ASME student member Hanna takes part in Harvard Business School program

Last summer, ASME student member Daniel J. Hanna learned about Harvard's Master's of Business Administration courses by taking part in the school's weeklong Summer Venture in Management Program. If you would like to be considered for the program this year, you have until May 10 to apply.

Harvard Business School's Summer Venture in Management curriculum consists of a week of instruction that introduces high-potential college students to the Harvard MBA program and the variety of opportunities a degree in management can afford. Participants — college students in the summer between their junior and senior years — spend the week on campus living the MBA student experience, which includes attending classes, analyzing case studies, and debating management issues with peers and faculty.

Daniel J. Hanna

Combined with a summer internship at a sponsoring company or organization, this unique program can give participants a broader understanding of the challenges business leaders face, the many opportunities that exist in management, and the impact they can have on their community and the world through leadership.

During his week of instruction last summer, Hanna said he "learned about the importance of pursuing an MBA as a mechanical engineer. An engineer with an MBA has the qualifications to possess a high-ranking position within a company and can make decisions that positively affect society on a large scale."

Students are selected for the program based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, and personal characteristics. Consistent with the objective of promoting educational diversity and opportunity in business leadership, additional criteria to be considered among others are whether the applicant is

• the first family member to attend college;

• a member of a group that is currently underrepresented in business schools and corporate America (such as African-American, Latino, Native American, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender);

• from a family with little business education or experience;

• or from a school whose graduates do not typically attend a top-tier university (e.g., attends a rural or predominantly minority college, or has attended a community college as part of a four-year degree).

Reflecting on his experience, Hanna said, "I felt so fortunate to be surrounded by some of the most amazing, good-hearted, and down-to-earth people who want nothing more than to end poverty and improve society in many different ways. I made many friends at the Summer Venture in Management Program who I still keep in contact with today. I am glad that I took the time to apply to this program."

Hanna is also a representative on the ASME Student Sections Committee and chair of his student section at Drexel University.

The Summer Venture in Management Program application is now available online. The deadline to apply is May 10. To apply, or for more information about this program, please visit the program Web site at www.hbs.edu/mba/svmp.

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