Few student exploits over the summer could match the power lunch enjoyed by Reginald Sanders (HBS '02), who broke bread and talked business with Jack Welch, the legendary force behind General Electric.

Sanders earned the honor of dining with Welch by placing the winning bid of $3,200 in an auction sponsored by Section NG that was held on campus last April to benefit Summer Search Boston (SSB). A nonprofit organization, SSB provides scholarships for summer programs to high-school students who demonstrate strength of character and leadership abilities. "I received help to get where I am," says Sanders, a Tennessee native who graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in accounting. "It was great to be able to give back to an organization that could have a similar impact on someone's life."

By his own account, the two hours Sanders spent with Welch left a deep impression. The pair met for a catered lunch in a room next to Welch's office on the 53rd floor of the GE Building at Rockefeller Plaza. "We talked nonstop," says Sanders, who spent his summer in Boston at the investment management firm of Gannett Welsh & Kotler. "There was lots of back-and-forth, just as you'd have in a normal conversation." In addition to counseling Sanders on how to proceed with his planned career in the investment management industry, Welch offered a sneak preview of his new autobiography, Jack: Straight from the Gut.

"He advised me to start off at a larger firm that would give me more access to management teams," recalls Sanders. "That way you can get to know the people who are responsible for a company's strategy." Other topics included GE's bid for Honeywell and Welch's confidence in his successor, Jeffrey R. Immelt (MBA '82).

"It was a rare opportunity to learn from someone who has a long-term record of success in business," notes Sanders, who says Welch offered to set up meetings for him with managers in the investment management field. "This is why I came to HBS — to meet people and take advantage of experiences like this. It's something I'll remember for the rest of my life."

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