Inspiration: Target Leadership Award Recipients

By Elizabeth Macanufo 

October 2011

At the 2011 Orientation Program, lead sponsor Target Corporation presented a stipend to one student from each member school. The framework and criteria of the Target Leadership Award was based on Target's four Leadership Foundations: personal seadership, team leadership, thought leadership, and results leadership. We recognize the inspiring 17 winners of this award below.

Alison Brock
University of California, Berkeley

Alison felt shocked to receive the Target Leadership Award, but to the decision makers at UC Berkeley, the selection seemed obvious. According to Associate Director of Admissions for UC Berkeley's full-time MBA Program Cindy Jennings-Millette, Alison demonstrated leadership qualities even prior to OP. "Alison had already connected with many of the incoming students. It was impossible to miss her natural leadership abilities in supporting and developing others."

Bringing her leadership skills to campus, Alison plans to serve as a Consortium liaison. As she pursues a career in social impact and corporate responsibility, Alison hopes to remain driven, humble and authentic. "At Haas, one of our defining principles is to demonstrate 'confidence without attitude.' I will build upon this principle on campus and in the community."

Alexander Hawkins
University of California, Los Angeles

"I was overjoyed to hear my name called," said Alexander of receiving the Target Leadership Award. The future real estate businessman plans to become involved with the Real Estate club at UCLA, as well as the Ziman Center for Real Estate. Breaking new ground, he aims to forget a relationship with the local Habitat for Humanity.

Linda Baldwin, assistant dean of diversity initiatives for UCLA Anderson feels confident that Alexander will achieve his goals. Describing Alexander as "a leader who is inclusive and open to a range of individuals across disciplines, national boarders and social classes," she looks forward to his "excelling and making his goals of becoming an innovator in the international real estate market achievable."

Andres Velasquez
Carnegie Mellon University

Born and raised in Medellin, Colombia, Andres attended Ohio University. Living in Northeast Ohio, he realized that despite the advance of the representation and the demographic influences of minorities in the area, their participation in regional corporate boards and management teams remained disproportionally low. To combat this inequality, he focused on positioning diversity as a strategic priority at local companies and mentoring minority professionals by serving as a role model within his company and initiating leadership roles within the National Society of Hispanic MBAS.

Following business school, Andres hopes to become a leader in helping organizations unlock the value of effectively aligning technology with global operations strategy.