BHP Freshmen Kick Off the School Year

Written by Ashley Alcantara

This past weekend the Business Honors Program freshman class attended the Leadership Kickoff at the John Newcombe Ranch. During their stay, students were given everything they need to make the most of their first year in the BHP. The beginning of college, albeit cheesy, is also the beginning of the rest of your life. Every college freshman is faced with massive changes that can often be overwhelming, but at Leadership Kickoff students learned about how to approach challenges and be successful.

College is full of risk-taking and facing unfamiliar situations, which can be the most rewarding experiences if we allow ourselves to try them. A ropes course at Newcombe Ranch allowed BHP freshmen to learn how true this can be when they were given the opportunity to jump from a towering height while attached to a rope. While completely safe, “The Scream” was one of the scariest things I have ever convinced myself to do. However, the reward of flying through the air as I swung on the rope was invigorating. Leadership Kickoff demonstrated the benefits of taking a leap into the unknown, such as trying a new extracurricular activity or taking a challenging class.

BHP is most importantly about community and teamwork, as classmates can always depend on each other. Teamwork and trust were put to the ultimate test on a ropes course station where two students were elevated high off the ground with only each other as support. Complete trust was needed to walk across the rope without falling off. Likewise, action packed games and activities during the weekend required clear communication and cooperation for any team to be victorious. The freshman class learned that we can always depend on each other, whether its 50 feet in the air while balancing on a rope or within a professional setting twenty years from now.

Students were also given a chance to speak with alumni, meet PepsiCo representatives, swim in the pool, do the wobble at a dance party, eat delicious food, act out hilarious skits and attend the formal convocation ceremony for BHP. Most importantly though, during two extremely fun and unforgettable days, the class of 2017 learned that by overcoming fears and working together we will be extraordinary.

Alumni Spotlight: Neel and Bridgette Naik Make Strides in AIDS Care

BHP husband and wife duo Neel and Bridgette Naik have taken a different route from many of our grads and are making strides in the arena of AIDS care in Africa. Neel, BBA ’05, a doctor, and Bridgette, BBA, MPA ’06, an accountant, moved to Tanzania earlier this year to work for the Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatrics AIDS Initiative (BIPAI). Bridgette helps run the business side of the clinic in Tanzania, and Neel is one of the physicians there. We caught up with the two of them recently to learn more about how their work is going.

Tell me a bit more about what each of you are doing now.

Bridgette: I do some finance and accounting, as well as budgeting and grants for the clinic. I also deal with a lot of HR and management issues. Before taking this job, I worked in public accounting as an auditor for about 5 years. I was working a lot and wasn’t happy. I wanted something more fulfilling and then I found this job with BIPAI and have been there over a year now.

Neel: BIPAI sends doctors from the U.S. to clinics in Africa, so I am working for a clinic in Tanzania. I provide care for children with HIV. I also train general practitioners there to support the clinic. During my residency I completed an elective with the organization while Bridgette was searching for non-profit jobs. She found a position with the organization, which she knew about from my rotation. It was great how it worked out, because we were both able to come for our jobs.

How has it been for you being partners in life and in work?

Neel: It is nice. We’re able to have lunch together.. We drive to work together. We don’t have too much direct work interaction, but we get to see the clinic from different vantages, which is interesting.

Are you ever at odds with each other on matters regarding the clinic where the medical needs may not align with the financial and business needs?

Bridgette: Not really, but there are times when Neel can provide insight into issues I face. Patients are always asking for things, and Neel can fill me in on if they really need them and their availability. Neel is always looking for how to start new initiatives for better care, but I manage our budget and have to be mindful of operating costs and salaries.

Why were you drawn to AIDS work?

Neel: We were drawn to the opportunity to travel to a country that needs help and has a big need for medical care. It has also been interesting to learn medicine in a different setting. In the U.S. we have so much technology at our fingertips. It isn’t like that here. For example, here we only have X-rays, we don’t have CT scans. I think that has helped me grow my skills. I also see diseases I would never see in the states. It is a good cause and our work does make a difference; it gives kids access to care and medicine that can help them live a healthy life. I feel good about myself every day, since I am working towards making a difference in the AIDS epidemic.

Your resume says you work with around 700 HIV infected children. That is a staggering number. What is that like for you?

Neel: The number is closer to 1,000 now. There are 160,000 children infected with HIV in Tanzania. Of those, only 17 percent are on medications, either because they don’t know they are infected or do not have access to medications.  Also only 59 percent of mothers are receiving medications to prevent transmission to their babies. Here there is just not much access to care. We have a lot of work to do, but that is why we are here. We have a big team here with two clinics. I see about 10-15 patients a day. The patient cases are more complex and take longer, so that is why we can’t see as many patients each day. We also focus on the whole patient, not just HIV, but everything. We have a social worker and counselor. It’s tough because death is more common here and the public hospital is pretty inefficient and isn’t the level of care I am used to. I am one more doctor in a county that doesn’t have that many, which helps. I do really worry about my patients. These are very sick children.

What are the difficulties and frustrations of practicing medicine in Tanzania?

Neel: The social aspect of medicine here is dire. Many of our children live with other family members because their parents have died. Some of those caretakers are good but others are not. There isn’t child protective services here. Finances play a big role: not only does it prevent some patients from furthering their education, but it also may jeopardize their health. Sometimes parents can’t afford the medicine a child needs, or even the proper food to help them grow. This is mitigated for our patients by our clinic because it provides all its medicines for free and also provides Plumpy Nut to patients who are severely malnourished. However, if we don’t have a medication in our stock that is needed, then it is up to our personal donations. For example $350 pays for an entire chemotherapy regimen for Kaposi’s Sarcoma, but for most people here that is unaffordable. And it seems silly that a child’s cancer can’t be treated because of $350. Having said all that, with all the lows, there are also ups. We have a dedicated staff, a teen club support group, and a program called Stitch by Stitch that teaches girls from our clinic how to tailor bags and run a business. I can honestly say that we have saved the lives of dying children, which unlike shows such as ER or Grey’s Anatomy may make it seem, doesn’t happen every day. So overall for all its frustrations it is equally inspiring. With all the problems we face, at least each day we make progress and move forward.

What is daily life like for you guys now?

Bridgette: First, Tanzania is a beautiful tropical country. The Serengeti National Park is only a 2 hour drive from our house, so we’ve been able to go on a few safaris. We can see Lake Victoria from our porch and the scenery is very pretty. Driving here is crazy. There are carts, people, potholes, and motorcycles everywhere. There are about 1 million people here and there are only a couple ‘grocery stores’ with limited items from home that are very expensive. The other day we bought a bottle of syrup that was about $8, but well worth it for our pancakes. We do most of our shopping at an outdoor market and that is definitely more interesting and lively than HEB. Since there isn’t much to do in town, like there isn’t even a movie theater, we spend a lot of our free time swimming, reading, cooking, and talking to our family on Skype.

Any advice for current students or things you wish you had known?

Bridgette: You can apply the skills that you have learned in BHP in a variety of occupations. Think outside the box about how you would like to contribute to society. You probably have the skills to make your passions into a career. You never know where you will end up. Although your first job may not be the one you have forever, you will learn a lot from it.

Neel: I still remember my TA in BA 101 told our class that our future jobs should be a balance between our interests and passions, money, and life. That balance is different for everyone and you have to find what works for you. Find your balance and you’ll be happy.

BHP Student Spotlight: Robert Belanger

BHP Junior, Robert Belanger, grew up in Syracuse, NY, but found his way to Texas and loves being an Austinite and BHP student.  He is a peer advisor for the program and is very active in the UT Senate of College Councils. Belanger was just named as one of two junior recipients of the distinguished Texas Exes President’s Leadership Award, which recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership on campus.

What made you consider BHP?

I have family in Texas and had visited as a kid. When I was thinking about schools, I knew I wanted to go to a big state school that had great sports and pride that some of the smaller schools don’t have. I knew I was interested in business and Texas has a really good business program. When I visited, I absolutely loved it and knew it was the perfect fit for me.

Did you experience any culture shock when you moved here?

In general, people here are much friendlier and more laid back than where I grew up. There was a lot more pressure to do well in high school and students around me were so competitive. I appreciated the peer mentor groups and the Leadership Kickoff event because they helped me have a built-in group of friends right from the start of my freshman year. BHP professors encourage collaboration and we did a lot of team building in our peer mentor groups. That is part of why I think students in the program are so collaborative and willing to help each other succeed, which was a big change for me coming from a very competitive high school.

What are some of the more memorable experiences you have had in the BHP?

Dr. Prabhudev Konana, chairman of the Department of Information, Risk, and Operations Management, asked me to help him with a new research project. I had built a relationship with him during my MIS class and done well in his class. I worked with him and some of the best professors in the IROM department on the project. They were creating a new master’s program in business analytics and I helped with comparison research, looking at other programs like this across the country, as well the job market for grads from programs like this across the nation. Now they are taking applicants for their first class and it feels good to have been a part of making it happen.

What do you plan to do for your internship experience this summer?

Over the summer when I started thinking about internships, I narrowed it down to energy, real estate or investment banking, but ultimately settled on energy. I started going to information sessions for companies and talking to my peers and that helped me decide on energy. I have applied for several opportunities and have three interviews in January. Two are with energy-focused investment banks, and the last one is for the finance department for an energy exploration and production company. I hope that the internship experience will help me decide if energy is something I want to do full-time after graduation.

You have been pretty involved with the Senate of College Councils. Tell us more about that.

The Senate of College Councils allows me to do a lot related to curriculum and academic programs. My first year  in Senate, I was involved with looking at integrity issues and how the honor code is viewed on campus. This past year I chaired the curriculum committee. That committee has been responsible for legislation on a variety of issues including academic advising, degree programs, earning minors, and core curriculum reform. Most of what we do is through the lens of how we can help increase four-year graduation rates and improve the academic experience for students

You recently traveled to compete in a case competition, how was that?

It was my first off-campus case competition and was in Tucson, Arizona. I went with my teammate, Michelle Moon. It was a little more competitive than the ones I had done on campus. It was really interesting because we were able to meet students from across the country and even from other countries. This case competition was ethics-focused and the topic was hydraulic fracturing, which we are both interested in. We did well, but didn’t win. It was a good learning experience though.

You are a peer advisor for the BHP. What do you like about that role?

One of my favorite reasons for being a peer advisor (PA) is that I get to have a lot of interaction with other BHP students and help them. They can’t always get in with an advisor right away, but the peer advisors are always there to help them and give them advice based on our experiences. We are a resource for other students. BHP is very student-focused. We have so many student workers including PAs , peer mentors, student recruiters, and others. Students are involved in all aspects of our programming. It is fun to work with the staff and be involved in benefiting the program and students. It is a great way to have an impact on the program.

Do you have any advice for underclassmen?

When you get here, you feel like you have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, but that is not true. Take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you. Keep an open mind and don’t worry about knowing exactly what you want to do. Some of the best experiences for me were opportunities that came up randomly and that I took advantage of, but wasn’t necessarily looking for. It helped me figure out what I liked doing and what is important to me.

BHP Alumna and COO of Knoll, Inc. Shared Insight with Current Students

Lynn Utter, COO of Knoll, Inc. and Director of Wesco International, Inc. came last Wednesday to speak at the sophomore lyceum course. Through her back-and-forth banter with Dr. Prentice, the former ERB BHP alum enthralled students with humorous anecdotes and words of wisdom learned from her prolific business career.

Utter graduated from the Business Honors Program, and went on to earn her MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She then worked in management consulting for five years. Utter said consulting provided a great opportunity to explore different career opportunities; however, “I’m a doer,” she affirmed. That drive to act, landed her in a VP slot for the Frito-Lay warehouse located in Denver.  Afterwards, she worked for Coors Brewing Company and soon became the company’s Chief Strategy Officer. She now works as President and COO of Knoll, Inc., a modern furnishings and design company, and serves as a director on the board for Wesco International.

Across her diverse career journey, Utter has learned many lessons. One she learned while overseeing warehouse workers for Frito-Lay, was to listen before speaking and be open-minded and fair. She said it is important to establish credibility and make some tough decisions. While working for Coors, she improved the firm’s all-important bottling and canning plants by setting up joint ventures with the best firms in the world in those industries. By bringing in the partners, she helped Coors grow tremendously. Then she went on to work with architects and designers as President and COO of Knoll, Inc., stating that it was a great opportunity to lead such a large company that had a great brand and valued people.

During the Q&A session with the students, Utter took different questions concerning leadership and her career. She believes everyone is born with a “leadership muscle,” but like any muscle, you have to exercise and develop it. One student brought up the subject of the glass ceiling and how it had affected Utter. Utter stated how it was difficult at times, mentioning she has worked with 50+ white males who said they never worked with a woman before. She overcame this by “establishing credibility and promoting change from within.” In one of her anecdotes about a leadership program she partook in while in school, she said the program asked, “What do you want to do with your life?” “Honest answer,” she affirmed, “I wanted to run my own company.”

In her closing remarks, and throughout the presentation too, Utter stated how the students should seek out “people you can confide in, and confide in them.” “I’m all about people,” she said. “The companies that motivate their people are the ones that win.” Utter further stressed to each of the students that they should use their networks and develop the relationships with the people sitting next to them in the room. “Ya’ll are part of BHP. That’s something to be proud of. Don’t turn that off. You guys are going to graduate. Don’t lose track of each other. Find your friends and colleagues to take that journey with you.”

One student asked what legacy she would hope to leave behind. Utter replied that she hopes to leave a legacy where [she and her company] gave back to the community. She challenged the students, “What legacy do you want to leave?”

Written by BHP Sophomore Dennis Phelan