PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 17, 2020) – It’s one of the most prestigious programs of its kind in the country – the annual Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP). It’s a one-week educational session designed for college seniors. The Ivy League institution created the program to help underrepresented students learn more about the school’s master of business administration (MBA) program and help create diversity in business graduate programs.
This year, the program – like so many other educational ventures – went virtual, and two Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) College of Business students were part of its cohort. Finance major Richard Dabner III and Jane Olear, a marketing major, minoring in supply chain management.
Richard Dabner III
The session combined Zoom discussions and presentations from alumni and business leaders. Participants took part in webinars and learned about the structure of Harvard’s MBA program and what it meant to be a graduate student in a business school.
“I really loved it,” said Olear. “My big takeaway was that you have to step out of your comfort zone. One woman who took part said she wasn’t going to apply to Harvard, but her brother convinced her she should. ‘Don’t doubt yourself,’ he told her. That really resonated for me.”
Dabner, who said he was interested in checking out the multitude of resources Harvard could offer, liked what he called the strength of the program’s community.
Jane Olear
“I was able to meet – virtually – other people who had the same drive as me, and who are trying to get to the same place,” he said. “I’m ambitious, and so were these people.”
Finding likeminded people, under the umbrella of one of the top business programs in the nation, was an experience both PVAMU students found not only useful but inspiring, especially the closing session hosted by Grammy-winning artist Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson. The couple founded the Why Not You Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating change in the world by motivating and empowering young people.
“It doesn’t matter what people tell you,” said Dabner about his reaction to their talk. “You have to have the mindset that you can be what you want, and you can create the future you want.”
Neither Dabner nor Olear felt they missed out on anything by attending the SMVP virtually. In fact, Dabner commented that being able to attend remotely meant that he could clue in on the program’s offerings without the distractions or wonder of being on Harvard’s campus.
Both students are ready for whatever is next in their own futures. Dabner said that after attending the SMVP, he’s rethinking what he wants to do professionally and how to best use his business education to get him there.
“The SMVP inspired me to go get an MBA,” said Olear. “After PVAMU, I really want to get my JD [Juris Doctor degree] and MBA, which will let me do anything I put my mind to.”
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By Holly Beretto