Greetings from the Mountain! The daffodils are in full bloom and students have just left campus for Spring Break. We have lots of upcoming events before commencement in May. Enjoy and explore our latest news!

One of the cornerstones of the business honors program is a 15-week, full-time, paid internship with one of the Babson Center's partner companies. Our 10 juniors refined resumes and prepared for extensive interviews to land these competitive jobs, which are located around the globe. Kabir Menon and Jennifer Quispe were awarded the Scott Scholarship for international internships in Dakar, Senegal, and Singapore and Bali, Indonesia, respectively. The Scott Scholarship is funded by a generous gift from John B. Scott, C'66, and C. Jay Scott II, C'65.

“As an intern at Nomura Greentech, I’ve had the chance to dive into the fast-paced world of investment banking. Working closely with mentors, I’ve learned how crucial adaptability and effective communication are for getting things done well in this field." 

— Aqsa Jamali, investment banking analyst intern

2024 Green's View Capital Student Investment Club Officers

Sewanee’s student-led investment club offers participants the ability to contribute to the growth of a $3,200,000 portfolio, including $2,000,000 for social impact investments. Members work in collaborative investment teams and learn the fundamentals of equity investing managing this portion of the University's endowment. Meet our new officers.

Left to right: Brooke Despriet, C'25; Susan Forrest, C'25; Sage Cookerly, C'26; Lexi Barbee, C'26; William Coley, C'26; Joanie Farley, C'26; Tyler Scott, C'26; Will Brookby, C'26; George Smith, C'27; Luke Hunter, C'27; Cameron Thornton, C'25; and Luka Stojkovich, C'26

Bryan Viewpoints Speaker Simba Chakanyuka, C'18

Vice President, Financial Institutions Group

The Babson Center was thrilled to welcome back former Carey Fellow Simba Chakanyuka, our first business honors alumnus to be a featured speaker. During his presentation, “The Opportunity to Lead with Purpose and Drive: Reflections on the Journey (so far) in Financial Services,” Simba shared personal and career advice from different stages of his life: growing up in Zimbabwe, living in the Sewanee community, and working in the financial sector. His rapid rise to success was due to embracing challenges, working diligently, seizing opportunities in his community, and maintaining relationships. Read the article in The Sewanee Purple.

Left to right:  Myles Elledge, C'85; Simba Chakanyuka, C'18; and Sherry Khan, C'24

After his talk, Simba spoke with international students, Alana Jimmy, C'26, and Ahmad Ijaz, C'24.

Left to right:  Kourtni Hamilton, C'26; Ashton Butler, C'25; Alana Jimmy, C'26; and Lina Khomenok, C'25

Left to right:  Tinashe Zimbwa, Tari Kandemiri, C'18, Simba Chakanyuka, and Myles Elledge

Carey Fellow Savi Annunziata, C'24, Inducted into

Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Nation's Oldest Academic Honor Society

Left to right:  Savi Annunziata and Myles Elledge

As an international student from Naples, Italy, Savi has a friendship family in Sewanee, the Grays: Peter, Giulianna, Joseph, and Francesca

Bryan Viewpoints Speaker Laurel Graefe

Regional Executive and Senior Officer 

With enthusiasm and a passion for crunching numbers and gathering anecdotal data, Laurel Graefe captivated the audience during her talk, "Economic and Business Insights from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta: A Conversation with Laurel Graefe." After providing an overview of the Federal Reserve Bank and her role determining monetary policy, Graefe discussed trends for young people in the work force and answered questions about AI and the housing market. She had encouraging words for a liberal arts education, saying, "We need a workforce that can connect and interact and adapt—and that's you!" Read the article in The Sewanee Purple.

Laurel Graefe explains the dual mandate of the Fed: price stability and maximum employment.

The Torian Room was packed with members of the  Sewanee community interested in economic trends in the Southeast.

Seniors enjoyed hearing more about the state of our economy as they get closer to being in the workforce.

Left to right:  Susan Forrest, C'25; Laurel Graefe; and Myles Elledge, C'85

Temi Adejumobi, C'24; Ahmad Ijaz, C'24;

and Annabel Feltner, C'25

Temi Adejumobi, Annabel Feltner, and Ahmad Ijaz represented Sewanee in the 2024 CFA Greater Tennessee Research Challenge in Nashville, an annual global equity research competition for university students. Before this sub-regional competition, the Sewanee team was mentored by Assistant Professor of Finance Dr. Huarui Jing, who provided guidance on their financial analysis of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. They were judged by prominent public investors from across the Southeast on their ability to value a stock, write a research report, and present their recommendations. 

Sophomore Carey Fellows traveled to Nashville for the day to attend four meetings with business leaders in the music, healthcare, legal, and finance industries. During visits to company offices and a lunch meeting, Sewanee business honors students gained valuable career advice and insight into niche markets. We are grateful to alumni and friends who generously gave their time to our students:

Warner Music Group

Advocate Capital

TSV is a Student-Run Business Association (SRBA) member organization that promotes student entrepreneurship and business education through experiences. This semester, TSV successfully launched TSV Apparel and began printing custom T-shirts for student organizations around campus. After completing two orders of T-shirts and hoodies for a total revenue of $2,000, members would like to expand to become the go-to custom apparel organization for student life and create their own product line. 

Gary Nischwitz, C'25, and George Handley, C'26

George Handley custom prints a T-shirt.

Upcoming Events

Ted Dennard, C'89

founder and owner

The Savannah Bee Company

March 28

Kevin Lilly

founder, Avalon Capital

chairman, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

April 4

Please support the Babson Center and our programs on April 9!