30 years later and a community that endures

By Lucía Paiz ’95 MBA

When my class graduated from the Two- Year MBA Program at Kellogg in May 1995, we were graduating at the No. 1 Business School, according to Business Week, and in the top spots in many other polls. We felt we were at the top of our game, and marching off to our new jobs and, of course, our brilliant future careers.

Last year, as I attended our 30-year reunion, I found the energy among our classmates was logically very different, and most conversations centered around how our lives had changed. Yet, at the end of reunion, a more meaningful question endured, not about what was different but about what remained the same.

As a 30-year Kellogg alumna, and through many conversations and shared experiences with friends and classmates, I have come to the realization that certain qualities endure: our energy, our desire to improve and our strong sense of community. Three decades of life experience have shaped us in countless ways, but these traits remain common denominators among Kellogg alumni.

Kellogg Cares Day, the largest annual community-driven volunteering series of events hosted by the Kellogg Alumni Council, encompasses all three characteristics. This initiative also helps keep our local networks connected. On Kellogg Cares Day, local alumni set aside one day in October to roll up their sleeves for a good cause.  This year there were nearly 30 events, many of them supported by alumni clubs.

In Guatemala City, we have embraced Kellogg Cares Day as an opportunity to help many less fortunate people, particularly the homeless and elderly. We raise funds and purchase basic food items at discount supermarkets to assemble food pantry bags that can be given directly to those in need.  Every year, we get together for a morning of hard work, and some even recruit their spouses or children as additional volunteers. While our group is small, with about 15 volunteers, we have been able to donate more than 200 bags with basic food items, such as: sugar, salt, rice, black beans, oats, milk, pasta, tomato sauce, coffee (a must in Guatemala), instant ramen soup and other common Guatemalan foods.

What brings us together? I believe the answer comes in three parts: a sense of community, the need for engagement and a heart that wants to be active in giving back.

A shared purpose 

Kellogg alumni are drawn by a sense of community. Thanks to all those team-building groups and assignments, we have developed the skills to work with others, taking into account similarities and differences from us, to be able to create a sense of achieving great things together.  In our activity, it is a great feeling to work with children and young adults, to teach and guide them, but also to gladly accept their tech know-how and the fresh perspectives they bring. We also bring a broad spectrum of experience to the table, from various careers and industries, to profiles as founders, entrepreneurs and family offices.

A tradition of engagement

Kellogg alumni are also recognized for their commitment to staying involved and supporting one another. Sitting on the sidelines as spectators just isn’t our style. I believe engagement is an integral part of every Kellogg alum’s DNA. We don’t sit back and watch. We get involved, take action and become a part of the solution. Even when time is tight and agendas are full, we find ways to keep the project going, each supporting within our means and resources. Once we commit, we find a way to make it happen.

An alumni network that pays it forward  

Kellogg alumni are committed to giving back. Every time I talk to a Kellogg alum, I find they are helping some organization or someone, in very diverse ways.  From foundations to causes close to our hearts, we find ways to make this world a little better. Giving back can be monetary, but it can also take shape in other ways, like using your time to assemble bags of food, mentoring a young professional or sitting on a board and offering guidance to help organizations grow sustainably. Our top MBA education and years of experience allow us to help people and companies earlier in their journeys, but who will soon be shaping the future.

The Kellogg spirit that endures

I believe you can witness these three values in action at our Kellogg Cares Day in Guatemala, and I can also see the same spirit reflected in alumni club gatherings around the world each October.  Thirty years later, some things haven’t changed at all. 

Being a volunteer is a part of the culture of service to others ingrained in Kellogg students since day one, when we are encouraged to sign up to clubs and participate in non-academic activities. I personally served on BWAH, helped gather information to publish the Kellogg Meta (formerly known as Facebook) page, was a blackjack dealer in Casino Night, served Guatemalan beer on Beer Fest and even dressed in costume at the Lincoln Park Zoo to care for children and safety on Halloween.   

Kellogg Cares Day is one more proof of how serving others can in turn help us form and solidify personal connections, strengthen relationships to other Kellogg alumni and provide a meaningful experience — that is in itself a testament to the Kellogg theme of enduring engagement and service. 

Read next: Five years on the road: Building community across continents