Memoirs of an Asa
Babson is, and always will be, an ever-changing community, and the beautiful part of that is the fact that everyone’s actions are focused on the future of the school. I believe I attended Babson on the cusp of an era, which allowed me to really see how Babson could transform. As a first year student, I was highly unaware of the importance of figures like Len Schlesinger, Dennis Hanno, and Grant Gosselin who stood at the helm of Babson, shaping the school into something we could write home about, write to magazines about, and go to interviews knowing what we had in our pockets.
I graduated from a high school class of 86 students; graduation was brief. So an ocean of 2,000 students, in my opinion, was where I needed to be, and I knew it could help me achieve my goals. I placed myself in a position where I was a pin point for prospective students, current students, and the few soon-to-be graduating students that I knew, and continue to keep in contact with. In my FME class, after a disappointing loss for the position of CEO of our business, I quickly rallied myself to cheer for those elected. After our elections had ended, my professors at the time, Ken Park & Catherine Manning, pulled me to the side and gave me a piece of knowledge that I will carry forever, they said, “You don’t have to be a CEO or a VP to be a star in a company or organization, and you can be the example of that.” With every success that I have ever had at Babson, I thought about that moment.
Way back in 2009
Junior year, I took a leadership role and traveled. I finally achieved some of the highest goals that I’d set for myself in my freshman year and became the President for Origins of Necessary Equality, and traveled with a group of 52 to Ghana. The experiences were everything I wanted them to be. As the leader of the diversity organization which was one of the top three reasons that I decided to come to Babson, I finally had an opportunity to take it and mold it into a staple for the college, as a source for equality and communication on tough topics. In Ghana I was able to educate young minds about entrepreneurship and the opportunities that they had in front of them, while I bonded with people that I will continue to collaborate with forever. These were the moments that I had been prepping for during the first half of my Babson career.
Suddenly, I was here in my senior year. And I keep saying to myself “how on earth did I get here?” I guess while writing this I got to do a quick review of what it was that I did to get here. In my senior year, I have done the most reflecting on why I truly love Babson, and I’ve concluded: it’s the people. Every day I was surrounded by ambitious, diverse, and humorous people, and where on earth would I be without them? The leaders of Babson, both staff and students, taught me the importance of being a leader, while the entrepreneurs showed me the importance of following your dreams. And the hands that were extended when I thought I was falling, reminded me why I get back up each time. Babson’s life blood is the caring that the community has for the school, and the desire to improve it, and I hope that the torch that inspired me to be great will inspire those who come after me.
Thank you.
Asa Cary