Since 2002, over 150 corporate representatives from notable Fortune 500 corporations have participated in the Multicultural Business End of the Year Gala celebration. Many who have attend the  Gala event have full-time or internship positions with Fortune 500 corporations as a result of being involved in the Multicultural Business Programs.

At the Multicultural Business Programs End of the Year Gala event, students get the opportunity to network with over 15 corporate representatives from renowned Fortune 500 corporations, such as Kimberly-Clark, ConocoPhillips, Target, General Electric, Proctor & Gamble, the Ford Motor Company, Altria, Ernst & Young, Nestle USA, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and more. Michael Pruente, a 2007 Supply Chain graduate and currently a director at ConocoPhillips, will be one of the many guests present at the Gala celebration.

On the night of the Gala, Multicultural Business Programs also plans to recognize outstanding recruiters and faculty who have made positive contributions to the Programs’ growth over the past ten years.

This year’s academic scholarships are proudly sponsored by General Mills, Ernst & Young, Nestle USA, and General Motors.

Ticket prices are $5 for students and $20 for everyone else. For those who are interested in attending the Tenth Annual Multicultural Business Programs End of the Year Gala celebration, please purchase your tickets in advance prior to Friday, April 27, 2012.  The theme of this year’s gala celebration is “Picture Perfect Moments: Celebrating 10 Years of Success.”

 “Women in Business Students’ Association Annual Leadership Conference is a great event that is open to everyone. This event provides opportunities to network with Fortune 500 companies and to gain insight from business professionals. This year the theme is “Branch Out! Climb Your Way to the Top” and Dow Chemical, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Shell are presenting. No matter your background, major, or age our conference is an excellent experience!” said Mckenzie Coy, accounting junior and WBSA’s external vice-president.

 WBSA is also excited to announce that April Clobes will be the keynote speaker. She is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of MSU Federal Credit Union, and is also an exceptional asset to the greater Lansing community.

 WBSA is an organization that is a part of Multicultural Business Programs within the Eli Broad College of Business. They provide students with an opportunity to establish relationships with Fortune 500 companies, at their bi-weekly General Membership Meetings and other annual events. As a result, over 60 percent of WBSA’s members receive both internships and full time offers from these corporations, such as Ernst & Young and ConocoPhillips . WBSA gives students the chance to build personal bonds with other students of similar interests as well. Due to the organization’s success, this past year WBSA received the MSU Department of Student Life Professional Organization of the Year Award.

 At the Women in Business Leadership Conference students will have the chance to participate in workshops that are built around the theme: Branch Out! Climb Your Way To The Top.  These workshops will be held by three Fortune 500 Companies: Shell Oil, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Dow Chemical Company.

 WBSA is expecting to have an outstanding turn out with over 150 attendees. For this reason, photography is emphasized to capture this great event. Please join WBSA at their Fifth Annual Women in Business Leadership conference on April 13, 2012 at the East Lansing Marriott at 8:30AM.

 MSU students can register at https://www.msu.edu/~wbsa starting March 12.

 Members of the winning team, Determined to Succeed are:

Elyse Hoekstra of Portage, MI, daughter of Steve and Linda Hoekstra, and is a 2009 graduate of Portage Central High School. She is a marketing junior in the Eli Broad College of Business.

Ting Ting Ni of Flint, MI, daughter of Zhou Ming and Ai Hong Ni, and is a 2010 graduate of Flint Southwestern Academy. She is an accounting sophomore in the Eli Broad College of Business.

Deepa Varghese of Northville, MI, daughter of Santha Varghese and is a 2009 graduate of Northville High School. She is an accounting junior in the Eli Broad College of Business.

Members of the second place team, Destiny Fulfilled, who presented Roberta Menchú Tum, a Guatemalan Indigenous Peoples Activist, are:

 Adriana Abundis of Whittier, CA, daughter of Maria Alonso and Enrique Abundis, and is a 2007 graduate of La Serna High School. She is an advertising senior in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

 Dominique Cobb of Warren, MI, daughter of Arutha Cobb, and is a 2008 graduate of Madison High School. She is a marketing senior in the Eli Broad College of Business.

 Amber Johnson-Weeks of McKinney, TX, daughter of  Beverly Johnson-McCree and Darryl McCree and  is a 2008 graduate of McKinney High School. She is a journalism senior in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

 Members of the third place team, Justice League, who presented Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental and political activist, are:

Rebecca Farnum of Mt. Pleasant, MI, daughter of Kendal and Charles Farnum and  is a 2008 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School. She is an Interdisciplinary Humanities major in the College of Arts and Letters.

 Varsha Koduvayur of Auburn Hills, MI, daughter of Kanthi and Sundar Koduvayur and is a 2010 graduate of Avondale High School. She is an international relations major in the James Madison College.

Randel Tomina of Oak Park, MI, son of William and Laylay Tomina and is a 2007 graduate of Ferndale High School. He is a supply chain management major in the Eli Broad College of Business.

 Other heroes presented were Alice Paul, the suffragist; Tenzin Gyatso, the 14^th Dalai Lama; Lucy Randolph Mason, the labor rights activist; Jackie Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player.

 The student teams represent a diverse cross-section of MSU students from James Madison College, College of Arts and Letters, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Honors College.

The MSU Faculty Panel judging the competition included Dr. Stefanie Lenway, The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean of the Eli Broad College of Business, Dr. Lee June, former Vice President for Student Affairs and Services and Associate Provost for Academic Student Services and Multicultural Issues and Paulette Granberry Russell, Advisor to the MSU President for Diversity and Director MSU’s Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.

Multicultural Business Programs and Altria Group Distribution Company sponsor the competition.

Women in Business external vice president, Mckenzie Coy, served as captain for the team last spring. She received a $1200 donation for Ernst and Young for the MBP team. “Cancer affects everyone in some way. Relay for Life is a great opportunity to bring cancer awareness to students at MSU. Student involvement is extremely important because it shows students how they can get involved with raising funds for research, increasing awareness, and hearing testimonials,” said Coy.

Relay for Life is a national fundraiser for the American Cancer Society which brings together communities to stand together against cancer. Members of teams take turns walking around the track for the duration of the event. Organizers provide a family friendly event with food, games and entertainment. The event recognizes cancer survivors and has luminaria ceremony after nightfall honoring survivors and those loved one participants have lost to the disease.

The MSU Spartan Relay for Life is organized by Students Fighting Cancer. This year’s event is scheduled for April 20. MBP will be fielding a team for the seventh year.

 The primary objective of this event is to inform students and their families about the different resources on campus which help students develop professionally and academically. Students will be informed about each major offered by the Eli Broad College of Business. 

This workshop will be a great chance for newly accepted students to learn first hand from professionals, faculty, and students in business. During this event students will also have a chance to interact with the four student organizations under Multicultural Business Programs: National Association of Black Accountants, Native American and Hispanics Business Students, Women in Business Students’ Association, and the Multicultural Business Students. Each organization’s main purpose is to provide a diverse environment for which MSU business students can learn the skills necessary to succeed professionally and academically.

We will also have corporations like Ford, Eli Lilly, PwC, and ConAgra available to talk to students  about their professional career development. This event will also serve as a way to provide financial assistance to newly accepted students. Each student will have a chance to win one of several book scholarships at this event.

To be able to attend this great event students must call 517-353-3524 to reserve a spot. You must reserve your spot by March 16, 2012. Breakfast and lunch will be provided as well.  Parents/Guardians are welcome.

Multicultural Business Programs and Altria Group Distribution Company sponsor the competition and the afterglow reception. Audience members will be eligible for over $300 in prizes during the competition.

Teams must consist of three MSU undergraduates. Each team selects a multicultural hero and has 10 minutes to make their case about why he/she should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The winning team is selected by a panel of MSU faculty and will receive a $1500 cash grand prize.

The student teams represent a diverse cross-section of MSU students from The Eli Broad College of Business, the College of Natural Science, James Madison College, College of Arts and Letters, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Honors College. They will be presenting the stories of heroes as diverse as Alice Paul, the suffragist; Rigoberta Menchú Tum, a Guatemalan Indigenous Peoples Activist; Dr. Charles Drew, who developed blood banks; Jackie Robinson, the first African-American major league baseball player.

Since 2002 the Multicultural Heroes Case Competition has awarded over $25,000 in prizes. Last year Jalen Garrett, accounting freshman: Cameron Sullivan, accounting freshman; DeAngelo Taylor, marketing freshman won the competition with a powerful presentation about Malcom X, the African American Muslim Minister and human rights activist.

Target, Altria, KPMG, Union Pacific, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Dominos  Pizza  each presented in six 15 minute Speed Dating rotations and  then  mingled with the students at  the after glow reception.

For more information about the Native American & Hispanic Business Students go to http://www.nahbs.webs.com/

Each year WBSA invites a local woman leader to share her personal story of success to inspire members to achieve their professional and personal dreams. This year’s speaker is April Clobes, from the MSU Federal Credit Union.

The organization will also recognize the three most active general members and thank Altria representatives, MSU faculty and staff for their continued support.

It is a great opportunity to network with Fortune 500 corporate representatives, student leaders and MSU Faculty and Staff. Over 100 student and representatives from 20 corporations are expected to attend. It is a mix and mingle reception with appetizers and beverages.

The reception will celebrate Multicultural Business Students’ achievements in 2011 and is a chance for the students to thank the corporate representatives and MSU faculty and staff whose support makes these achievements possible.

The goal of the leadership retreat is to bring together members of Multicultural Business Programs in a relaxed environment that promotes camaraderie, professional development, and corporate networking amongst all individuals. The Executive Board o works tirelessly for the first two months of the semester to tie together all of the loose ends that are required to pull off such an event. Corporations need to contacted, location and transportation needs to booked, and applications need to be turned in and reviewed. Evan Kennebrew, President of Multicultural Business Students said, “the leadership retreat is MBS’ staple event which incorporates all aspects of what MBS wishes to provide its members and as President this year I was excited to be a part of the team which gave this opportunity to so many young professionals”.

The five companies that presented this year were: Eaton Corporation, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Conoco Phillips, Altria Group, and General Electric. All of the companies put on fantastic workshops with various topics such as “Motivation”, “Networking”, “Interviewing”, “Ethics” and a case study which allowed the participants to have an interactive dialogue with the recruiters.

Melissa Luther, a supply chain management freshman, said that her favorite corporate presenter was Conoco Phillips, who had the group perform a case study on the company’s recent efforts to split into 2 separate companies, because “it was very interactive and I felt like I left with a stronger understanding of the oil industry. Developing a strategy to divide the companies incorporated business concepts at a real-life perspective”.

Vito Caro, a marketing sophomore, also enjoyed Conoco Phillips presentation because “they got everyone involved and showed us a good example of a problem that they had as a company”.

Kim Rizzo, President of Native American & Hispanic Business Students said she enjoyed the Altria presentation on motivation because “it allowed everyone to contribute an opinion about their personal triumphs and tribulations in regards to motivation through adversity”.

The Leadership Retreat provides more than just professional opportunities for participants. Students from all four organizations under Multicultural Business Programs were present for the retreat, giving participants the chance to start building a network of peers. “The ability to bond and form a team really allowed each person to become a leader in their own, special way,” stated Vivek Iyer, freshmen MBS member.

Marketing freshman, Colleen Gallagher, said “interacting with students to grow [a bond] and support systems really helps one grow personally and professionally by allowing greater network connections”.

From late night campfires and ghost stories to polar dives and s’mores, the Leadership Retreat provided many avenues to showcase creativity, spontaneity, and initiative. Kaleigh Wilson, Fundraising Chair for Women In Business Students’ Association explained, “[The Leadership Retreat] went beyond the typical interaction between peers and recruiters. [It] created a more in depth interaction than a typical one hour meeting with corporate presenters and it allowed for deeper interaction and connection between people who have the potential of being lifelong networks and friends.”

The Leadership Retreat happens in early November every year. Be sure to be on the lookout for the 14^th Annual Leadership Retreat in 2012. “[The Leadership Retreat] was an opportunity for us to network with recruiters on a professional and social level and simultaneously bond with other members. I definitely recommend the leadership retreat to any MBP member,” said Nicolette Daka, an accounting sophomore.