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Amid countless challenges, Leeds grads transformed the school, campus and world through their work. And they鈥檙e just getting started.鈥�

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College graduates this spring confronted their share of challenges along the way鈥攅specially the pandemic and resulting economic uncertainty. For Boulder鈥檚 Class of 2023, though, another defining disaster was the December 2021 Marshall Fire, which burned more than 6,000 acres near the 蜜糖直播 Boulder campus and destroyed more than 1,000 homes.听

Olivia McKeen was among those who lost her home in the fire, but instead of being consumed by shock, she rallied to build a community resource鈥攖he Marshall Fire Resource Guide鈥攖hat become a relied-upon, one-stop shop for fire victims unsure of where to turn for donations, rebuilding resources, updates on lost pets and more. It also helped volunteers find useful ways to help.

Now that she鈥檚 graduating, McKeen鈥攚ho will start work as an assistant social media planner at Sterling-Rice Group鈥攈opes those marketing and branding skills she learned at Leeds, and that she used to build the website, will help her create impact throughout her career.听

鈥淚 wanted to come out of Leeds with a meaningful degree and a meaningful job,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 would love to use my degree do something that helps people.鈥�

McKeen is just one of many graduates of the Leeds School of Business who have already created impact at school and are hungry to do more. Here are some of their stories.

Chasing the dream鈥攍iterally

Wes Weber鈥檚 original plan was to work a few years after completing his bachelor鈥檚 degree before retuning for a master鈥檚. But continuing directly to his master鈥檚 degree meant a fifth year with the Ralphie handler program.

Chasing a buffalo during football games definitely involves physical stamina and courage鈥攂ut for Weber (Mktg, BA鈥�22; MSBA鈥�23) and other runners, the program also teaches leadership, communication, improvisation, confidence and resilience鈥攁ll vital business skills. He鈥檒l now bring that unique package of skills to CapTech, where he鈥檚 been hired as a data analyst consultant.听

鈥淵ou walk out of Leeds feeling prepared for anything,鈥� Wes said. 鈥淢y professors have given me the confidence and preparedness to help me feel I can do this. And it goes hand in hand with the Ralphie program of being a leader, being able to use my voice and believing in myself to get the job done, whatever it may be.鈥�

鈥楳aking people feel part of the Leeds community鈥�

Anya Aidun (InfoMgmt鈥�23) is no stranger to leadership, having held key roles at organizations such as Leeds Student Government and the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity. So it鈥檚 no wonder she was named among 蜜糖直播 Boulder鈥檚 Student Leaders of the Year for 2023.听

鈥淭he award means so much to me because I think it was not about the executive positions I was in, but rather, about making people feel part of the Leeds community,鈥� she said.

Aidun also worked to be a leader in organizations where she didn鈥檛 have the title, like Leeds鈥� student consulting club, which prepared her for an internship with McKinsey that led to a full-time offer as a business analyst.听

鈥淟eeds taught me how to quickly take in information and be able to make rapid decisions,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the key to success in consulting, because you have to be constantly learning.鈥�

The head of her class

Christina Heese (Strat&Entrep, PolSci鈥�23) always thought she鈥檇 end her career as a teacher, as a way of giving back to those who inspired her as a student.听

But then鈥攚hy wait?

鈥淭here鈥檚 so much you can do as a teacher, so much you can give back to a community, especially at a time when there are such shortages out there,鈥� she said.

That鈥檚 why Heese is off to Teach for America, where she鈥檒l be teaching math in Washington as she prepares for law school鈥攁nd maybe a future counseling startups and entrepreneurs on how to create impact through their discoveries.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 an entrepreneur鈥擨 don鈥檛 always have the tolerance for risk鈥攂ut I鈥檝e found I really like working in these startup ecosystems, and I think I could help support those people who do have great ideas and plans,鈥� she said.

Seeking 鈥榯he opportunity to change the world鈥�

Effective analysts understand that data isn鈥檛 about numbers. It鈥檚 about how data tells a story that informs a strategy.听

Colton Marschik (BA, OpsMgmt鈥�23) found an unusual outlet to practice his talents as a storyteller鈥斺�淭he Future of Thought,鈥� a podcast he started and hosts. On the show, he interviews thought leaders for open conversations that explore the growing divide in a polarized society.听

鈥淯ltimately, the goal was to understand people from all perspectives in the hope of bridging that gap,鈥� he said.听

Marschik interned with Lockheed Martin鈥檚 space division. He鈥檚 now headed to the company鈥檚 Rotary and Mission Systems office as a data analyst. 听

A fashionable side gig

Who launches her business the same week as final exams?听

鈥淚 love the chaos,鈥� said Holly Henderson (MBA鈥�23), who created the Free Takeout fashion brand听in the fall听alongside two of her classmates.听

Henderson plans to continue with Free Takeout on the side after graduation鈥攕he鈥檚 currently interviewing at several places鈥攁s it unlocked a passion while serving as a proving ground for the lessons she was absorbing in class. Even more than her classes, though, Henderson appreciated how Leeds challenged her to explore her passion for business. That鈥檚 reflected in Free Takeout鈥檚 brand, which is centered around the people in your life, not just the journey.

鈥淎t Leeds, I found the path for myself and had a self-exploration journey that helped me create something truly meaningful,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 couldn't have done it without the friendships I made through my MBA.鈥�

Mentorship matters

As she explored possible career paths in real estate, Kyla Thomas (RE, Fin鈥�23) said she benefited from incredible mentorship opportunities that were made possible through the Inclusive City Builder Fellowship, a new rotational program that gave her insights into the industry 鈥渇rom start to finish.鈥澨�

It also gave her a truly unique set of mentors.

鈥淭he biggest part is not only the learning, but the network and connections,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淲e learned from the leaders at these companies because they really want to help students break into the real estate industry, and share a mission of encouraging diversity.鈥�

While she remains intrigued about the opportunities to work in urban mixed-use development, Thomas is eager to work as an alternative analyst at BlackRock鈥檚 asset management team.

鈥業t hasn鈥檛 always been easy鈥�

For Sandip Bisui (PhD鈥�23), the challenges of doctoral-level study and research were compounded by the difficulty in navigating a new home and culture.听

鈥淭he past five years haven鈥檛 always been easy,鈥� he said. 鈥淢oving over 8,000 miles away from home was quite the culture shock, but Boulder quickly became my second home.鈥澨�

Bisui studied mathematics and scientific computing at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, before heading to 蜜糖直播 for his doctoral work. He credited his advisors and Leeds faculty for making him a strong researcher and preparing him for his role as an assistant professor at Purdue University.听

鈥淢y journey here wasn鈥檛 just about academic growth,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e also gained valuable life lessons, such as learning the importance of community, friendship and inclusivity. And it鈥檚 hard to find a community as welcoming as the one at 蜜糖直播 Boulder.鈥�

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