As young individuals, we are tasked with developing entrepreneurial mindsets through lemonade stands, bake sales, fundraising through school, and/or collecting cash from our grandparents. It is a skill that is not created easily, rather, something that is engaged through experiences and interactions with other individuals. These experiences are highlighted and continue through academic, business, and professional campaigns. To maximize success, it is crucial to understand the fundamentals behind an entrepreneurial mindset. These skills (initiative and self-reliance, future orientation, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, comfort with risk, flexibility and adaptability, and opportunity recognition) are not only beneficial to business individuals but people of all domains.

As a Haller Global Honors Fellow, I have divulged into this mindset through many experiences with clients, faculty, and colleagues. While creating a presentation to visually show the SPC the possible future of their organization, I was able to maintain creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, and communication and collaboration with my peers. We spoke with RJ Thompson, an associate director of student engagement at the university, about developing a successful marketing strategy. This creative insight allowed my team (fundraising) to become comfortable with risk-taking and recognizing opportunities. RJ allowed us to understand that by taking risks and ‘going big’ with SPC, we could fully expand their horizons. As a consultant, I am developing an entrepreneurial mindset, just like when I was younger.

The Haller Global Honors Fellowship has allowed me to develop an intellectual and professional attitude towards creative marketing, consulting strategies, and my business potential.