BBSA

On Wednesday, May 14, 2014 UCLA’s Black Business Student Association (BBSA) will host “Being Our Brother’s Keeper: A Dynamic Discourse on Diversity,” in the Carnesales Palisades Room from 7-9 PM.

This event brings President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative to Los Angeles. The Initiative focuses on making sure underrepresented minority youth have increased opportunity and guidance towards achieving their goals and becoming successful.

During Obama’s speech about My Brother’s Keeper, he brought a group of twelve children on stage from low-income areas in Chicago. These children represented his childhood, growing up in a single-parent home where resources and opportunities were hard to come by. The initiative aims towards helping children and young adults of color similar to him growing up.

This is the first time this event will take place on UCLA’s campus and it serves as a useful source of knowledge and a great place to network beyond the confinement of UCLA’s campus. BBSA hopes to target freshman and sophomore students on campus by providing a space in which successful individuals can share their own personal stories in a way students can relate. Women are strongly encouraged to attend. This event is not limited to the male population.

Confirmed Speakers:

Judy Olian – Dean, UCLA School of Management

Malcolm Johnson – Senior Vice President, JPMorgan Chase

Dr. Angelica Gutierrez – Assistant Professor of Management – Loyola Marymount University

Richard Downer – First Vice President, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Confirmed Attendees and Supporters:

Janina Montero – Vice Chancellor, UCLA Undergraduate Education

Maria Blandizzi – Executive Director, UCLA Student Affairs

Jonli Tunstall – Director, UCLA VIP Scholars

Dr. Charles Alexander – UCLA Vice Provost, Academic Advancement Program

Patricia Turner – Vice Provost, UCLA Undergraduate Education

Alex Lawrence – Assistant Dean, UCLA Anderson School of Management

“The Black Business Student Association wanted an event that everyone could relate to and appreciate. We found Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and felt it was very powerful and needed to be shared.” – Anthony Martore, President of BBSA

Join the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) today for their first general body meeting at 6:30 pm in the Pauley Pavilion Media Room. There will be members of BBSA in front of the John Wooden statue until 6:15pm to escort everyone. Feel free to arrive early and and to invite your friends; prospective members are encouraged to attend.

Jessica Conley, the Associate Director of Partnership UCLA and Alexander Cain, a representative from Management Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT) will host workshops and provide information about different organizations on campus such as Partnership UCLA, which works with various departments on campus, such as the political and economic departments. Conley will describe the programs they offer to facilitate mentorship and internships for undergraduate students. As an alumni, and as someone with years of experience within MLT, Cain will give information on how to prepare for business and professional schools.

The Black Student Association is a student-run organization dedicated to uniting the business leaders of tomorrow with the opportunities available to them today. As an organization the BBSA prides itself in providing the “best and brightest with the means to enhance their inborn leadership abilities and achieve their entrepreneurial endeavors.” In the words of its President, Anthony Martore, the Black Business Student Association goes beyond just networking and meeting professionals; “it focuses on communication skills because that’s what gets you hired in the long run… being able to articulate yourself and develop a story to tell people who you are and what you’re bringing to the table.”

The goal of BBSA is to facilitate the undergraduate professional development of students of diversity through providing community and experience. But more importantly, its purpose is to help students grow the tools, connections, and knowledge vital to operating in the corporate world. Not everything you learn in school will prepare you to get a job, so BBSA acts as a buttress to support your aspiration through mentorship, internships, and career and major advice. As a multi-dimensional organization they offer retreats, study session, and other types of events so that everyone can find their own niche, and “become more than just acquaintances, but instead friends within a community.”

Many law, non-profits, and other organizations are interested in BBSA and its members. In fact earlier this week on Tuesday, they had an exclusive meet-and-greet with Malcolm Johnson, a representative from JP-Morgan who works in the diversity admissions office and was interested in meeting with BBSA to discuss possible mentorship with the prestigious firm, and future opportunities to benefit students. Albeit its name, BBSA is not exclusive. In other words its membership is not limited to people of Afrikan American descent or business majors/minors. As long as you are comfortable within the organization, they are comfortable having you so don’t feel scared or limited by their name; they are open to everybody. If you cannot make to today’s event join BBSA for their networking and resume workshop November 14th, and be on the lookout for other workshops on interviewing skills, negotiating a better salary, and financial literacy.

For more information: http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/thebusiness/Site/welcome.html

Author: Arielle Tripp

Nommo Staff

Black Business Student Association Hosts “Being Our Brother’s Keeper”

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