.”Eller College photoLeeann ChristensenCourtney MartiniStock photo20 ELLER PROGRESS THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONAWWW.ELLER.ARIZONA.EDUFALL 2008 21