School of Business hosts international student celebration dinner

The sound of festive music and the smell of delicious global cuisine greeted School of Business students, faculty, and staff who gathered in Reynolda Hall for the International Student Celebration dinner, part of International Education Week.

“Daily, I think about how grateful I am that you are a part of our community,” said Amanda Horton, senior associate director of integrative student services for the School of Business, as she welcomed attendees. “Tonight we are here to collectively celebrate your stories, your experiences, and your contributions to our school.”

Luna Zhou, an undergraduate accounting major, was one of the students who attended. Zhou began her international education experience when she moved from Jiang Su, China to Asheville, North Carolina for her final year of high school. When it came time for college, she decided on Wake Forest.

“The Business School creates a community for international students through teamwork,” she said. “My professors also help everyone to engage in class. It really makes a difference.”

The audience heard many stories like Zhou’s during the student spotlight video that debuted at the dinner. In the video, international students share how they gained a global perspective by attending the School of Business. They discuss everything from finding their way around the area to using their English skills and fighting introversion.

“We wanted to shine the spotlight on our fantastic international student community and highlight the tremendous diversity of experiences,” said Matt Imboden, executive director of integrative student services for the School of Business. “Tonight’s video was just one more way to make our students the focus.”

Dean Charles Iacovou ended the evening by reflecting on his own experience as an international student 20 years ago.

“Being an international student studying abroad is not an easy endeavor,” he said. “I want to celebrate your courage. There is no doubt that the experiences you bring to Winston-Salem and Wake Forest and the stories you share about your journeys are creating a much richer and much more inclusive learning environment in the classroom.”

Share the Love

School of Business students, faculty, and staff enjoyed healthy Valentine’s treats as the Graduate Service Coalition helped us share the love by providing paper, stickers, markers, and decorations for handmade valentines. The greetings were picked up by Lowes Foods and delivered to seniors in assisted living facilities around the local area.

Chinese New Year

In celebration of the lunar new year and the Year of the Dog, the MS in Business Analytics program held a celebration lunch with authentic cuisine including homemade dumplings. The following day, a school-wide celebration brought students, faculty, and staff together to celebrate culture and enjoy the community.

Wake Forest School of Business Students Spread Cheer at Project Pumpkin

More than 1,000 Winston-Salem children arrived on campus ready for an afternoon full of trick-or-treating and games at Project Pumpkin, an annual event started by Wake Forest students in 1988 with the goal of bringing together the university and the surrounding community.

This year’s theme was “Superheroes vs. Villains,” and children sprinted around the colorfully decorated upper quad in every hero costume imaginable to visit booths sponsored by on-campus organizations.

Each organization handed out treats and brought a different game to their booth, ranging from cornhole to Twister. Students also escorted groups of children around campus and spent the afternoon with them, helping to ensure a safe and entertaining Halloween celebration.

From the School of Business, both Business Students of Color (BSOC) and the Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) students participated in the festivities and hosted tables and games.

“I attended Wake Forest as an undergrad, and I absolutely loved the tradition of Project Pumpkin,” said MS in Business Analytics student Jamila Terrell (’18), a BSOC member, wearing her Incredibles costume. “We’ve had so many opportunities today to interact with the kids and show them the games we set up. We get to see if our game ideas actually work!”

Across the quad, the MSA table was equally swamped with eager visitors. Lucas Prillaman (’17), said he was glad to participate in the event again. “We set up around 3 p.m. and the crowds of kids have been pouring in ever since.” Prillaman said. “I volunteered last year, and I couldn’t wait for this day this year.”

Forsyth Backpack program

Master’s in Management students joined their new classmates in a week of orientation activities that culminated in packing more than 3,200 meals for Forsyth Backpack, an organization that aims to feed chronically hungry school children in the local school system. One in four children in North Carolina live in poverty and North Carolina’s rate of child food insecurity is almost twice the national rate.

To kick off the project, Ethan Todd (MA ’15) led a discussion on servant leadership. Todd, an alumnus who works for Dell in Austin, Texas, helped connect with and plan the orientation partnership with Forsyth Backpack during his time at Wake Forest. Dell sponsored this year’s orientation service project.

Hit the Bricks

Graduate teams from the Wake Forest School of Business participated in Hit the Bricks, donning weighted backpacks as they sprinted laps around Hearn Plaza to raise money for cancer research.

This year, four teams represented the School with more than 50 student, faculty, and staff participants. For the third consecutive year, a School team placed first in the graduate division.

Alyssa Frizzelle captained one of the MSA teams. “The scope of Hit the Bricks is incredible to me,” she said. “My undergraduate school didn’t have any event that could compare to this.”

The Hit the Bricks tradition was started by two Wake Forest students in 2003 to support the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund for patients and their families at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. Since its beginning, Hit the Bricks participants have run more than 254,032 laps and raised $329,843.

Fit for Business 5K

Over 75 people participated in the School of Business Third Annual Fit for Business 5K. The run/walk course begins and ends at Farrell Hall. The event raised $3,600 from registrations and donations for HOPE of Winston-Salem, a nonprofit that uses community volunteers to prepare and bring nutritious weekend meals to Forsyth County’s 40,000 children who are at risk for hunger.