Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Business held its annual Dean’s Society Dinner on Saturday, Feb. 16. Held at the Renaissance Hotel in St. Louis, the dinner consisted of an international theme to focus on the increasing need of teaching globalization to business students.
The evening was hosted in the historic Statler Ballroom, which was built in 1917. As each guest arrived, they were able to interact with select current and former students who participated in the School’s International Program. The program enables students to study overseas in France, China, Germany, Hungary or England.
The guests who attended the function enjoyed samplings of cuisine from other countries. Luggage tags served as name cards at each individual’s seat, maps were used as decor and a photo montage of students’ international endeavors played in the background.
Once dinner had concluded, each student discussed their travels and what it meant to them. For senior business administration student Katie Weiler of Edwardsville, it was an honor to attend the dinner and meet the donors. “To be chosen to represent the international program and the School of Business meant a lot me,” Weiler said. “I have put a great amount of work into my SIUE education and to be able to show it to people, who helped make it happen, was an honor.”
Each year, the School of Business invites a former student to speak to the guests about the significance of their time in the School. This year’s speaker was Yurbuds Operations and Supply Chain Manager Stephen Tungett, ’08, ’10.
Tungett graduated with a bachelor’s in Business Administration and was working at a job that was not right for him. Unsure what to do, Tungett returned to SIUE and earned an MBA. While pursuing his master’s, he traveled to Hong Kong and found the experience that landed his dream job.
“I got the job I have today, because a coworker knew that I had been to Hong Kong and had some exposure to the Far East business culture,” said Tungett. “As globalization continues to grow, so will the number of international positions an employer needs to stay competitive. Programs like the travel study I did to Hong Kong are soon going to be a huge validation of someone’s ability to perform on the international stage.”
Among the donors that were present at the dinner were Doris Reynolds-Johnson,’83, ‘85 and her husband Gordon, ’82, ‘84. “Stephen’s experiences were exciting, and I hope he is presenting the same to current and possibly future students of the School of Business,” said Reynolds-Johnson. “He has the passion of a recent graduate that could inspire other SIUE students.”
Reynolds-Johnson, owner and CEO of Pragmatica Healthcare Solutions, found the focus of globalization to be extremely important. “Teaching globalization is imperative,” she said. “Experiencing globalization by standing on foreign soil is paramount. A student needs the foundation knowledge from the classroom, but the greatest teaching moments come from the actualization of that knowledge. Exposure through travel abroad solidifies the actualization.”
The Dean’s Society consists of more than 70 donors located worldwide. A total of 30 attended the dinner.
“For the members who were unable to make it the dinner, I would like to say that I am incredibly thankful for what you contribute to the School of Business,” said Weiler. “If it wasn’t for people like you, my educational experience wouldn’t be where it is today. To have a society that helps students prepare themselves to be successful in the business world is something for which I will be eternally grateful. One day, I hope to do the same for future SIUE students.
Tungett seconded Weiler’s appreciation, adding, “The older I get and the more people I meet, the more I appreciate the high quality and reasonable cost of SIUE’s business school, which would not be possible without your donations. I aspire to be a member of the Dean’s Society myself.”
“The Dean’s Society is truly a celebration of the dedicated alumni and friends who have provided financial contributions across the School of Business,” said Gary Giamartino, dean of the School. “It enables us to provide an excellent business education and learning experiences for our students. We are extremely grateful for their ongoing commitment.”
The SIUE School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, representing the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. The Princeton Review lists SIUE as one of the top 294 business schools in the U.S. and abroad. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in accounting, computer management and information systems, economics, finance, management and marketing. More than 20,000 alumni have earned degrees from the SIUE School of Business. For more information about the School of Business, visit: http://www.siue.edu/business/index.shtml
SIUE student Stephen Tungett speaks at the School of Business’ Dean’s Society dinner.