would help to improve the lives of people who have limited access to capital. This academic year was the program’s first full year as a recognized campus organization. “The program is very consistent with the mission of the university,” said Jonathan Doh, director of the Center for Global Leadership at Villanova. “It gives students the opportunity to become business leaders while giving back to society.” Butkus, who was one of the organization’s first co-presidents, said that working with the people in Kenya helped her learn more than she was able to teach. “Standing in front of 70 Meshanani people and sharing my knowledge of business with them really showed me that I can lead a group of people and that I have very valuable knowledge that can be used for the betterment of society,” she said. Kenya was the group’s first international service mission. Working with a local nongovernmental organization called Water Is Life, the group selected the village because it was already involved with Engineers Without Borders, another student organization at Villanova. During the trip the students took 14 Meshanani leaders to a hotel to see how a gift shop used display cases to help the people understand how to sell their jewelry to tourists. “We showed them how to organize more effectively and we broke down the business piece by piece,” Butkus said. “We also showed them how to display their goods and how to approach their customers.” “There was a distinct mutual benefit and I saw firsthand how what I had learned for three years at Villanova School of
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2010 Media Report Villanova School of Business