My One Choice was the Difference

Allison Pearson

• Professor of Management, Richard C. Adkerson Notable Scholar, William L. Giles Distinguished Professor
• College of Business

“Getting involved in a variety of organizations in college helped me (1) select my major, (2) get to know a lot of other people who became good friends, (3) get to know professors who would later write recommendation letters for jobs and graduate school, (4) stay involved in community service activities in a new community, and (4) have a lot of fun! When I went to college I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in. I joined several organizations - both social and professional. Through those groups, I discovered new friends, new ideas, and learned I was a fairly organized person who liked to plan and strategize. These are just the skills needed for careers in business, so I discovered my major! Through those organizations I also got to know professors who really helped me along the way. They suggested good courses, other organizations to get involved in, and ultimately wrote my recommendation letters for graduate school and jobs. Finally, many of the organizations I joined had a community service component. I had been active in community service in my hometown, but moving away to college I didn't really know how to reconnect to helping others in a new community. My college organizations bridged that gap through afterschool tutoring programs for kids and other programs to help out in my college community. In short, the organizations I joined in college shaped the ultimate path of my life - my major, my friends, graduate school and ultimately my career as a professor, and reinforced my involvement in community service and helping others.”