MBA Stories

MBA Students and Staff Donate to the Cinderella Affair

W. P. Carey MBA students and staff members recently joined forces to donate 17 dresses to the Cinderella Affair, an all-volunteer project started in 2002 to help junior and senior high school girls cope with the high cost of prom. The “gently-used formal wear” was displayed at Pyle Adult Recreation Center in Tempe and was open to students Valley-wide.

MBA Admissions Managers Jayne Kaiser and Bibiana Am; Academic Services Coordinator Tamicah Scott and first-year, full-time MBA student Stacy Chamberlain were among the participants. "It is great to work with colleagues who are interested in sharing what they have with others,” said Kaiser. “Many of us can reflect on fond prom memories and now hopefully others can too, without worrying about the financial stress this event can put on a family."

Local dry cleaning businesses also contributed to the affair by donating cleaning services and seamstress professionals were on-site to perform necessary alterations. Last year, the program was able to assist 58 girls state-wide to find an affordable option for prom. The program is supported by Tempe Community Council, the City of Tempe and the East Valley Women’s League.

IMBAA Events Attract Big Crowds, Bridge Culture Gaps

The International MBA Association (IMBAA) concluded its busy schedule of events for the year with the annual International Cultural Night on March 26, featuring a festive fashion show, skits, dances and trivia games. Building on a series of international presentations in conjunction with the American Business Communications (ABC) courses, the International Cultural Night provided an opportunity for both international and domestic students to further explore the cultural differences that exist on campus.

During the fashion show, American and international MBA students dressed up in colorful outfits from around the world and strutted down the runway. While onlookers enjoyed each student’s “model” impersonation, they were also treated to an education on the history and uses of each garment.

Throughout the academic year, the IMBAA Cultural Exchange Presentations generated a buzz among students and faculty. Made possible by the diverse student body of the W. P. Carey MBA program, the cultural presentations became the most popular lunch hour activity, attracting well over 100 students per meeting. Each session was dedicated to a country that was represented in the first year class, including China, El Salvador, India, Jamaica, Spain and Turkey.

First year MBA and Jamaica native Perrin Gayle commented on how the IMBAA events impacted the W. P. Carey MBA students. “The cultural presentations were a great way to help us international students become more comfortable with public speaking, while also giving our classmates a better understanding of the cultural and business landscapes that have shaped our values and opinions,” he said. “The International Cultural Night was a great way to continue that type of education in an informal social setting outside of a classroom.”

MBAs Volunteer, Raise Funds for Junior Achievement

Students, alumni and staff of the W. P. Carey MBA Working Professional programs recently engaged in volunteering and fundraising for Junior Achievement Programs in the Valley. Junior Achievement is a worldwide organization dedicated to educating young students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy through hands-on experience.

In the inaugural "Rumble in the Alley" Bowl-A-Thon, the W. P. Carey MBA team joined others from University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Thunderbird School of Global Management, DeVry University, Grand Canyon University and Western International University to raise funds for the program. The ASU team alone garnered enough money to provide Junior Achievement Programs to 21 students, while the cumulative effort of all teams will provide for a total of 31 students.

Earlier this month, students and alumni traded in their business suits for the day to volunteer as mock business leaders at Junior Achievement's BizTown in Tempe. Taking on such roles as travel agent, newspaper owner and city mayor, volunteers helped children gain real-world experience as part of a mock workforce for the day in BizTown. The town is designed as an indoor mall, with private and public "businesses" built within cubicles. Students are assigned to work in a certain business for the day and must run the business while tending to personal needs assigned as part of the role play.