In the second of our Philanthropy at Work series, we learn about one way in which donors make a difference for our undergraduate students—and for the people who support them. Meet Dresden John, Student Experience Manager, Undergraduate Program.

How long have you been at Haas?

Ten years.

Tell us about your role here.

I serve as a student program advisor for Haas majors and those interested in attending Haas. I also coordinate the selection, training, and travel of all our International Case Competition teams for nine competitions each year, coordinate a number of other events, and act as the staff liaison for the URM LIFT mentorship program between our UG and MBA offices.

Helping students develop their plan for the future, providing them with support through their more difficult decisions, and acknowledging their many successes make this role very rewarding.

Favorite moment from this past year?

Many of my favorite moments are when I travel with the case competition teams. Just being a part of such an awesome group of students as they meet new people, participate in unexpected activities and experience the wonders of other cultures is outstanding. We’ve traveled to Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Norway, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

How has philanthropy at Haas touched your work?

While philanthropy supports our program and our students in many ways, one special donor supports the very important experiential learning offered by these case competitions, where students are able to practice solving significant corporate problems, while using critical thinking skills and developing their interpersonal soft skills.

What would you like to say to Berkeley Haas donors?

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Your generosity is greatly appreciated by all the students, all the staff, and all the faculty. We recognize that without you, there would be no Haas.

View posts by Valerie Gilbert