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A Touch of Class by Cody Morris. A bi-weekly look at the McCombs School experience. |
February 26, 2001
HBSA: Una Familia de Estudiantes
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It’s not hard to see why the Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA) was named Best Overall Student Organization last year.
In its 25th year on campus, HBSA is more active than ever—providing approximately 150 undergraduates with valuable opportunities ranging from a game of laser tag to hooking up with a corporate mentor from the real world to traveling to Houston for this year’s leadership conference.
“I feel like I’m a part of something big,” says Antonia Bernal, junior. “It’s an organization that not only provides professional development opportunities, but it also helps you build lifelong friends.”
Maria Guzman, senior and president of HBSA, would be happy to hear that.
“Our main goal every year is to retain minority students not only in the business school, but across the university,” says Guzman who views HBSA as a kind of “support system” for incoming Hispanic students.
In fact, many HBSA members are not even business majors. Jose Luis Guerra, sophomore and athletic chair for HBSA, is an undecided liberal arts major. Guerra decided to get involved in HBSA last semester after he received a flyer about HBSA’s Company Night.
“HBSA’s really friendly,” he says. “There are non-business majors, and there are non-Hispanics.”
To help new members adjust to life at the nation’s largest university, HBSA has an internal Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. Relationship building activities include a picnic at Zilker Park, laser tag, a Christmas party, a camping trip and a trip to Fiesta Texas at the end of the year.
“The purpose of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program is to give a new member a peer mentor to learn and grow with,” says Liza Lorenzi, junior and secretary of HBSA. A Big Sister herself, Lorenzi says she enjoys welcoming new faces to the university.
The HBSA Corporate Mentor Program is based on a similar philosophy. The program matches businesspeople with HBSA members. Throughout the semester, students meet with their mentors in a variety of settings, including a visit to their corporate offices.
Students also have the opportunity to practice their putting strokes on the golf course with their mentors or challenge their mentors to a game of bowling. Companies participating in HBSA’s Corporate Mentor Program include Apple, Charles Schwab, Motorola and State Farm.
Fifty to sixty companies as well as a guest speaker (most recently Red McCombs himself) also take part in HBSA’s Company Night held every fall. The event is the equivalent of a job fair, and throughout the night, students and businesses talk to each other about internship and job opportunities.
In an effort to recruit more Hispanic high school students, on March 30 HBSA will host College 101, a one-day event showcasing the University and the McCombs School to Hispanic high school juniors. Students from the Austin area as well as the Rio Grande Valley will tour campus, visit with HBSA members and learn about admission requirements and the application process.
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Lorenzi joined HBSA two years ago after attending a general meeting that she recalls as “professional, welcoming and interesting.” Bernal knew she wanted to join HBSA after a campus visit to UT during her senior year of high school.
“We happened to go up to the 5th floor of the business school, and some HBSA members were there. They talked to us about what they did, and I was immediately hooked,” she says. “It may sound corny, but we really are like a family. I know if I need to get a hold of someone, I can always go the cubicle.”
This February Bernal co-chaired Austin Field Trip, a two-day event in which HBSA members went to visit companies such as Dell, Merrill Lynch, Delloite & Touche and BAE Systems. Students got a glimpse of real-life at companies they may be interested in working at.
“It helped us learn about the workplace environment,” says Guerra. “We also got to see how co-workers interact with one another.”
Most recently the group attended its annual two-day leadership seminar. This year the seminar was held in Houston from Feb. 22-25. On the first day, students took part in a number of different workshops designed to hone their business and professional skills. Workshop subjects ranged from resume building and networking skills to interviewing tips and proper money management. The second day students attended a career fair with companies from around the nation.
“It was excellent,” says Guerra who happened to win a conference drawing for a Palm Pilot. “There were other students from all over the country. It was a great learning experience and a lot of fun.”
HBSA members exude enthusiasm and pride in their organization and believe in giving back to their community. On March 5, HBSA will host the 5th Annual Grand Slam for Cans Softball Tournament, an all-day event benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank.
For more information about the Hispanic Business Student Association contact HBSA Secretary Liza Lorenzi (512-343-7644).
For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.
