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Three Decades of Change and Counting
Now in its 31st year, the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP) offers rising college seniors who are typically underrepresented in the business school classroom the opportunity to live the MBA experience for one week each summer—cold calls, late-night case preps, and socializing included. Here, a few SVMP alumni who went on to graduate from HBS describe their first impressions of the program and how it influenced them.
Karen Caswelch (SVMP 1983, MBA 1988)
CEO, Akoya, Inc.
Indianapolis
"I heard about SVMP through the minority office at MIT, where I was an engineering undergrad. I thought, 'Hey, I don't need this minority stuff. I'm doing fine on my own.' I already knew for sure that I wanted to go to business school, so I wondered if I should even apply. Years later, I now understand that when you're offered an opportunity, for heaven's sake, take advantage of it!
I wasn't engaged with the African American community at MIT, so coming to SVMP was a pivotal point for me, both culturally and academically. Being around brilliant people and seeing all of these different personalities really opened up my perspective."
Sarah Curtis-Bey (SVMP 1997, MBA 2006)
Executive Director, Clinique Global Marketing
New York City
"SVMP was a major driver of my decision to pursue a career in business and an MBA at Harvard. After working at J.P. Morgan for almost six years after college, I was accepted to HBS. I also received a fellowship and internship offer from a leading finance firm and had plans to return to Wall Street. Shortly after arriving on campus, however, I realized that I wanted to take the opportunity to explore career alternatives outside finance and made the difficult decision to return the fellowship and pursue internship opportunities in consumer products. An experience that began with SVMP was ultimately life-changing for me."
Eric Calderon (SVMP 2008, MBA 2013)
Founder, TXE Capital
Houston
"When I first came to HBS, I was taken aback by how beautiful the campus was. Then, once I started meeting other SVMP participants, I realized pretty quickly that the quality of the people was on par with the quality of my surroundings. There is an incredible excitement and energy that hits you when you walk in the door.
"My dad is a police officer, and my mom is a schoolteacher. For most SVMP students, you don't have a family member you can call to ask, 'How was HBS when you were there?' But when you meet other students like you, you begin to realize that this is fun, this is engaging. It answered the question 'Can I be successful here?' with a yes."
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