In addition to the joy of being a Mason MBA student, I have had the privilege of being active in my community. In the 2010 fall semester, I received a notice from Assistant Dean Jim Olver about available board positions at the Historic Triangle Senior Center (HTSC), here in Williamsburg.  I had been looking for an opportunity to serve my community and give my time at Mason more meaning. As someone interested in the intersection between for-profit business and non-profit organizations, I also wanted to  learn about how companies can become better corporate citizens by assisting non-profits to fulfill their missions.

Since being accepted to the board, I have had the opportunity to use much of what I learned in my classes at Mason. As a member of the board, I have had to rely on what I learned in Dr. Brad Lindsey‘s Financial Accounting class to review yearly budgets and financial statements. As secretary to the board, I have also practiced the communication skills I learned in Dr. Robert Stowers‘ class on Management Communications.

Though the Mason MBA program provides the strong analytical foundation required for every professional, it also give students the soft skills that make true business leaders. As a Masonite, I have had several opportunities to contribute to my community. However, few have been as enriching as the chance to use what I learned in Dr. Ed Felton‘s class on Ethics. As a member of the HTSC board, that class has enhanced my decision-making context, emphasizing a duty to act in the interest of the disenfranchised seniors in Williamsburg and James City County (JCC).

In the JCC FY2012 budget, the HTSC was set to lose its operational space, as well as a substantial amount of its funding, which were both provided by JCC. The reasons for the cuts were to eliminate HTSC’s “unfair” advantage over other non-profits, and to reallocate the funds to “better use.”  I recently spoke about HTSC at one of the regular meetings of the JCC Board of Supervisors.

At the meeting, there were many impassioned comments about the need for the HTSC and the services it provides to Williamsburg’s seniors. Many comments highlighted HTSC’s vital role in aiding interactions among seniors, providing transportation assistance through its RIDES program, and hosting services that enhance the well being of the senior population in Williamsburg. Using the invaluable lessons I learned from my classmates in the Ethics course, I called on the JCC board to consider the context of its decision to essentially decimate the HTSC and leave our seniors without a valuable community resource.

At the close of the public comments section of the JCC meeting, three of the six supervisors asked for further review into the budget cuts, expressing significant concern about withdrawing support for the HTSC. As of today, the cut to the HTSC’s 2012 funding from JCC has been reversed, and our seniors can continue to thrive.

I am grateful for the skills I have learned at the Mason MBA program. Specifically, I am thankful for the opportunity to use what I have learned, to advocate for those less powerful.

My experience in Mason’s Leadership Advantage program has refined my personal leadership brand, presenting myself as someone who is always prepared to be a value creator.