Welcome to the Marshall Net Impact chapter!
What a wild ride 2020 was. While it seems like we are on track for life to return to its old, in-person ways (thank goodness!), the revelations and reckonings that came with 2020 will not be fading from our minds any time soon. We now know it is our responsibility, the leaders of tomorrow, to rethink tradition, challenge the status-quo, and take action to create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive world.
As we embark on or continue our time at Marshall, I hope all current and future Marshall Net Impact (MNI) members will join me in looking at the 2021-2022 school year as an opportunity to be intentional in our education and leadership development; let's help one another grow into the business leaders that the world needs: ones that will guide organizations across sectors to meet this moment, to see that their success depends on racial justice, public health, economic, educational, & environmental equity, and environmentally sustainable practices.
Over the course of the next school year, I look forward to working with our board to build upon the following three pillars:
Networking and Community: For me, one of the most meaningful parts of MNI has been the incredible community I have gained. This year we will continue to develop MNI as a home for impact Graduate students by hosting events that bring us together in shared passion and interest, in addition to more 1-1 opportunities for mentorship between students across programs. We also aim to engage and connect students to alumni to ensure the Trojan network works just as hard for impact students as those with more traditional paths.
Professional and Career Development: MNI is a primary resource for Marshall Graduate students interested in impact. Our work this year will be geared toward creating opportunities for impact-minded students to better understand the varied space for career exploration, network with impact professionals across sectors and industries, gain a more effective storytelling skillset, and navigate the job search.
Influencing Marshall's Impact Offering: We continue to partner with Marshall to further the integration of impact curriculum and extracurricular activities into the Marshall experience. This work will not only support Trojan leaders broadly in becoming more impact-minded and aware of the social and environmental impact of their choices, but also provide further specialization for impact-focused students specifically. Our long-term vision is to help establish Marshall as one of the leading business schools for impact-focused Graduate students.
As the local affiliate of the national Net Impact organization, MNI exists to support mission-driven Marshall graduate students create a better world by levering business principles. USC is brimming with resources, no matter the career track you want to get into or the cause you care about.
Whether you are a looking for a career dedicated to social impact or aim to simply be an ethical and equitable leader for people and planet in your future place of work, there is a place for you within the MNI community.
The Marshall experience gives you time to explore how you will be a leader moving forward, and we hope you join us in finding ways to make sure we are all part of the solution, whichever lane we choose. Please reach out to me at any time to discuss your interest in Marshall Net Impact or how impact and your career can go hand-in-hand: m.robbins.2022@marshall.usc.edu.
Myself and the MNI board can't wait to meet you. Until then – fight on!
Madeline Robbins
President