President Joe La Mariana called the meeting to order at the stroke of 12:15
Pledge of Allegiance: Joe then asked Sheryl Young to lead us in our Pledge. The synchronicity was a bit improved.
Invocation: Cheryl Fama was the chosen one to deliver her inspirational thoughts. She felt the quotes that Jennifer Pence shared last week were a tough act to follow. However, she took her cue from that week’s speaker who said she was dedicated to, among other things, service. As service is one of the core values of Rotary, Cheryl asked us to reflect on the many activities our Club has done over the past year to make the lives of others better. After listing a number of these efforts, she closed with some quotes from some lesser-known folks and two well known personalities; “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give” Winston Churchill and “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not” Dr.Suess.
Guests: Sheryl Young introduced her friend, Antoinette Battiste
Announcements: Joe first noted the recently completed 10th Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser. We are still waiting for the final numbers. He did caution that the amount raised will not be as high as last year’s event. Joe reminded us of the board meeting next Wednesday, the 27th. As it is an open meeting anyone can attend, however, new members are encouraged to do so since it is part of their membership commitment.
The Holiday Party will be held on Wednesday, December 15 at Sapore in Burlingame.
Chris Ramirez sent us off to a couple of breakout sessions
Newscast+: Before embarking on this week’s newscast, Fritz Brauner asked Jennifer Pence to give us a heads-up for next week’s Halloween fun. Jennifer informed that we should all wear our Halloween costume and there will be judging as to the best ones.
Fritz then set up “Two Truths and a Lie”. The Rotarian selected to try to fool the audience was Bobba Venkatadri. His three claims were 1) Received a master’s in pharmacy and started his career in a drug store in New Jersey, 2) He spent only $1000 for higher education including two master’s degrees and all through the public school system, 3) He and his wife had a traditional marriage (AKA arranged marriage) and they have been happily married for 53 years.
The “lie” was number one as he never worked in a retail pharmacy.
Program:
Bobba Venkatadri introduced our speaker,
Dean Patricia Grant. Dr. Grant currently serves as Senior Associate Dean in the McDonough School of Business Undergraduate Program at Georgetown University. Dr. Grant noted that her group is working to connect the school’s MBA program more tightly with the undergraduate program to maximize the future success of the Georgetown student. She shared some statistics regarding the cost of higher education over the last twenty years. Tuition at private universities has risen 171%. At in-state public institutions that increase has been 211%. Georgetown strives to NOT be on the dreaded list of the most expensive schools in the nation and that they can attract, retain, and graduate a diverse core of students.
Even though Dr. Grant is not the dean of the MBA program she did address the subject of those returning to pursue an MBA. The world of business is constantly changing adding a global focus, so the additional degree has merit. Dr. Grant shared some demographic information the recent incoming class of 2021. The average student age was 29 and had five years of work experience. Most came with undergraduate degrees in either business or engineering. The class was made up of 32% women, 42% from diverse backgrounds, 37% are non-US born and 8% are veterans. The main reason that people pursue an MBA is the desire to change jobs. After the two-year program most graduates select a career in financial services, consulting and then tech, in that order. 90% have an offer within a few months of graduation with an average starting salary of $128,000 and a signing bonus of $34,000.
Dr. Grant then opened it up for questions. Jennifer Pence asked her what shift she had seen in the criteria for applicant acceptance? Dr. Grant replied that test scores, the GMAT and GRE, were still the focus. But the school is exploring other avenues. Th goal is to find those who will “soar”, those with an analytical mind and those that will become leaders.
There were many other well thought out questions and answers. This week’s editor would encourage you to watch the Zoom recording, so you get the full impact of Dr. Patricia Grant’s excellent and thought-provoking presentation.
