Black Wharton Undergraduate Association

New Traditions, New Relationships

2012-02-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

We were pleased to see the second GBM of the semester have almost as high of a turnout as the first! The focus was on inter-grade relationships within the organization as well as summer opportunities. The GBM began with the latter, with presentations on finding summer internship/work opportunities. The Resume Drop, a service recently launched by a Harvard Junior to connect top students to top employers was mentioned, however the focus was on the MLT program. MLT was founded John Rice, a graduate of Harvard Business School and an ex executive at The Walt Disney Corporation, and is dedicated to building up strong underrepresented minority leaders in business and business related fields. President Jarrid Tingle is an alum, and he encouraged all sophomores to apply. Dinner followed, and while everyone was eating the board announced a new tradition. From now on, we will be starting going over current events during dinner. Freshman Liaison Alex Wiggin’s hosted, covering topics from the Greek Debt Crisis in the Eurozone to NBA player Jeremy Lin’s launch to superstardom. The focus then switched the interpersonal relationships. The upperclassmen spread out across the room, and freshman were encouraged to introduce themselves to as many new people as possible. Freshman were also encouraged to take down names and contact information and reach out to the upperclassmen accordingly. In sum, the second GBM was a smash and we hope to see everyone and more back again at our next event!

First GBM of New Board 1/28

2012-02-16T05:02:00.003-08:00

The first BWUA GBM of the year was a smashing success. Attendance was great, and people even came on time! The board looked dashing in their formal attire as they introduced themselves before everyone moved quickly into the food from Sangkee. Notable among the announcements was the switch to a new monthly GBM system instead of the previous bi-weekly one, which aims to give more time for committee sponsored events. The board also announced a renewed dedication to reinvention in the sense of both new initiatives as well as expanding the focus of the club past Finance. As everyone ate, the Director of Alumni Relations Lucas O’Connor and Director of Membership Taylor O’Hare began the GBM discussion. The discussion was an introspective look at BWUA, and discussed both its positive and negative aspects in addition to the future direction of the organization. Members remarked that they enjoyed the sense of community present in the club, and cited communication as an area in which the club could improve. Following the discussion, the board put on a lighthearted skit on the Do’s and Don’ts of Interviews. Historian Ashi Okonneh, Director of Professional Development Titi Oshinaya, and Director of Community service Ernest Owens all stared. This acted as a segway into an interview competition among the members, characterized by the brainteaser “How many Neflix DVDs get lost in the mail each year?” After some funny responses, the GBM was almost over save a brief presentation from the founder of the Penn startup Lokalty. All in all, it was a thrilling GBM and a great way to start off the new semester.

First GBM

2012-02-16T05:02:00.001-08:00

12/6/11 - BWUA Executive Board Elections

2011-12-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight, 10 BWUA members ran for the organization's 5 executive board positions. The presentations and deliberations took 3 hours but when all was said and done, the club had a new core leadership group for the upcoming year.

Congratulations to the new Executive Board!
President - Jarrid Tingle
VP of Finance - Kelsey Taylor
VP of Corporate Development - Marcus Hawkins-Dungey
VP of External Affairs - Oyinda Adefioye
VP of Internal Affairs - Paul Ampofo

12/1/11-12/2/11 - The 26th Annual HEMM Conference

2011-12-02T18:05:00.000-08:00

On the first two days of December, The Black Wharton Undergraduate Association began the internship recruiting season by hosting its largest event of the year. The Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Conference is BWUA’s annual conference wherein members are allowed to network and interact with potential employers. This year, Jarrid Tingle and Oyinda Adefoiye expertly planned the conference along with the help of members of the HEMM Committee.The event began Thursday night with the alumni desert reception, in which alumni, recruiters and students gathered on the eighth floor of Huntsman Hall for a night of informal networking and a performance from one of Penn’s student performance groups, The Inspiration. On Friday December 2nd, all sixteen corporate sponsors were present for a day which began with a career fair followed by two discussion panels and concluded by a celebratory luncheon featuring keynote speaker Marc Morial.

11/29/11 GBM - Crash Course to HEMM

2011-11-29T22:52:00.000-08:00

In anticipation of the upcoming 26th annual Howard E. Mitchell Memorial (HEMM) Conference, BWUA hosted a general body meeting to teach members all they need to know in order to make this year’s conference a success. HEMM Committee co-directors Oyinda Adefoye and Jarrid Tingle along with HEMM committee members Albert Williams, Marcus Hawkins-Dungey and Paul Ampofo led the meeting. They outlined the steps that members should take to prepare for the conference to reap the many benefits the conference has to offer. To conclude, conference packets were handed out to ensure the members had a written guide for their individual preparations.

11/15/11 GBM - Networking 101

2011-11-15T22:14:00.001-08:00

In anticipation of the HEMM (Howard E. Mitchell Memorial) Conference, BWUA brought in professional executive coach Barbara Roche to coach members on the intricacies of networking through an interactive presentation. Barbara ran through numerous networking essentials, such as the elements of a great pitch and how to properly enter and exit conversations. All throughout the presentation, members were allowed to practice with one another as they refined their skills. To conclude, Barbara told members that on days they would be networking to have energy, to smile and to allow their personalities to show. Certainly all members are now poised to succeed at the upcoming HEMM conference.

11/01/2011 General Body Meeting -- How Did You Get That Internship?

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association’s general body meeting consisted of a panel of five distinguished members who have had internships in finance, consulting, technology and entertainment. The panelists described the work they did in their various internships, the Penn resources they used to get there, the skills required for the job and finally any advice they had for younger students wishing to follow in their footsteps into their respective industries. The present members were then given the opportunity to email for a chance to take part in a group dinner with the panelists to ask more questions in an informal setting.

10/28/2011 Goldman Sachs Externship

2011-10-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today fifteen members were allowed to travel into New York City to visit Goldman Sachs, a gold level sponsor of BWUA. During this externship members were exposed to several exclusive opportunities. They were allowed allowed to tour the company's headquarters and were given the chance to speak with several recruiters who enlightened the group on how best to approach the recruitment process from a student's perspective. To conclude the program, members were allowed to network with professionals to find out more about the day to day requirements of their jobs and how they were able to get there. All participants, especially the younger members certainly benefited from getting this professional exposure that will prepare them from future corporate interactions.

10/18/2011 General Body Meeting - Putting Down the Books

2011-10-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

During a hectic period in the fall semester, the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association hosted a study break to give all members a chance to step away from their desks and relax with friends. The meeting consisted of a presentation that offered various study tips and the academic support options available to students. Tyler Hyman and Chelsea McCook led the meeting. Afterwards, all members present were split into groups to play board games, such as scattegories and taboo. We wish all members the best of luck with all their midterm examinations!

10/4/11 GBM Looking Good on Paper and in Person

2011-10-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Board members Robbie Dixon, Jarrid Tingle and Chris Russell began today’s meeting by giving new members an overview on how best to craft their resumes. The trio explained the importance of the resume, which if carefully crafted, can be used as a conversation starter, a self-marketing tool and a brief detailed description of one’s self to potential employers. Akin Alui, Tyler Hyman and Lauren Foster followed up with a presentation on business attire. The group elaborated on what constituted business casual, business formal and cocktail attire for both men and women in different industries. The general emphasis was for all members to keep in mind the various dressing norms for different industries.

9/20/11 General Body Meeting

2011-09-20T22:00:00.001-07:00

On a cool September evening, BWUA opened its doors for the first general body meeting of the year. New members were introduced to the board and the various opportunities available to them through the organization. As an icebreaker, all guests were broken up into four teams that competed in a trivia game that tested their knowledge in business, the University of Pennsylvania and African American history. All first comers left with a more defined sense of the organizations mission while meeting new friends.

Join us for our next GBM on October 4th at 7:30PM.

Freshman Luncheon 9/10/11

2011-09-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today, BWUA began the school year with its 6^th annual Freshman Luncheon. The luncheon is an annual event held in the beginning of the year for all African American freshmen to come learn more about BWUA and to listen to addresses from special guests Scott Mills, COO of BET Networks and Georgette Chapman Phillips, Vice Dean of Wharton. Mrs. Chapman Phillips welcomed the new students to the University and reiterated that she was one of many resources readily available to them. Scott Mills followed with an address urging students to ‘get out of the conventional line’ in order to achieve extraordinary success. Mills recounted his own Penn story to the freshmen and truly motivated the students to take advantage of the resources available in order to truly succeed at Penn.

Please join us for our first general body meeting of the year, which will be hosted on September 20^th, 2011 at 8:00pm in JMHH 260

4/19/11 GBM Maximizing Your Summer

2011-04-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

4/19/11 GBM Maximizing Your Summer

To close out the year, BWUA hosted its final general body meeting to give members crucial information that would enable them to make the most out of their summers. BWUA president Triston Francis and executive board member Taylor O’hare moderated the meeting. They began by outlining the various opportunities available to members over the summer (internships and summer classes). After discussing these opportunities, the moderators opened the floor for discussion, in which older members who had previously had internships or taken summer classes could offer words of advice to the underclassmen. Topics discussed included paid vs. unpaid internships, shadowing professionals, taking classes online, networking while at the job and much more. The interactive nature of the meeting ensured that all members truly gained something beneficial heading into their summers.

On behalf of the executive board, thank you to all our members for a great spring semester and we will see you in the fall! Have a great summer!

BWUA Hosts the 3rd Annual G.A.L.A 4/1/11

2011-04-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

On the spirited evening of April 1st, BWUA opened the doors of Colloquium Hall on the eighth floor of Jon M. Huntsman Hall to it's distinguished guests for a night dedicated to recognizing the commendable work done by the Philadelphia Student Union. Over one hundred guests were present as BWUA sold out all tickets for this years G.A.L.A. (Galvanizing Adolescents towards a Legacy of Achievement). Each year during the G.A.L.A., BWUA honors a local organization whose work for the community of Philadelphia cannot be rivaled. This year's recipient was no exception. The Philadelphia Student Union exists to empower young students to demand the highest quality of education from the Philadelphia public school system. The organization is led by youths who inspire other youths to make positive changes in their community. In accordance with this theme of personal development, Reverend Dr. Leslie Callahan highlighted the evening with her keynote address admonishing listeners to make the transformation from Davids into giants who use their leverage for the benefit of others. The program concluded with a sumptuous desert reception where guests had the opportunity to mingle with one another and have their photos taken.

2/8/11 General Body Meeting

2011-03-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today Black Wharton hosted its second GBM of the semester to educate members about the ins and outs of email etiquete. Board Members Jarrid Tingle and Robert Dixon led the meeting as the dissected proper method to communicating in a professional manner over email.

3/22/11 What Does It Take to Succeed?

2011-03-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today Black Wharton Undergraduate Association hosted four distinguished seniors to present to members the steps they took to achieve success in college. The four seniors presenting were Colin Williams, Dale McCook, Wesley Williams and Marlo Williams. Damien McCreath moderated the session by asking the panelists questions intended to provide key insights to navigating their individual college careers. The panelists revealed through their answers that they each were pursuing diverse interests upon their graduation, in such fields as technology, consumer products/retail, graduate school and entertainment. Even more importantly, they revealed the various resources they utilized at Penn to get to where they are. A recurring theme throughout the presentation was the call for members to explore their passions, as opposed to choosing the career options most chosen by students around them. Afterwards, BWUA extended an invitation for all present members to attend a follow up group dinner with the panelists to continue discussing what they can personally do to succeed in their own college careers.

2/22/11 Navigating the News

2011-02-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Today BWUA hosted a GBM to help teach members how best to navigate various sources for news on finance, marketing, entertainment, politics and whatever topics they found to be of interest. Board members Tyler Hyman and Morgan Humphrey led the meeting and guided members through numerous news sources such as BCC, The Wall Street Journal, Google News, Dealbook, Market Watch, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Billboard and many others. Members were also taught the importance of being up to date with current events and how they can be better off by knowing current information. Afterwards, in commemoration of Black History Month, BWUA hosted an hour of fun filled with activities for members to learn more about African American History.

02/08/11 General Body Meeting

2011-02-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

Today, Black Wharton Undergraduate Association hosted its second GBM of the semester, led by board members Jarrid Tingle and Robbie Dixon, to educate members about proper email etiquette. The pair revealed to members the appropriate ways to communicate with recruiters, professors and other professional contacts. Afterwards, five volunteers were given the chance to utilize the skills they learned to craft a response email to a recruiter that had recently met at a career fair. All members are now certainly equipped with the resources to engage in email communication in a fitting manner.

37th Whitney M. Young Conference

2011-02-07T07:56:00.001-08:00

This past weekend, 15 members of the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association attended the African-American MBA Association’s 27^thAnnual Whitney M. Young Memorial Conference hosted in University City. Active BWUA members received 85% off of the ticket price for this conference. Furthermore, BWUA strengthened its close relationship with the African-American MBA Association this past weekend. Eleven members of Black Wharton’s Executive Board - Akin Aliu, Robbie Dixon, Lauren Foster, Triston Francis, Hind Hassan, Ruthie Hubbard, Morgan Humphrey, Tyler Hyman, Chelsea McCook, Chris Russell, Kelsey Taylor – volunteered during the conference. The event was a tremendous success and on behalf of the Black Wharton Undergraduate Association, we would like to congratulate Vladimir Estiverne and Jeanine Henry – Co-Chairs of the 37^th Whitney M. Young Conference – for a job well done.

01/25/11 General Body Meeting

2011-01-25T20:14:00.001-08:00

BWUA kicked off the semester today with its first GBM of the year in which members were introduced to the new executive board in addition to the theme for the year; Beyond Business: The Polish of Professionalism. The main focus for today’s GBM was to teach members how to interview successfully. BWUA members were split into groups of three or four, each headed by an executive board member who would pose possible interview questions.

Bain & Co. Case Workshop

2011-01-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

BWUA hosted Bain & Co. for a case workshop as Aaron Miller, Ar-iaya Haile and Tiffany Showell came to talk about the field of consulting consists of, especially within the framework of Bain & Co. They then went through the interview process with members, focusing on case interviews. At the end BWUA members were given the chance to network with the employees from Bain & Co.

Congratulations to the new Executive Board

2010-12-09T22:37:00.000-08:00

President - Triston Francis
VP of Finance - Morgan Humphrey
VP of Corporate Development - Jarrid Tingle
VP of Internal Relations - Robbie Dixon
VP of External Relations - Christopher Russel

25th Annual Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Conference

2010-12-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

BWUA kicked off the internship recruiting season with the 25th Annual Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Conference. The event began with an alumni dessert reception where BWUA welcomed past members to socialize and network with alums. On Friday, BWUA hosted a career fair where members learned about different opportunities with our 12 diverse corporate sponsors. Members then attended 2 panels where they discussed topical business issues. The conference ended with a celebratory luncheon where Mr. Frank Fountain, Chairman of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum Foundation Board of Directors, gave the keynote address.

Crash Course to HEMM

2010-11-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

VP of Corporate Development, Triston Francis, and HEMM Co-Chair, Ruth Gillis-Harry, provided an overview of the 25th Annual Howard E. Mitchell Memorial Conference. The pair gave members critical advice on how to navigate the career fair, interact with recruiters, and prepare for the conference. Their efforts will allow members to make the most of this opportunity.

BWUA Thanksgiving

2010-11-23T22:25:00.000-08:00

The BWUA board and general body members socialized over a thanksgiving meal. In the spirit of the holiday, all attendees provided a $5 donation for ACHIEVEability.

Networking

2010-11-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

BWUA invited Barbara Roche to give members an overview of networking. Ms. Roche began by simulating a networking event. She asked members to pick up a plate of hor d'ourves, walk around the room, and give their "personal pitch" to others. Following the activity, members had the chance to ask Ms. Roche questions about networking.

BWUA This Semester

2010-11-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

FRESHMAN LUNCHEON:

On September 18, the club welcomed over 50 black freshman to campus. Students had the opportunity to establish relationships with upperclassmen, peers, and absorb words of wisdom from the two guest speakers. Vice Dean Georgette Chapman Phillips urged the students to embrace their unique qualities and noted that her door is always open. Wharton Alum and record producer, Devon "Devo Springsteen" Harris also spoke. Harris is a producer on Kanye West's label G.O.O.D Music. He is also the cousin of the notorious star and is credited for launching John Legend's career. Harris stressed that the Wharton network was a key element to his success.

GENERAL BODY MEETINGS:

9/21 - Welcome to BWUA

Over 80 attendees received a comprehensive overview of BWUA, including a formal introduction to the board members. Director of Academic Relations, Kelly Wyche, explained the academic resources available on campus. Afterwards, Social Chair, Joseph Smalls-Mantey, led a modified version of "speed dating", where members practiced their professional elevator pitches with others.

10/5 - Career Exploration

BWUA invited 3 Wharton MBA students to speak about their experiences in the Investment Banking, Consulting, and Marketing industries. The MBA's had worked and interned at some of the most prestigious firms within their respective industries. All three gave valuable advice, since many members are beginning to think about their future careers.

10/19 - Investment Management 101

BWUA introduced its 3rd annual stock competition where members have the chance to apply their investing strategies in a simulated context. VP of Finance, Christopher Carter, began by giving an overview of the stock simulator. He then explained the different asset classes and the vehicles used to invest these assets. Two senior BWUA members then provide a general summary of the stock market and answered any questions.

11/2 - Resume Workshop

The Professional Development Committee of BWUA hosted its annual resume workshop. Committee members gave an overview of the proper elements and format of a resume. Members then had the opportunity to have their resumes critiqued by six Wharton MBA's and one Wharton Senior, who had worked in a variety of different industries. Afterwards, members had a chance network.

CORPORATE EVENTS

Bain & Company - Case Interview Workshop

Goldman Sachs - Recruiter in Residence

J.P. Morgan Chase - Asset Allocation Workshop