A Quick Look Back … And Passing the Torch

Looking back, it is hard to believe that two years ago I was in Dean Reinemund’s office promoting a platform to consolidate all social media for the Wake Forest Schools of Business. I was a bit nervous, but was ready to present my case for creating a single blog that would give students and prospects a front-row seat to the business school experience. I had my PowerPoint presentation ready and I had already established a Twitter account and a website for the blog. After a 30-minute presentation, Dean Reinemund enthusiastically approved the initiative, believing that this form of media was a sound way to spread the word about our programs.

Today, the Wake Forest Schools of Business student-run blog has received more than 23,000 visits and our Twitter account has collected more than 1,100 “followers.” We have made tremendous progress in two short years, and I am extremely grateful to Dean Reinemund for buying into my vision and supporting this effort.

I am set to complete my MBA in September, and it is time to tap a new leader to take over the student-run blog. I am pleased to announce that Eric Wiggins, a second-year in the full-time MBA program, will be taking over social media efforts this week. Eric has significant experience with the platform, handling social media for this year’s Marketing Summit and possessing a strong technological background. We have been working closely for the past month on a seamless transition, and it will be exciting to see the site grow and evolve. I plan to keep contributing over the next few months as I prepare for the completion of my MBA. I’m not going anywhere!

I want like to thank a few people for their roles in supporting and encouraging this blog. Of course, this blog wouldn’t be possible without the early support of our dean and the assistance of the marketing department. I must also thank Vaishali Shah for inspiring and encouraging me to discover a way to fully use my skills as a journalist to contribute to the university, supporting me as  I developed my concept for integrating WFU’s social media platform. Rahul Goyal deserves recognition for being my first blogger, volunteering to share his experiences before he even set foot on campus.

Ahkesha Murray, Justin Berthelot, Molly Nunn, Bobbie Shrivastav, Lauren Collins and Jen Ratliff all had meaningful roles getting us going early on. Thank you everyone.

One of my objectives for this blog was to have it to contribute to the inclusive society that Dean Reinemund  envisions for the Schools of Business. Over the past two years, our contributors have included full-time and evening MBA candidates, members of the MA and MSA programs and undergraduates. Our programs have made great strides in the past two years, but more must be done. My hope is that in coming years, evening students will have the ability to participate in events such as the Marketing Summit, communication and collaboration among programs will continue to increase and leadership positions will be widely advertised and promoted.

A truly inclusive society will exist when you look around any group, any organization or across any conference room and find that no group is underrepresented.

That being said, I am very grateful for the opportunities I have been given, from interviews with John Grisham and Ben & Jerry to late nights covering the Marketing Summit and the Elevator Competition. It was a tremendous joy to interact with students from all the programs, attend lectures and participate in a cross-section of courses and events. It all started with an idea and a plan to make it happen, but the blog’s continued relevance is a function of each of you logging on and reading the content that we provide. This platform will only get better!