Juan Luis Méndez Sánchez Business Scholars

Elon University Accounting major Jocelyn Smith is tried and tested in her commitment to servant leadership: she initiated the collection of “one-hundred fifty (150) pairs of gently-used shoes of all sizes and sent them to… a town in Solola’, Guatemala where they were distributed to needy Guatemalans.” Equally important, Jocelyn continues to collect “additional shoes for shipment to Mission Guatemala” and concurrently “is collecting children’s chewable vitamins for their nutrition program… in a town called San Andres Semtabaj.”  Aside from being a consistent servant leader for a community made up of those who have less, Jocelyn is “a junior at Elon University… working in the Bursar’s Office twelve (12) hours a week.” She envisions herself in five (5) years studying “for the Certified Public Accountant exam” then in fifteen (15) years, she envisions herself “setting up the basics of my own non-profit organization in Guatemala.” Looking further ahead, in twenty-five (25) years, Jocelyn hopes to always “improve the lifestyle of needy Guatemalans.

University of California, Berkeley: Haas School of Business Management undergraduate student Chuong ‘Jimmy’ Le maintains an impressive and consistent 4.0 grade point average in higher education academics. Jimmy’s first love is bicycle and this sport “became more meaningful to me when I started the Food Riders Club three years ago.” At the time, this was the smallest service club at Orange Coast College yet Jimmy’s perseverance showed that “on our humble, two-wheel vehicle, we have been delivering left-over food from the college’s cafeteria to the local homeless communities every Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon.” In his role as a servant leader, by initiating this Food Riders Club project, Jimmy was able to “examine the real hardness of hunger and poverty” and genuinely meet those needs of those who have less. Going forward, Jimmy envisions himself graduating UC Berkeley in 2016 and also passing the Certified Public Accountant exam.

Hope International University Masters of Business Management graduate student Carol Jones is a first generation college student raised by her mother and grandmother in Lynwood, CA. For the past seven years, Carol has served her church as a youth greeter providing smiles and information to visitors and members. As an undergraduate, Carol competed in the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association Competition in September 2010, where she represented Loyola Marymount University (LMU) with her teammate on a case about antitrust in agriculture. Carol graduated in May 2011 with her Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration concentrating on Finance. Carol’s long-term professional goals are to start her own scholarship nonprofit fund to serve young women like herself. Carol is one of our earliest Juan Luis Méndez Sánchez Business Scholars.

It’s quite an academic path from Kemerovo, Russia to the city of Angels in California, and Natalia Reshetova is traveling that path successfully as she is on track to graduate summer 2013 from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management with a Masters of Business Administration. As a young servant leader, Natalia has “always enjoyed working with people” and sees her academic and professional accomplishments as a responsibility to “to help other students whenever I can.” Known around campus for a “compassion [that] shines through”, Natalia is also a very strong scholar. In five years time, she envisions being a Senior Financial Analyst which explains why she is learning “as much as possible trying to reach the best academic performance I can.” Her goal in fifteen years is help clients make the best use of their financial resources as she dedicates herself to being a Portfolio Manager. Then in twenty-five years time, Natalia envisions opening “a free-of-charge school where people may be educated about their personal finance.” Natalia’s servant leadership plays a major part in the present as she also is active in breast cancer volunteerism.

Recent St. John Fisher College business undergraduate Uwa Oduwa earned her Bachelor of Science in Management and Marketing and promptly segued into a graduate Communication, Culture and Technology program at Georgetown University. Uwa acknowledges that her “two major leadership positions – co-President of a collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association and vice-President of the Black Student Union” prepared her to be a future service leader. Uwa “envisions [herself] as a cross-cultural administrator at a college or university” in the next five (5) years. She firmly plans “on always being a service-focused leader by transferring my skills from college to the workplace.” Part of Uwa’s “long-term goal twenty-five (25) years from now is to establish an educational cultural center that will bring together American students with students from developing countries to talk about current issues and formulate solutions to the problems that may have been overlooked by policy makes.” Uwa draws boundless inspiration for her “lifelong learning” from the following Bible verse, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 ~

From Turi Altavilla’s humble beginnings when both of his parents, neither of whom spoke English, arrived in the United States of America, through Turi’s years growing up in a home with a “strong work ethic and determination,” through his undergraduate graduation from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor’s degree in English, Turi has always known he “wanted to make the most of the opportunity [his parents] gave me to achieve my own success.” These days, he is hard at work on achieving said success by earning his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business with an expected graduation date in 2013. Turi is blessed to also be hard at work as an entrepreneur managing with a passion his own minority-owned, successful prize fighting company University of Mixed Martial Arts. He feels strongly that he truly developing as a leader in his chosen industry “for years to come.”

Saint Paul, Minnesota is where Bethel University’s Rebekkah (Bekkah) Holmes is pursuing her undergraduate degree in Business and serving as a servant leader within her community. Bekkah recently used her initiative by demonstrating consistent character serving as a Social Concern Advocate for the non-profit Hope 4 Youth. Her humble role raising awareness prompted her to be challenged as she served in the decision-making process within the existing value-system to reach out and serve those who have less. Bekkah envisions herself founding  a coffe shop that supports the fight against sex-trafficking by providing safe-houses for victims across the globe. Bekkah’s vision includes “spending my career fighting for the innocence of youth and for their ability to see themselves as individuals worth fighting for.”

Without a doubt, the academic journey for Irena Kojouharova, from being “raised in communist Bulgaria during a very restrictive environment” to present-day Masters of Business Administration-candidate at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business, is a journey that symbolizes “overcoming.” Irena has not only overcome through careful discipline many challenges and tests, but she is consistently a servant leader in cheer-leading for those who are disadvantaged by being a humble leader who leads by example. Aside from her God-given gifts of being a “great listener” and an exhorter who loves to “encourage others” to live in victory, Irena wants to keep growing and improving herself. Among her current servant leadership achievements are that she “was elected as a board member of the Beauty Industry West (BIW), a non-profit professional organization”, and Irena joined Price Waterhouse Coopers’ New York City headquarters and earned her Manager leadership position “in less than three (3) years.”

North Carolina State University (NCSU) business administration undergraduate Beverly Malbranche is known for being “good at asking great questions in class” and, equally important, for being a servant leader on-campus, in the community, and in the work-place. Beverly is an active leader “with the College Age Group” and serves through the “Durham Rescue Mission.” She firmly feels that her success is measured by “guiding people in order to achieve an end good in itself while having a heart of humility to listen and accept advice.” Her long-term career goals include “becoming a God-loving entrepreneur” after completing her bachelor degree and in the next ten (10) years developing “A unique blend of knowledge, service, and competition.” Most importantly, Beverly confesses she aspires to “obtain a master in public administration and work for a non-profit organization.”

Paul Tran is a 2012 Pepperdine Graziadio School of Business Masters of Business (MBA) graduate and actively involved in servant leadership projects within his Los Angeles community including his role as President of Word Youth Ministry. Paul has extensive experience as a passionate team leader and ambitious goals that will serve to build long-term academic and professional relationships to complement his effort not to just be a part of this world, but his “desire to change it.” Most recently, Paul was promoted to Licensed Banker with Wells Fargo Bank where he sells limited investment products. This position will ultimately lead Paul to the role of Financial Advisor, where he will be able to sell all investments and securities.

Pooja Farkade is a second year full-time MBA student at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California (USC), in Los Angeles. She holds an undergraduate degree in engineering from India. Prior to attending USC, she developed software for multinational companies. Pooja actively positions herself to be at the forefront of extracurricular and volunteering activities. She believes these activities enable her to hone her God-given leadership, organizational, and networking skills while she gains invaluable exposure to different viewpoints and priorities; learning in the process the importance of flexibility. Pooja’s long-term plan is to start a micro-finance firm and provide sustainable financial services to  less-fortunate people who want to start a business. She is one of our earliest Juan Luis Méndez Sánchez Business Scholars.

Recent University of Virgin Islands undergraduate, Necola Charles, was very active on campus. In her second semester she grew into her role as a servant leader by becoming the Vice President of the International Student Association; the treasurer of the Golden Key International Honor society; a member of the National Association of Black Accountants, and an Upward Bound Student Mentor all the while earning a 3.74 Grade Point Average (GPA) at the end of that semester. Necola’s ability “to build trust with youth and make linkages to the community to support youth-centered initiatives truly makes her an asset” in the community. When not serving those who have less, she enjoys participating in community clean-up projects as well as food and clothing drives.  Necola is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Business Administration while maintaining a 3.96 GPA. Her long term goal is to become the Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

Bryant University’s Accoutning undergraduate Kyle Koziol enjoys the rigors of academic scholastic challenges; but, equally important, Kyle enjoys being one of many “role models [who] give people stpes to follow and a hope for success.” On campus, he is a Captain on the Varsity Swim Team, “a leader by example.” In the community, he is a “model of the right way to pursue excellence” through his “humility” for the past three years as he “volunteers at a community kitchen for the city.” In the work-place, Kyle has “raised funds for the Heifer International Foundation to help people in Africa.” When time permits, he serves “helping disadvantaged people [like the] elderly and children.” Going forward, he will “help lead volunteer groups, and commit to making others see the good in the world.”

University of West Georgia business management undergraduate Nadia Sims deals with diverse personalities daily through her employment at the university and she welcomes the opportunity that her front office position provides her to be a servant leader to the two-hundred (200) plus students who seek, and sometimes demand, her assistance. Nadia is also known as business student who will “go that extra mile” helping others and living by example on campus, at work, and in the community as filled with the “Spirit of God.” Her first year in college, Nadia earned a 4.0 overall grade point average while serving as Treasurer of the on-campus Latino Cultural Society. Her five (5) year goals are to graduate “cum laude” and continue helping “at the Carrollton soup kitchen.” In fifteen (15) years, Nadia expects to “become a Chief Executive Officer, but before Nadia becomes a business leader she acknowledges she “must first be a servant leader.” In her words, “I could not have done this without the help of others and God, and because of that I am able to help someone else.”

Ying Dai is a second year Masters of Business (MBA) student at Pepperdine University with concentration in Finance. She will graduate on April 2010. Her undergraduate major is taxation. She had accumulated much professional financial knowledge and experience through her university study and 5 year working experience as an accountant in China. To learn more advanced managerial knowledge and real world experience, she come to the States to pursue her MBA study. In the summer of 2009, she worked as an intern at Arawak Consulting which gave her a lot of opportunities to understand real world business in the U.S. Her long term goal is to be a manager in Finance and Accounting area. God willing, she would like to be a Chief Financial Officer in the future. Ying is one of our earliest Juan Luis Méndez Sánchez Business Scholars.

Southern Utah University’s Thomas Johnson is positioning himself to pursue a Master’s degree in Accounting and then plans on becoming a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is excited about his career possibilities to help others. He served a two year mission in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he left home and forsook any form of entertainment to serve others. He did not only adhere to the standards but became a leader of the mission! More recently, even his personal difficulties inspire him to help those who have less: after the lost of his new born, last year, he committed himself to becoming a servant leader by raising donations for the parents of newborns with health complications at his local hospital. Beyond the present, Thomas sees himself in five years owning a CPA firm. He would then be able to help people in his community planning their finances and through the income he can raise more donations for the hospital. Thomas is known on-campus as a “true all American young man who loves and respects others while he is motivated to do his best in attaining a high standard of goals.

Past business owner Claudia Garza is presently earning her undergraduate business degree at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management in Los Angeles, CA. Claudia took a class project to “create a business plan” and that gave birth to “an auto repair shop that catered to women.” The business concept was so unique that “on the day of our grand opening Channel 7 News came to interview us.” It speaks volumes of the ambition and aspirations Claudia has set for herself. After sharing her personal experience on CNN’s iReport blog, Claudia is presently set on “creating another business as an educator and speaker on childhood obesity.” Claudia’s decision finish business school is a blessing as she is developing the confidence and courage to pursue her goals “not only for myself, but for the greater good of people.”

Diana Chan moved from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in her junior year of high school. Besides English, she is literate in Cantonese and Mandarin. Diana feels fortunate to have experienced life on both sides of the Pacific. Being blessed to see business from the Asian perspective and then studying business in the United States, she has seen the similar and different sides of both worlds. Diana is planning to pursue a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) graduate degree in the near future. Diana will graduate from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) with a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration in May 09. She has learned that being a successful businessperson not only requires business knowledge, but also comprises different qualities, such as having confidence, enthusiasm, team spirit, and being ethical. Small businesses comprise 98 percent of all businesses in California, and Diana is excited and looking forward in assisting small business owners to improve and realize their full potential. She is one of our earliest Juan Luis Méndez Sánchez Business Scholars.