STUDENTS SPREAD ACCEPTANCE THROUGH BUSINESS INITIATIVES

February 8, 2008

With guidance from Kirsten Edwards, some of the University’s most active students are working to change the diversity landscape at LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business through an array of initiatives. One such program is Diplomats for Diversity.
           
Edwards is the coordinator for the college’s Minority Business Program (MBP), which strives to recruit and retain underrepresented minority students to the E. J. Ourso College. The MBP utilizes the program Diplomats for Diversity, an association of undergraduate students whom attend student activities on and off campus, to aid that purpose. Additionally, members work to develop ideas that create and support community among minority business and pre-business students and mentor students enrolled in another MBP initiative, the Bridge to Success program.
           
“This is an amazing group of students,” Edwards said. “They have provided so much support to me and the Minority Business Program. Their involvement and suggestions are priceless. I couldn’t do it without them.”
           
Three such students are Katrina Jackson, Whitney Hughes, and Kelsey Dargin.
           
Jackson is a business management major with a minor in communication studies. A native of Baton Rouge, she often volunteers her time for various charities and is a member of several other collegiate organizations. These include LSU’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) chapter, the Student Advisory Board, the national honor and service organization Gamma Beta Phi, the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, and Students on Target. The latter of these serves as an auxiliary group of the Student Government executive branch and sponsors and coordinates annual and year-round wellness events.
           
“I'm a diplomat because I aspire to help underclassmen achieve their collegiate goals,” Jackson said. “Furthermore, I hope to be a positive influence for all of my fellow colleagues and inspire those who want to reach their prospective business goals.”
           
Hughes, who is a native of Mobile, Ala., is pursing a degree in marketing with a minor in leadership development. In addition to interning for LSU Athletics Marketing & Promotions, she is a member of the national professional fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon and of Sports Illustrated Campus Consultants. Sports Illustrated Campus Consultants serve as interns whom assist in the promotion of Sports Illustrated, SIoncampus.com and other programs within the SI franchise.
           
Like Jackson, Hughes joined the program because she felt it is taking the necessary steps to provide opportunities and advancements to minority business students.

"I wanted to become a Diplomat for Diversity because I believe that minority students who have achieved success in the E. J. Ourso College of Business have an obligation to help others to do the same,” Hughes said.
           
Dargin, another Baton Rouge native, is an accounting major. She is a member of Pi Sigma Epsilon, a Girl Scout leader, and a member of LSU’s Martin Luther King Day Committee. She also serves as a program assistant for STRIPES, which focuses on giving entering freshmen the opportunity to confidently find their place among their fellow Tigers. Additionally, Dargin is a University Center for Freshman Year Orientation Panel Member and a Summer Scholars volunteer.
           
“I am a Diplomat for Diversity because I care,” Dargin said. “This program did not exist when I began my degree. So, now I can give back to students who have come after me and help them to have easier access to programs, networks, mentors, and internships that I had to find on my own.”       
           
Aside from its signature emphasis on academic excellence and its strong commitment to commercial and community involvement, the E. J. Ourso College has always been supremely focused on both ensuring equality within its departments and helping to engender acceptance in every single branch of the school. In this way, graduates move into the corporate world equipped with a rich set of experiences and can rely on valuable time spent in the company of other perspectives and backgrounds.
           
By fostering a preparatory atmosphere, the college creates an eclectic dynamic that naturally enhances the interpersonal assets of all its members to deal with an ever-broadening world market. Designing a culture that embraces difference cannot be achieved by mere rhetoric. Only by concretely implementing actual programs that look to facilitate this process of exposure can true unity be accomplished.
           
“Minority students face many hurdles in any job market,” Dargin said. “By having programs in place such as the Bridge to Success program and Diplomats for Diversity, students receive many benefits and opportunities to network that will give them a sense of belonging and an overall opportunity to excel.”