Reviving a Quiet Campus: How Business Leaders Club Became the Largest Club at Penn State’s Abington Campus
In this week's news post, we have the pleasure of interviewing Brett Duffey and Jayani Jayakanthan! As the President and Vice President, respectively, of the Business Leaders Club, they are responsible for the operations of the largest club on the entire campus of Penn State Abington, with over 500 members.
Brett, could you please tell us the story of when and how the Business Leaders Club came to be?
Above: Brett Duffey
Penn State Abington Business Leaders would not have been created without the awesome students who make up our organization. Going back to the spring of 2022, former Penn State Abington Business Leaders VP Justin Heckler came to me with an idea to start a business and current events club. The result was Penn State Abington Business Leaders. Through three-plus semesters, we have hosted business conferences, special guest speakers, networking events, and many more things to contribute to the business ecosystem at Abington. Our goal has been and always will be to provide value for students interested in business and career skills. This organization would not be possible without the original founders: Justin, Jayani, Ryan Ramirez, Vincent Tarsi, Maddy Hrouda, Blaise Sabatina, Jason Chen, Joe Pagano, Sal DeSena, Anna Eckert, Derek Magers, Hyemin Kwon, and so many others. These amazing individuals fostered an environment of professionalism and value that I have seen in very few other areas. I'm truly grateful for having worked with all of them.
Brett, could you elaborate on the mission of the club?
The mission of Penn State Abington Business Leaders is to provide real-world business and career skills in a fun and collaborative environment. College is a great place to learn the fundamentals of business, but there's only so much that can be learned in a general classroom setting. Penn State Abington Business Leaders strives to delve deeper into the topics that make up real-world finance, marketing, management, accounting, investing, entrepreneurship, and many other areas. We believe that connecting like-minded individuals is extremely important, especially with the student base at Abington shifting often as a Commonwealth Campus. Simply said, Penn State Abington Business Leaders aims to go beyond the classroom to explore business and career topics with like-minded students while doing our part to build relationships and connections that outlive our time at Penn State Abington.
Jayani, what have been your favorite club events?
Above: Jayani Jayakanthan
Penn State Abington Business Leaders have hosted numerous successful events, with my favorites being the Business Networking Event and the Shark Tank Competition. Networking events are incredibly powerful for college students, as they can establish connections with industry professionals, access opportunities like internships and research projects, and gain valuable experience in speaking, networking, and acclimating to professional environments. During the Business Networking event, I witnessed the student community coming together to learn and grow. It bridged the gap between employers from both local and national companies, and I take pride in being part of a student organization that offers such incredible opportunities to students.
The Shark Tank Competition was another outstanding event for students to unleash their creativity and apply the skills they've acquired in classrooms. Teams of students were assigned the task of generating unique ideas that address institutional gaps and were evaluated by fellow student officers. This event fostered a fun, collaborative environment in which students were hands-on and engaged in presentations and teamwork! There are more events on the horizon, and I can't wait to create more memories with Business Leaders Club and our student community!
Jayani, which methods of growing the club have been the most effective?
Penn State Abington Business Leaders made club growth a priority by enhancing awareness of our events and opportunities in classrooms and on social media. Ahead of each event, our officers informed business professors to share event descriptions on the class portal, Canvas. This ensured that every business-focused student became aware of our events and activities, and they reached out to us with their inquiries. This proved to be an effective approach for expanding the club, as it facilitated both event promotion and student connections.
Social media also played a pivotal role in our outreach efforts. We effectively used platforms like Instagram to disseminate news about our latest activities using creative and vibrant visuals. Through consistent posts on our Instagram page and stories, students witnessed the group's unwavering commitment to student development and engagement. We plan to continue employing these strategies to further expand the club in the upcoming years!
Brett, where do you envision the future of the Business Leaders Club heading? Are there any events planned for this fall semester?
Above: The guest speakers featured at the previous networking conference organized by Penn State Abington Business Leaders
The longevity of Penn State Abington Business Leaders has always been important to me and my fellow officers. A student organization can truly be considered valuable only if it outlives one's time on campus. I believe that the steps we have taken to host business-themed events, connect like-minded students, and foster relationships with other campus offices and organizations have positioned Penn State Abington Business Leaders well for the future. I genuinely believe this club will endure for a while as future students seek an organization to learn about practical business and career skills. The precedent of defined bi-weekly meetings and more targeted, larger events is a model that future leaders of Penn State Abington Business Leaders can follow. For this semester, we plan to continue our general meetings where we'll discuss a useful topic every other week, in addition to hosting at least one business conference to connect real-world business leaders with our officers and members. I look forward to the next chapter of Penn State Abington Business Leaders.