Alumni leading to yes - Broad College of Business - Michigan State ...

When I came to this country in 1997,I didn’t speak English, I didn’t haveany money and I wasn’t even surewhat I wanted to do with my life.Furthermore, I didn’t look like anyoneelse — I am a Sikh and I wear a turban.But I knew I could play tennis, and mycoach encouraged me to play tennis forMichigan State.So I first began my studies in medicineat Michigan State. Then I went toengineering. When I changed majorsagain, I came to the Broad School:finance, then accounting and finally Imajored in marketing — I discoveredthat international business/marketingwas what I was looking for, it was me.And maybe that’s the most importantthing I learned at the Broad School: Ilearned who I am. As much as I wantedto fit in, as much as everyone wants to fitin, Michigan State and the Broad Schoolis a place where you are accepted forwho you are; you can be who you are.A push in the right directionPeople like Ernie Betts (assistant deanof Multicultural Business Programs)made me feel like I was a part of whatwas going on, that there was roomfor diversity. Alison Barber (formerlysenior associate dean, now associateprofessor of Management) probablydoesn’t even realize how big a role sheplayed in my career. At first, I was evena little scared of her. I would come toher with the craziest ideas. I wantedto do a study abroad program and Ineeded scholarship money to do it. Shewouldn’t tell me no, and she wouldn’ttell me what I should do, she would justshow me what the next step could be.That’s the kind of solid mentor studentsreally need. Someone who will guidethem.It seemed like everywhere I went at theBroad School, people wanted to helpme. The lesson was always yes. Yes,you really can fulfill your crazy dreams... yes, you can do things outside yourcomfort zone ... yes, you should believein yourself.Navneet Narula, the first ever recipient of the MSUAA’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award in 2007, serves aworldwide community through volunteering in disaster-stricken regions. Above, he is surrounded by orphanedand displaced children who were provided food, medical care and shelter following the Indian Ocean tsunami.A good model for that lesson was GilHarrell (professor of Marketing) — Ihave to say, that was probably the onecourse where I never missed a class. Heinspired us and taught us so much. Hecould have charged us extra for eachclass and we would have paid. He taughtus the 4 Ps of marketing — product,pricing, promotion, placement. Fromthat I have developed 4 Ps of my own,with one overarching P. I call it “4Ps ina pod.”11BROADBUSINESSwww.bus.msu.edu