Class of AMBA’12 chooses literacy as its legacy

These are just four of the students at a grade school in Kenya whose lives have been enriched by the generosity of the AMBA’12 class. Throughout their intense 12-month program, while focusing on their own education, the AMBA students also found the time and resources to finance a classroom for children a half a world away.

“This was our Legacy Project,” explains Robin Greschner, BCom’08, AMBA’12, who persuaded her classmates to support this worthy cause. “It was our way to commemorate our MBA experience and demonstrate our belief in the power of education and the leadership values we absorbed through our studies.”

Robin pitched the idea to her classmates after spending two weeks in Kenya volunteering with Free the Children and visiting her friend Emily MacDougall, BCom’08, who works for the Canadian NGO. “It took some time management to take a two-week break from my MBA studies,” Robin laughs. “My Calgary team mates were really supportive and helped make it happen.”

By the time their course work had ended in November 2011, nearly all 85 members of the class had contributed, exceeding the $8,500 target for a stand-alone classroom by nearly $500. They hope future MBA classes will continue the tradition of giving back.

“You might not think a group of high-achieving MBA students would have much in common with grade school students in Africa, but we did," says Robin. "We shared a similar goal: to improve our lives through education.”