Mays Impacts

Mays Business School’s Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) at Texas A&M University recognized this year’s recipients of the Aggie 100, which honors the fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world.

The university, built on its core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect and self-service, is producing some of the nation’s best and brightest business leaders.

Celebrating the 10th year of the Aggie 100, the CNVE honored 1,000 Aggie leaders who continue to positively impact the university, their local communities, and this nation with their success. The legacy of entrepreneurial spirit continues with each of these Aggie 100 honorees who live it every day.

“Over the past 10 years, Aggie honorees have demonstrated that the core values developed at our great university continue to play a significant role in their success,” said Richard Lester, the CNVE’s executive director. “As we reflect on the past decade of the Aggie 100, it is apparent that the 1,000 Aggie leaders who have been honored continuously strive for excellence and have proven that solid business ideas, strong character, dedication and hard work pay off.”

Texas Precious Metals of Shiner, Texas, led the list (http://www.aggie100.com) as the fastest-growing company, with a 371.964 percent growth rate.

About the Aggie 100

The Aggie 100, the first of its kind at the college level, was created by the CNVE, which has the mission of providing encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially-minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. The Aggie 100 is a unique way for Texas A&M to demonstrate its pride in the accomplishments of its former students while enriching the educational experience for today’s students

While there are many ways to define business success, the Aggie 100 focuses on growth as an indicator of job creation, product acceptance and entrepreneurial vision. The Aggie 100 identifies, recognizes, and celebrates the 100 fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world.

To qualify, companies were required to meet the following criteria:

In business for five years or more as of June 30, 2014
Verifiable revenues of $250,000 or more for calendar year 2011
Operations consistent with the Aggie Code of Honor
Additionally, the company must meet one of the following leadership criteria:

A Texas A&M University former student or group of former students must have owned 50% or more of the company from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013,
A Texas A&M former student must have served as the company’s chief executive (for example chairman, CEO, president or managing partner) from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013, or
A Texas A&M former student must have founded the company and been active as a member of its most senior management team from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR NEW VENTURES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The CNVE provides encouragement, education, networking, and assistance to entrepreneurially-minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. Founded in 1999, the center is part of Mays Business School’s Department of Management. The center enhances student education through campus speakers, competitions, work experiences, and financial support. The Texas A&M faculty and Office of Technology Commercialization also benefit from the center’s educational programs, extensive business community network, and the entrepreneurial services.

The center reaches the state’s business community through educational programs, business assistance, and access to university resources. The center receives financial support from corporations, individuals and sponsors who believe in the value of entrepreneurial education and the value of Texas businesses working with a world-class university.

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.

The key to good networking is to not only show up and speak up, but to also have a few ideas about how you can serve the other person. Master networker, international speaker and best-selling author Keith Ferrazzi called those acts of care “five packets of generosity.”

“Everything you want to achieve—every job, every volunteer opportunity and every interaction—depends on other people,” Ferrazzi told more than 175 people, mostly graduate business students, attending a day-long conference at Texas A&M University. The “Relationships for Career Success” conference was sponsored by Mays Business School’s Graduate Business Career Services. “It is worth it to invest time in building a more purposeful people plan.”

Ferrazzi asserted in his keynote speech that relationship style isn’t about being big. “It isn’t about bounding into a room, it’s about being authentic and caring about the other person,” he said. He advised that each of us meet people where they are and mirror their social styles to help them feel comfortable. “The people with better social capital get better jobs more quickly. Managers are better leaders and sales people get better sales.”

Ferrazzi is widely published; his book “Never Eat Alone” has been a bestseller since 2005, and “Who’s Got Your Back” is based on accountability groups.

After conference attendees heard from Ferrazzi, they practiced what they learned, starting with a short networking warmup during the break. After lunch, students initiated conversations with recruiters in 10-minute speed-networking sessions, then were critiqued on their ability to do so. They also visited the nine corporate booths that were set up along the perimeter of the room.

Event organizer Cindy Billington, associate director of MBA Career Education at Mays, patterned the event after a professional conference, and scheduled it in the middle of recruiting season. She met Ferrazzi several years ago, when Texas A&M was the first campus to benefit from a training program for college students offered by Ferrazzi’s research institute.

During a panel discussion following Ferrazzi’s remarks, leaders from five companies gave advice and fielded questions. Matthieu Tagnon, director of Essilor Lenses, a long-time recruiter of Mays graduates, summarized the advice of all the panelists. “Don’t hesitate to take risks, but stay true to yourself,” he said. “If you are fake, we will see it and we will smell it. Don’t overdo it.”

Everyone makes mistakes, but the key is to learn from them. A panel of four business professionals recently shared with a group of MS Marketing students the biggest mistakes they have made in their professional careers, as well as what lessons they have learned as a result.

Tami Cannizzaro ’80, principal of Cannizzaro Consulting, shared two pieces of career advice with the students: network and be open to change. Her mantra, “you can’t turn it down until they make you an offer,” stems from her own decision to turn down a great opportunity near the beginning of her career.

“Always, always be open to anything,” she said. Cannizzaro advised the students to be open-minded enough to try something new when the opportunity arises, rather than passing up the chance and later regretting their inaction.

Chris Miller ’90 agreed. “Don’t let yourself become stale and stay in one role too long,” he said. “Figure out what you’re passionate about and then figure out the next logical step that will challenge and push you.” Miller, formerly director of media, promotions and strategic planning at Golfsmith, admitted it has been hard for him to leave a job in the past when he has been emotionally invested.

Ultimately, he emphasized that students should take ownership of their own career paths, saying, “Nobody’s going to manage your career but you.”

Missy Douthit ’88 of Douthit Consulting, said she initially struggled to learn how to manage people, which is a skill not often taught formally.  “Often you are thrown into a role without much training where you are expected to manage people,” she said. “In these situations, seek out as many opportunities as you can to learn more, ask questions, find a mentor and ask for help.”

Like many others, Huck Creative’s Founding Partner Sterling Hayman ’96 said he has often found himself dwelling too much on the next step in his career. However, too much self-pressure to advance can easily wind up driving all your thoughts and behaviors.

“Too many people are focused on money, promotions, and what others are doing,” he said. “This sacrifices job satisfaction.” Instead, Hayman urged the students to focus on becoming excellent at the jobs they already have. “Have a passion for excellence,” he advised. “You want to get excited about what the next day holds for you.”

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL 

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.

A San Antonio couple has committed a substantial planned donation that will establish the Melissa and John Kauth ’77 Endowed Scholarship in Business. Distributions from the fund will be used to provide four-year scholarships to full-time students at Mays Business School.

Preference will be given to applicants who are Regents Scholars’ students.

Mr. Kauth received a finance degree from Texas A&M University in 1977 and is a board member for the Center for International Business Studies at Mays. He returns to campus regularly to speak to students.

He is a CPA and the CEO of Intercontinental Asset Management Group. “As a wealth manager, I tell my clients, “You need a financial plan for while you are alive and one for when you’re gone,” he said. “I am just doing as I advise them.”

Mr. Kauth began his career as a comptroller of First National Bank of San Antonio. This was achieved through the support of retired Mays finance professor Dr. Don Fraser. Due to Dr. Fraser’s efforts Kauth met not only his wife but also the colleague with whom he started Intercontinental Asset Management Group three years later. He has enjoyed both of these partnerships for more than 33 years.

“I worked hard and I got lucky. I am fortunate to be able to do this,” Kauth said. “I care about Texas A&M and I want to help change the lives of young people much like Dr. Fraser helped change mine.”

Mrs. Kauth, a former banker and public utility executive (and graduate of the University of Texas system) joins her husband in this endeavor with a generous endowment benefitting the Texas A&M Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center.

“We both believe that the path to success is a solid education and strong values. These are the hallmarks of an experience at Texas A&M. The good work done by the Stevenson Center is a strong example of those values and supports our love of animals.”

“The Kauths’ generosity will transform the lives of many young people,” said former Mays Dean Jerry Strawser. “Their focus on first-generation students will provide these young people with financial assistance that will make the dream of attending Mays Business School a reality. The impact of their gift will simply be tremendous.”

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.

Ricky W. Griffin has been named interim dean of Mays Business School. He will serve in this role until the national search for the school’s next permanent dean is completed.

Provost Karan Watson selected Griffin after reviewing faculty nominations and discussing the matter with members of the Mays faculty. Griffin is a University Distinguished Professor and head of the Management Department.

As Griffin assumed his new role on Sept. 24, he acknowledged the long and distinguished service of Jerry R. Strawser, who was recently appointed vice president for finance and administration and CFO for Texas A&M University. “Under Jerry’s leadership, Mays has firmly established itself as one of the leading business schools in the world,” he said.

Griffin joined the Texas A&M University faculty in 1981 and is holder of the Jeane and John R. Blocker Chair. In addition to his leadership as department head, he has also served Mays as interim dean from June 2007 to August 2008 and as executive associate dean from June 2000 to June 2007.

“Going forward, we are fortunate to have a strong leadership team in place,” Griffin said. “I am confident that this team will make both this transition and the next one as seamless as possible. We will continue to build on our successes and our strengths while also looking for new opportunities to enhance our research and educational programs and meet our service obligations. We will continue to nurture the professional development of everyone associated with Mays and strive to be recognized as a center of excellence within the University, our professions, and the business community.”

While Griffin is serving as interim dean, Duane Ireland will be interim department head of the Management Department at Mays. Ireland is University Distinguished Professor, holds the Conn Chair in New Ventures Leadership, and is past president of the Academy of Management.

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The Texas A&M Career Center joined forces with two Mays Business School units to create a workshop for students that have or are considering international opportunities.  The “Leveraging Your International Experience in Your Job Search” seminar, which was hosted by the Texas A&M Career Center, Mays Communication Lab and the Center for International Business Studies (CIBS), described important ways the students can share the value of their international experience with a potential employer.

Ritika Harchekar ’15, an MIS major, spoke about how her exchange semester in Barcelona helped her secure an internship with the Dallas Cowboys IT department. She said she referenced her experience on the trip abroad several times in her interview. She also gave students examples of how her experiences abroad (e.g. teamwork) provided skills she used in her internship.

Katy Lane, program coordinator at CIBS, emphasized the importance of both understanding the value of one’s own international experience and recognizing how employers will value an international experience. She emphasized that multinational companies are seeking graduates with cross-cultural experiences and foreign language proficiency.

Lane presented six benefits students can derive from an international experience:

1. Developing valuable skills for the workforce
2. Learning a new language
3. Seeing the world from a new perspective
4. Experiencing a new culture and a new way of lie
5. Gaining international knowledge and global competency
6. Setting themselves apart from other college graduates

Lisa Burton, Mays Career Center coordinator, helped students recognize how their marketable skills can be connected and exemplified through their international experience. She described to the nearly 100 students present the importance of including an international experience on their resumes, and gave them examples of highlighting it in the various sections: education, relevant work experience or international experience.

Burton laid out three questions students should ask when adding international experience to their resumes:

1. What do you want to convey about your international experience?
2. How do skills gained during your international experience fit with the company?
3. How does what you learned fit with the position you are seeking?

She stressed the importance of crafting a personal story that can be shared with company recruiters during interviews. “Think about the unique things that have happened to you abroad and make a story about them,” she said.

Jeana Simpson, Mays Communication Lab administrator, guided the students in understanding how to use intentional reflection to define and measure the competencies and skills obtained through their international experience. The students at the workshop were asked to identify and articulate cross-cultural and professional skills gained with the use of examples from their time abroad.

“Find the overlap between what you valued and what an employer is likely to value,” said Simpson. She also suggested that students chronicle their international experiences through journaling.

– Lauren Ragsdale (’15) contributed to this story.

ABOUT MAYS BUSINESS SCHOOL

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.

AUSTIN, Texas: The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University and Texas A&M University have received a three-year, $3.75 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to become a regional innovation hub that translates academic research into useful technologies with commercial applications.

The NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program has designated three Texas tier-one research universities as the Southwest Alliance for Entrepreneurial Innovation Node, charged with empowering teams of university scientists and industry experts to develop life-changing products. NSF supports all fields of fundamental science and engineering, as well as research into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. The I-Corps program encourages scientists and engineers to consider how their federally funded, fundamental research projects may become commercial ventures.

“The I-Corps program is no doubt one of the nation’s signature programs for promoting entrepreneurship and startup creation, and we are, of course, honored by the designation,” said Juan Sanchez, vice president for research at UT Austin, which is the lead partner in the node. “Having an I-Corps Node established in Texas represents a unique opportunity for researchers and institutions across the state and region to leverage existing research efforts into new business initiatives that will benefit society at large.”

The node offers potential partnerships with 33 institutions in the southwest region representing more than $600 million of NSF funding in fields such as bioscience, K-12 education, materials energy research, geosciences, engineering, psychology, oil and gas, water filtration and entrepreneurism.

“NSF looks for broader impacts, so involving schools in our system and region is a way to broaden and advance the I-Corps initiative,” said Richard Lester, executive director of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship (CNVE) at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School. “One of our far-reaching goals is to teach this process to other universities in the region.”

To participate, three-person teams composed of an NSF-funded researcher, a business mentor and a graduate student (known as the entrepreneurial lead) apply to the I-Corps Team program. If accepted, the team is entitled to a six-month, $50,000 grant from the NSF focused on exploring the commercialization of fundamental research ideas. The team will also attend official NSF I-Corps training at one of the National I-Corps Nodes.

Nodes, such as the one being created with the three Texas universities, then facilitate an innovation-enhancing training program for the teams and offer support during the process of moving valuable ideas beyond the lab.

“Universities are the birthplace of new ideas and epicenter of life-changing research,” said Brad Burke, managing director for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship.

“This new NSF I-Corps initiative is a paradigm shift that will facilitate a cultural change in universities and research centers designed to take researchers’ creativity and innovation to the commercial level. It will be a driver for higher education and university research to become much more entrepreneurial.”

Training begins with a three-day introductory workshop at an I-Corps Node and continues for about six weeks with weekly virtual team presentations and updates with National Node faculty members. Training ends with an in-person, two-day session to evaluate lessons learned and next steps. UT Austin will host the region’s first national cohort in October. The NSF I-Corps curriculum is derived from Stanford University’s Lean LaunchPad course that teaches students effective startup methods and technology commercialization.

Other regional I-Corps Nodes across the country are located in the Bay Area/Silicon Valley, the D.C./Maryland/Virginia region, southern California, New York City, Georgia and Michigan. The Southwest Alliance for Entrepreneurial Innovation Node will be the first node in the southwest/midcontinent region of the country.

The application for the node was a multiuniversity effort involving each of the three Texas schools. Key personnel at the universities include: Rice University’s Brad Burke, managing director for the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, and George McLendon, Howard H. Hughes Provost and professor of chemistry and biochemistry and cell biology; Texas A&M University’s Richard Lester, clinical associate professor and executive director of the Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship, and Valerie Taylor, senior associate dean for academic affairs and the Royce E. Wisenbaker Professor; UT Austin’s Robert Peterson, associate vice president for research, and Juan Sanchez, vice president for research. The NSF grant for the Southwest Alliance for Entrepreneurial Innovation Node is No. 1444045 and can be viewed here.

Adding to Campus Initiatives

The NSF I-Corps program will build innovation programs already advancing breakthroughs at the three Texas institutions.

The University of Texas at Austin IC2 Institute fosters economic development locally and internationally through collaborations among the university, government and private sectors with programs such as the Austin Technology Incubator and the Global Commercialization Group. The Texas Advanced Computing Center’s high-performance computing tools accelerate research, and the Office of Industry Engagement works closely with the Office of Technology Commercialization to ensure fast and successful transfers of university discoveries to the marketplace.

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is Rice University’s globally recognized initiative devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurial education and the launch of technology companies. Programs include the Rice Business Plan Competition for global student startups that awarded nearly $3 million in prizes in 2014; OwlSpark, a student startup accelerator; and three flagship technology venture capital forums in the areas of energy and clean technology, life science and information technology.

The CNVE, part of Mays’ Department of Management, is the hub of entrepreneurship across Texas A&M University. Last year, the center reached about 3,500 students. Startup Aggieland is a business incubator providing space for all Texas A&M students to apply classroom knowledge and explore entrepreneurship with assistance from faculty members, administrators, peers and mentors. The CNVE also hosts such efforts as the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, the MBA Venture Challenge competition for graduate students, the Start-Up 101 workshop series, and the campus-wide Ideas Challenge.

For more information, contact: University Communications, 512-471-3151.

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1. Leverage social media to build your business
2. Expand marketing opportunities through exports
3. Navigate the legal landscape
4. Create a brand that’s credible and compelling
5. Turn procurement into a competitive advantage
6. Secure financing through traditional and unconventional sources

You’ll learn about these six imperatives and more from seasoned experts at the Governor’s Small Business Forum on Friday, Aug. 15 in the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M campus.

The cost for this all-day crash course for small business owners is $50, and the registration deadline is 11 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. Register at http://cnve.tamu.edu/programs/gsbf/.

A year ago, traveling to Africa was not even a distant dream for a group of Texas A&M University students. Most had had never flown across the state, much less internationally.

Now they can claim they have been there and back.

The trip was just amazing, recalls Aashraya Nakarmi, one of the students who went on the trip. It’s hard to comprehend it all. I’m so sad it’s already over!

Phillips 66 sponsors trip

Phillips 66 sponsored the trip with a $50,000 gift in addition to its annual giving to Texas A&M University. Judith Vincent, assistant treasurer, corporate finance at Phillips 66, said the company is committed to helping develop the workforce of tomorrow through education.

This trip not only presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Regents Scholars; it also enriches their educational experience and develops them into well-rounded job candidates, she told the students. Going on an overseas trip is a phenomenal opportunity for these students, and Phillips 66 couldn’t be more proud to sponsor the program.

The students who went on the trip are Regents’ Scholars first-generation college students whose families meet income criteria. In addition to financial
support, the Regents’ Scholars program provides the students with the academic and social assistance vital to the success of a first-generation college student. Regents’ Scholars live on campus their freshman year, participate in a learning community and
attend an orientation designed by continuing Regents’ Scholars.

At Mays, Regents’ Scholars are invited at the completion of their freshman year to apply for a two-week international opportunity. The trip for the 2013-14 freshman class included a week each in South Africa and Zambia. The students were selected based on their academic performance, extracurricular involvement and a short essay.

The excursion began with a July 8 safety presentation and send-off for the students by Vincent, Mays Dean Jerry Strawser and the students’ traveling chaperones “ Henry Musoma, a lecturer in the Undergraduate Special Programs Office at Mays, and his wife Tyra Musoma, an academic advisor in the Department of Accounting.

Henry Musoma has traveled extensively in Southern Africa, where his parents were posted in the diplomatic corps. He won the 2013 Dr. Robert M. Gates Inspiration Award for his work with the Regents’ Scholars, and said the purpose of this trip was to expose the students to global business dynamics as they play out in Sub-Saharan Africa (Zambia and South Africa, respectively).

The plan is to help foster their understanding of the global economy, he said. With this understanding of the complex nature of global business, the Regents’ Scholars will hopefully develop an understanding of the complex nature of their world and consequently, find meaningful careers in it.

Blog chronicles journey

Students wrote about their thoughts and emotions throughout the trip for the Mays site http://maysblogs.tamu.edu/regenttrips

Student Narely Najera said she had a change of heart as the trip unfolded. My summer classes had just ended two days before, and all I wanted to do was spend some time with my friends. A trip to Africa with fourteen complete strangers didn’t seem very appealing to me at the time and the morning of the trip I debated even getting up. As my peers will tell you though I hate missing out and so I went along, and I will be forever thankful that I did.

She went on to say the excursion was more than just a ˜study abroad” trip. Through this trip I became aware of the many stories of Africa, I learned of the importance of thinking of business not just on a national scale but a global one, and of being open to any and all opportunities because you never know what can come of them.

Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School educates more than 5,600 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students in accounting, finance, management, management information systems, marketing and supply chain management. Mays consistently ranks among the top public business schools in the country for its undergraduate and MBA programs, and for faculty research. The mission of Mays Business School is creating knowledge and developing ethical leaders for a global society.

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My favorite quality of Mays students is their strong entrepreneurial spirit. They truly embody the Aggie core values and take full ownership of the programs in which they participate. I can find no better example of this entrepreneurial quality than with our Trading, Risk & Investments Program (TRIP) students this past fall.

In December 2013, a group of current TRIP students came to the program director and staff with a proposal on how TRIP’s enrichment activities could be improved for future students. After all, who better to help us evaluate our enrichment than the students themselves?

In the past, we spread out the enrichment activities over the three-year period to slowly build the students’ knowledge.  You can imagine our surprise when the students suggested we incorporate the many enrichment activities into FINC 368, the required course for TRIP students during the first semester of the program.

The students’ reasoning was solid: TRIP is already designed to be intense. To get in the program, students must first complete the five-essay application and then survive the six hours of speed interviews. Why not continue that trend during the first critical year and really help the students see what markets-related finance is all about?

We valued the students’ insight and applauded their initiative in wanting to improve how we serve our students and board members. We collaborated with them to revamp our enrichment, revising standard activities and creating new ones. For the next group of students admitted in November 2013, TRIP Group 6, a crazy year was about to begin.

Since January, the Group 6 students have:

• Practiced their business dining etiquette during dinners with board members after class
• Presented in teams to fellow students and board members information they had learned in classesTraveled to Houston to participate in a group trading game hosted by a board member company
• Experienced the day-to-day operations of the corporate world by visiting trade floors
• Improved their technical skills by completing a one-day intensive training in Excel
• Worked in teams to compete in an all-groups BBQ cook-off
• Learned about the physical commodity side of trading during a week-long trip to board members’ assets, including power plants, a grain elevator, a metals facility and drilling rigs
• Increased their ability to make good decisions with a seminar devoted to critical thinking skills
• Shadowed with one of our board members to develop a trade strategy

Currently, Group 6 is busy preparing for their first of three annual presentation competitions. After the competition, they will loosen their ties for Casino Night and play poker and blackjack with our board members. The next evening, they will say farewell to Group 4 at the annual end-of-year banquet.

Enrichment continues into the fall semester, as Group 6 plans to:

• Team up with Group 5 students for an energy and private equity case competition
• Refine their golf games with a board-and-student tournament in November
• Enhance their Excel knowledge by completing VBA/macro training

By the time these Group 6 students head out on their first internship next spring or summer, they will have completed three years of enrichment activities in just one year since their TRIP interviews. It is an intense and busy year, but it well prepares students for the expectations our board members have of future employees.

On a related note, this time of year is always bittersweet as the students complete their final internships, finish TRIP, and move on to graduation and full-time employment. The program owes a big thank you to the Group 3/Group 4 student committee members who helped redesign and improve how we operate the enrichment function: Lance Lastovica ’14, Jim Gant ’14, Cory Hall ’13, Lindsey Cude ’13, Alex Faulk ’13, Andrew Brunkhorst ’13 and Michelle Horrocks ’12.

ABOUT TRIP

The Trading, Risk & Investments Program (TRIP) prepares students in the fields of trading, investments and risk management by combining exceptional class instruction with hands-on internship-based experience. Students will complete two paid internships with two different board member companies and graduate with at least an undergraduate degree (BBA Finance). TRIP is open to Texas A&M undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Students apply for acceptance into the Trading, Risk & Investments Program (TRIP) during the fall semester, once they have earned 30 to 75 credit hours (depending on his/her degree plan).