One thing that always impresses me when I interview candidates is the level of engagement they have with philanthropic causes. “Giving Back” is something that differentiates the Smeal EMBA program, and as we look at multiple candidates we always try to establish if the Smeal program is a cultural fit for someone. And, it turns out that those who engage with their community by giving their time, talent or treasures to the community tend to be a good fit for Smeal.
Why? Because Smeal EMBA’s have been giving back to their community since the inception of the program. The inaugural class of 2004 donated $50,000 to the construction of the 200,000 square foot building that is now the home of the Smeal College at University Park. And, since 2006 the Smeal EMBA’s have joined all Penn State students and campuses in giving through Dance Marathon to the Four Diamonds Fund – a fund dedicated to providing care to, and finding a cure for pediatric cancer. Last year the Smeal EMBA raised more than $12,000 for this great cause in various ways. The EMBA program, students and for that matter Penn State students in general, have a culture of giving that is unparalleled. In 2007/2008, through Dance Marathon, the students of Penn State raised $6.6 million to help cure pediatric cancer.
You can only imagine my pride this past week when while planning for our annual “Dance Marathon” event we received a volunteer from every class (current & alum) to serve on the planning committee. Not only did we receive volunteers to serve, we started getting RSVP’s before we even sent the invitation! To quote Joe Paterno, “This (Dance Marathon) is what we mean when we say – We Are! Penn State!”