A Social Innovator’s Journey
By Prabha Dublish, Undergraduate student at Babson College and Undergraduate Scholar at The Lewis Institute.
In high school, I knew that I wanted to be involved with social entrepreneurship, but was constantly frustrated by the fact that very few colleges had programs supporting this interest. One day, I spontaneously went to an info session for Babson College. I went into the session knowing very little about Babson but left extremely impressed. I asked the recruiter the same question that I have asked many other recruiters before: “How can I learn more about social entrepreneurship on your campus?” I was thrilled with her response that Babson had a center for social innovation on campus called The Lewis Institute. Making the commitment to Babson, I knew that I wanted to be involved in the center in any way possible.
After interviewing for an open position available at The Lewis Institute, I was excited to join the team. For the past two years, I have learned so much more about social innovation than I could have ever imagined. From meeting inspirational people to attending events showcasing social innovation in action, The Lewis Institute has been a catalyst for me to explore my passion. And the most important thing that I have learned over the past two years is that creating impactful change centers on taking action and actively pursuing your dreams.
So with that motto in mind, I have decided to spend my next year at Babson primarily focusing on growing my nonprofit, Womentum. I knew that telling Emily and Cheryl about my decision to stop working at The Lewis Institute was going to be difficult. The Lewis Institute is like a second home to me and a critical aspect of my college life so far. What I didn’t expect was how supportive and even excited for me Cheryl and Emily would be. I was struck by how much they supported my decision to do whatever it takes to make my nonprofit successful.
Emily and Cheryl live the mindset that The Lewis Institute incubates people, not ideas. For the past two years, I’ve witnessed them live this mantra every day. Now I get to be the one who experiences the power of authentic relationships first hand. For this reason, The Lewis Institute will always have a special place for me. I’m sad that I have to step away from the place that brought me to this point, but I know I will still be living what the center preaches.