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Black Business Students Association

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	Since arriving at Berkeley, the amount of student-authority and ownership has exceeded my expectations. Haas is a school where students take ownership of their education, collaborate to do great things that interest them, and excel with a sense of humility and genuine inspiration that is contagious and motivating. Ryan Drake-Lee (MBA 09) is former President of the Black Business Students Association. He can be contacted at ryan_drakelee@mba.berkeley.edu.
	My involvement with the BBSA has been an integral part of my business school experience.  The events we organize are diverse opportunities to connect with our Haas classmates and reach out to those in our broader community.  Some of these events give club members a chance to network with recruiters or socialize with peers in other UC Berkeley graduate programs. I’ve enjoyed opportunities to meet alumni, work with admissions officers and interact with prospective students. Though I will be graduating in May 2008, I will stay connected to the BBSA and look forward to new ways to give back.   Millicent Anglin (MBA 08) is former co-President of the Black Business Students Association. She can be contacted at millicent_anglin@mba.berkeley.edu.
	I just wanted to share my experience at the National Black MBA Conference in Atlanta (September 2006). I arrived on Thursday afternoon and I could definitely feel the buzz the minute I stepped off the airplane. Everywhere I went, I met someone who was visiting Atlanta from some other part of the country to attend the Black MBA conference. I attended the career fair on Friday and was blown away by the number of conference attendees and company presentation booths sprawled across the entire Georgia convention center. I set up a couple of interviews with some companies prior to arriving, which went well, but some of the most productive conversations were with company representatives that were recruiting at the booths. They were literally interviewing and rating candidates on the spot. I made several good contacts with companies that I was interested in. There was also plenty of opportunity to network, socialize, and reconnect with old friends. Every night, there were a number of corporate sponsored mixers, local clubs, and concerts to choose from. In short, the trip was well worth it and I would encourage you all to attend next year’s NBMBAA Conference in Orlando, Florida. Best regards, Dion Dion Harris (MBA 07) is former President of the Black Business Students Association. He can be contacted at dion_harris@mba.berkeley.edu.
	One of my goals at the Haas School of Business is to travel to places where I don’t speak the language.  My trip to Shanghai, China over spring break 2007 was an opportunity to achieve this goal and was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I am particularly interested in the Asian continent because I hope to become an entrepreneur one day and conduct business in China.  The “Doing Business in China” international seminar provided the perfect opportunity to gain experiences I will draw from in the future. I arrived about two days prior to the start of classes and toured the city with some of my classmates.  One of the highlights was an impromptu chat with three Mongolian students who invited a group of us to participate in a tea ceremony.  Once classes began, the lectures from the Chinese professors were interesting and relevant. Topics covered included law in China and the Chinese financial markets.  Overall, I enjoyed networking with the Chinese business students and look forward to my return!  Safe travels, Lisa Lisa Edwards (MBA 08) is former VP of the Black Business Students Association. She can be contacted at lisa_edwards@mba.berkeley.edu.