Four Years Growing Through HBA

Four Years Growing Through HBA

Written By: Shreya Komire

Spending four years in an organization in college is generally unheard of. More often than not, especially in McCombs, we get involved in our first and second years, but don’t hang around actively and consistently past that. Staying in one organization for four years, in that case, has to mean something. To me, it’s been my chance to build a community and give back to a community – a pillar of my personality, character, and experience here on the 40 Acres.

When I first joined HBA as a freshman, I joined as a Corporate Relations Associate. HBA was the one organization I could be part of without a rigorous recruiting process, which is what I needed and wanted. Corporate Relations, at the time, was transactional. It meant I would coordinate with companies and help plan events, and that’s as far as I expected it to go. I quickly realized that the associate/leadership positions in the organization wasn’t just about logistics, it was about creating access. Then and there, I realized that I have an innate drive and desire to serve others, by mentoring and creating opportunities for them – this realization has gone on to play a pivotal role in my time as a student and what I expect will continue in my time as a professional.

That foundation motivated me to take on the role of Corporate Relations VP for the following two years. I moved from completing tasks that someone else assigned to now owning strategy. I had to think about companies to partner with, how to diversify opportunities for members, and how to build long-term relationships that would outlast my time in HBA. This forced me to grow in ways I didn’t expect, I had to learn how to build a team, delegate tasks, and empower others. I joke nowadays that one skill that I have unmatched confidence in myself for, is my ability to build a committee (shoutout to my corporate relations and internal committees that I have had for the past three years!) Whether that skill transfers over to the professional world or not is up in the air, but the ability to build a team that jives well is a hallmark of my experience in HBA, definitely not one I expected to come away with.

Now, as President of the organization, it’s not just about one function or one team. It’s now about the culture, community, and impact that HBA has had on CBHP students at varying points of their four-year journey. I think about the long-term vision of HBA, but at the center of that, is how we can continue to serve, strengthen, and evolve our community from year to year.

From the past four years, knowing that someone got into a program/internship, knowing that someone gained new skills, knowing that someone found new friends, knowing that someone learned about a new opportunity, knowing that someone found their mentors, and knowing that someone became a leader is the point. Watching that effect is one of the most rewarding experiences I will ever have – knowing that someone made progress in their college journey is why I’ve stuck around for the past four years in HBA.

HBA has given me the community, the friends, the leadership, the professional experience, and the volunteering opportunities among many others. It’s been the cornerstone of my college experience as I’ve had the chance to invest in a community that’s given me so much.

Hopefully you will find the same value I did in HBA.