Volunteer Spotlight

Elizabeth Holmes '16

Please share the different ways you volunteer with Babson.  
I am part of Babson’s Alumni Club of Boston Board and on the Babson Real Estate Affinity Network Board.  I also am a field hockey alumna and support the team and players where I can.

What about Babson inspires you?
I am inspired by how the College continues to innovate and grow.  It is so impressive to see all the work the College is doing for the students and alumni community to make it a premier institution and offer so many one-of-a-kind learning opportunities unique to Babson.  The hands-on, practical business education is so applicable to the real world which makes it easy for students to immediately be productive in the workforce.   The Babson education allows alumni the ability to grow and start incredible companies or be amazing leaders at their firms.     

Has being a Babson volunteer made a difference in your life? If so, how?  
Volunteering has been a great way for me to meet other alumni and build my network.  It’s great to give back and stay connected to the College, but it’s also been an amazing opportunity to connect with other Babson alumni to build my client network, meet prospective hires for my firm, and have a network of other executives to bounce ideas off of.  

What is your favorite Babson memory (either as a student or an alum)?
So many of my favorite memories come from my time playing field hockey at Babson.  Being part of the team was an amazing experience and has built some of my closest friendships.   

What was your favorite Babson class or who was your favorite professor?
I had so many wonderful professors at Babson.  However, two professors in particular were so impactful on my career path – Professor Shay Blanchette encouraged me to apply for EY’s internship program which led to my first job out of college and Professor Michael Harrity who was my real estate professor gave me the skills to be successful when I switched careers to join my family’s commercial real estate firm.   

Dara Behjat '15

Volunteer Activities:

• BOLD (Beavers of the Last Decade) Board Member
• 10^th Year Reunion Committee Volunteer
• Volunteer for multiple Undergraduate Center for Career Development events
• Class Agent
• Interview Ambassador Volunteer for Undergraduate Admission

What about Babson inspires you?  
If I were to boil it down, simply put, Babson teaches you how to solve problems with people from around the world. There is no skill more crucial and necessary, especially in our current climate, than being able to work with people of different backgrounds to help solve some of the most difficult challenges we are facing today. Business is great, but what we learned while at Babson translates beyond the office which is why I am still driven by their mission. Diversity and inclusion isn't encouraged, it's required while at Babson, like it or not (you should love it). Empathetic, well rounded, smart go getters and problem solvers will always be in strong demand.  

Favorite Babson memory (either as student or alum)  
Hard to ever point one out, but the whole experience is something I really miss. I made an incredibly diverse friend group, surrounded myself with amazing people every day, lived in an environment where I got to learn everything from Extremism to FME (Foundations of Management & Entrepreneurship) and had time to explore passions and hobbies like BDE (Babson Dance Ensemble) or just hooping in the gym. Just scratching the surface but it's impossible to pick out one favorite. I will say, watching my little brother create his own path and walk the stage at Babson graduation 8 years after me was really special, that one will stick with me. 

Jenn Putnam '05

Favorite Babson memory (either as student or alum): Favorite student memory is the summer I spent in London with the Honors Program. I did not want to study abroad and even asked if I could go home the first week there, but it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life.  Favorite alumni memory would be participating in the alumni dance for the 20th reunion of the Babson Dance Ensemble (BDE). It was so fun to get together with other alums across 20 years of the organization to relive our BDE experience and perform in the show. The support of the current students was amazing –they were cheering so loud we could barely hear the music. 

Why is it important to you to give back? I loved my Babson experience and am grateful for all the opportunities I had during my time on campus, especially through programs like the Honors Program. I see giving back as a way to say thank you to Babson and to help ensure that current and future students have similar and even greater opportunities than I had. 

Please share the different ways you volunteer with Babson: Class reunion committee for our 10th, 15th and now upcoming 20th reunion and helped plan the 25th anniversary of the Honors Program. I was a Class Agent for a number of years and served two terms on the board of the Babson Alumni Association(BAA)  (now the Babson Alumni Advisory Board [BAAB]). I also try to participate in recruiting events at Babson on behalf of KPMG (where I've worked since graduating from Babson) whenever I can so that we can bring more amazing Babson students into the firm. 

Has being a Babson volunteer made a difference in your life? If so, how? Absolutely! Volunteering for Babson has helped me stay connected to Babson staff and faculty, and especially through the BAA, built my Babson network well beyond those who were at Babson while I was a student.

Demarre Johnson '24 

What about Babson inspires you?   
What inspires me most about Babson is the grind and ambition of everyone on campus. There’s such a huge return on investment in your efforts on campus—in the way that what you put in Babson is what you get out. By forcing myself outside of my comfort zone, not only did I make valuable connections with staff and faculty, but I also was given the grand opportunity to experiment careers. In my short four years at Babson, I was committed to building the network that helped me land the role I currently work in. I started as an SGA senator, then I joined eTower as the recruiting chair; I was president of the Johnson House, and senior year in track we broke a 4x1 relay school record that still stands today. In four years, I was able to experiment being an entrepreneur, a curriculum designer, a board member, an athlete, and president of an organization. These are invaluable experiences that you cannot get anywhere else.  

Favorite Babson memory (either as student or alum).   
My favorite Babson memory is studying abroad in Brazil. I spent 10 days with students from nearly every ethnic background on campus, and we went to the rural northeast of Brazil to implement entrepreneurial innovations for a trauma hospital with patients who are losing their vision. Applying Babson’s entrepreneurship curriculum to make a real impact in the world is something you can’t put a price tag on, and I’m forever grateful for that experience through the Glavin office. 

Eric '97 and Kellie '99 MBA'05 Walgreen P'28

What about Babson inspires you?   
Babson has such a unique culture compared to other top schools.  The entrepreneurial focus and case study method fosters a true sense of collaboration and camaraderie, instead of just cutthroat competition.  That is the "secret sauce" of what makes the school special.  The end result of four years of team building is the production of graduates that consistently go out of their way to help each other succeed, for decades after they've left the College. 

Favorite Babson memory (either as student or alum).   
There are so many to choose from.  We were lucky enough to go around the world on amazing trips with the Swim & Dive team, spend many hours with professors and administrators that took personal interest in our lives, and performed on stage in front of the whole campus.  Ultimately, we're truly grateful for the many friends that we made at Babson, and the fact that we continue to make new Babson memories year after year with them. 

Why is it important to you to give back?   
Babson was a foundational cornerstone to our lives.  We give back because the school gave so much to us, that volunteering is a labor of love.

Volunteer Activities:

• Fundraising.  From the Chris Falvey alumni phonathons in the 2000s, to ongoing Make Your Marks & Barefoot Athletic Challenges and Class Days of Giving, to being a BRAC (now Len Green Recreation & Athletic Complex) donor.
• Spearheaded the Sigma Phi Epsilon "Balanced Man" Scholarship back in the 2000s (via Babson Alumni Office, as a one-time student scholarship)
• Served a Coaching for Leadership & Teamwork Program (CLTP) volunteers for many years, both for the first-year students and seniors
• Volunteered as the Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Chapter Counselor
• Supported the Admissions Office by serving as an alumni interview volunteer
• Featured alumni speaker for 2006 Orientation  
• Served on the Swim Team Alumni Council and a speaker for Swim/Athletic Career Panels  
• Volunteered as a Real Estate Club alumni panelist and Case Study creator/presenter
• Undergraduate student Private Equity/Real Estate career advising
• Hosted 2024 Summer Reception in Marblehead
• Volunteered for our Reunion Committees and as Class Agents
• We are consecutive donors and have never missed coming back for Homecoming; for the past 31 years straight (including 2020, during Covid!) 

Mark Irwin '13

Why is it important to you to give back? 
Giving back to communities that helped to shape our experiences has always been a cornerstone of my upbringing, having first been taught the lesson on my way to becoming an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. There's certainly some personal fulfillment in volunteering, but more so, I think it can help to build stronger, more interconnected, communities, giving others a greater sense of belonging. 

Favorite class or professor
Coincidentally, some of my favorite professors were also the same professors in my favorite class; FME! Both Professor Yasuhiro Yamakawa and the late Professor Ted "Swoops" Grossman were transformational in becoming who I am today. Professor Yamakawa taught me about leadership and how it's not always about telling someone what to do, but about inspiring others to your cause; leadership without authority. It's how I try to approach my work life today, and how I've structured research and subsequent thought leadership that I have written. Professor Swoops, as his closest friends would call him, opened my eyes to the possibility of data and how much of it is around us completely unharnessed (which then drove me to my first careers). In one of our classes, he showed us what types of information could be accessed just by swiping a credit card e.g., the first digit tells you what credit card company issued the card, etc. Without being cliche, I think it was these experiences, and other conversations that I had, with him that helped me to see the world less linearly and more openly, as I do to this day.   

Please share the different ways you volunteer with Babson. 
I have previously served as a Coach and Coordinator for the Coaching for Leadership and Teamwork Program for several years immediately following my graduation in 2013. However now I operate as the Vice President of the Babson Alumni Regional Club in Chicago, which I have been supporting now for 4+ years. The Club has allowed me to meet alumni in the Chicagoland area, host events, and otherwise continue to build the Babson community outside of Boston and in the Midwest! It has led me to sit in on admitted students' panels to offer my perspective of Babson, introduced me to potential incoming students as an interviewer, and has kept me connected to the College despite the geographical distance and general changes to the curriculum and campus. 

Ken Jasper '82

What about Babson inspires you?  
‘Tiny Babson College’ has always punched above its weight, producing wave after wave of new business leaders. Babson has an outsized impact in the business world and in board rooms. The school’s recognitions, the achievements of its students, and the success of its athletics has been a source of pride. It’s a great lesson about staying focused on purpose, committing to goals, and adapting to change as the world evolves. 

Why is it important to you to give back?  
I am blessed to have found my closest friends in this world during my time at Babson. The academics were challenging, and campus life was engaging, but the most impactful experience was when we created the Babson Rugby Club. We worked hard to learn the game, battled other experienced teams, and within a couple years had established a formidable program competitive with Division 1 schools throughout the Northeast. I have stayed engaged with the rugby program since graduation and have always wanted others to enjoy the same positive experience I was afforded, finding their closest friends, and taking those strengths into adulthood. 

Favorite Babson memory (either as student or alum)  
Helping to start the Rugby Club and becoming the first President after Founder Tim DeMello graduated, felt like running a startup business. It had all the enthusiasm of an entrepreneurial endeavor. I loved waking up on campus and embracing the challenges and opportunities of each day. There was always so much to do and friends to do it with. We had to balance our academic obligations and responsibilities to the college, and we made some mistakes, but we learned, recovered and moved forward. That is life and I’m thankful we had the college’s support to continue forward. The Club of today and especially the past decade is light years ahead of those early years and I couldn’t be prouder of the organization they have become. From National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) All-Americans Players to NCR Scholastic All-Americans, to twice National Division 3 Champions, to a National ‘Premier Division’ 3rd Place Finish this spring, Babson Rugby is a model program, proudly representing Babson at the highest level.  

Favorite class or professor  
Hands down, Professor John ‘Duke’ McKenzie is the faculty member who I was closest to and most appreciative of. He was a long-time professor of statistics, and the Babson Rugby Faculty Advisor from the start of the club in 1979. After playing at Amherst and the University of Michigan, John played a critical role in our rugby education. He schooled us on rules and techniques and refereed many of our games in the first few years. In addition to representing Babson at the Regional Conference, John was a historian and preserved every piece of Babson Rugby information for decades. These archives served as the foundational information for our Alumni history. John has been a tireless advocate for the program at Babson and was inducted into our first Hall of Fame class at the Club’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. 

Please share the different ways you volunteer with Babson.  
I have never thought of my support for the rugby program as volunteering. I remained engaged with Alumni Games and donated annually to the club through the 80’s and 90’s. When our teammate Charlie Harrington ’83 died in 1996, I started documenting the history of the club. In 2003, when we gathered to dedicate the pitch in Charlie’s honor, the donations increased, and I took on the mantle as head of Rugby Alumni. In 2004, with the help of others, I organized the 25th Anniversary Celebration and Hall of Fame Banquet. Every 5 years since then, we do another Anniversary Celebration, and this year is our 45th Anniversary. In 2016, with the support of 145 Alumni, we created the Spring Break Travel Fund so that the club can develop the camaraderie with an annual warm weather trip, the first of which I lead to Bermuda in 1982. With the help of my son Kenny, we created the Babson Rugby Alumni website where I continue to record the history of the club (both Men and Women). I maintain an email list of all alumni, both men and women, and send out regular messaging to Alumni to inform everyone of important events, schedules, scores and fundraising campaigns as needed. I collaborate with the Men’s Coach and help facilitate his vision for the advancement of the club. The commitment put in from the coaches and players is inspiring and I take great joy in seeing their success. Most importantly, I see the confidence they’ve created, the friendships developed, and the pride in their experience at having succeeded at Babson in the classroom and on the pitch. 

What inspired you to take on a volunteer leadership role at Babson?   
I support Babson Rugby because it needs alumni support to continue forward. The ‘Club’ label has been a two-edged sword and limits the support it garners at most colleges and universities. Coupled with the fact that USA Rugby isn’t governed by NCAA and not regarded as ‘Varsity’, it has both the advantage and obligation of self-governance. Financial and advisory support is the most valuable contribution alumni can make until such time as our endowments fully fund operations, or until the sport is embraced under athletics as a varsity endeavor. I see both of those outcomes possible in the years ahead, and yet the fraternal connection that I enjoy with the program is unlikely to change regardless of how the governance aspect evolves. 

Has being a Babson volunteer made a difference in your life? If so, how? 
Participating in the club from an alumni perspective is both a fraternal connection and a hobby. I have a sense of obligation to support the team because I know how passionate and committed to success they are. I engage with each generation of players, leaders, coaches, parents and alumni. It is a friendship based on a common bond and I am blessed with a large, supportive group. I am also extremely encouraged with the caliber of young men and women I meet who play rugby at Babson and I take comfort in knowing Babson continues to develop high quality individuals for each successive generation. 

Annette Montoto ’89 and Tere Bolivar ‘84
Longtime volunteers for our Alumni Club of Puerto Rico

Giving Back to Babson College and Volunteering

Giving back to Babson is important to us due to the exceptional education and support we received, which significantly shaped our careers and personal lives. We want future students to have the same opportunities we had, and by contributing to Babson, we can help provide resources, scholarships, and mentorship that empower others to thrive. This reflects our gratitude for the transformative impact the college has had on us and fosters success for many more students.

Volunteering as alumni allows us to stay connected to Babson while giving back in meaningful ways. We help organize and mobilize Puerto Rico’s alumni to attend local networking events and support Alumni Association initiatives. Additionally, we’ve hosted events in both business and personal venues and actively promote fundraising drives. Contributing to these efforts helps raise essential funds for scholarships, campus projects, and specific programs. Ultimately, giving back is one of the greatest sources of happiness, and we encourage everyone to practice it as often as possible.

Our commitment to giving back extends beyond traditional volunteering; it has led us to collaborate on educational initiatives. Though we’re both from Puerto Rico, we attended Babson at different times. Our work in the Babson Alumni Club brought us together and inspired us to volunteer in new ways, particularly through education and partnerships.

As members of the Albizu University Board of Trustees, we participated in the first exchange program between Albizu and Babson Academy. We believe the entrepreneurial mindset we gained at Babson can benefit other educators, especially in the Social Sciences and Health fields, as exemplified by Albizu University.

The Puerto Rico Department of Education awarded Albizu University $220,500 to host the Symposium for Entrepreneurial Academic Leadership with Babson College, focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation skills. A total of 116 leaders from the Department of Education and 12 from Albizu University benefited from this training, which was led by Babson’s professors Beth Goldstein, MBA, EdD and Vincent (Vini) Onyemah.

Along with the two of us, the training was inaugurated by Dr. Yanira Raíces, Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Education, and Dr. Nelson Soto, President of Albizu University. We are hopeful that this project marks the beginning of a partnership between Babson, Albizu University, and the Puerto Rico Department of Education to promote academic entrepreneurship and innovation.

David Crowley '04

What inspired you to take on a volunteer leadership role at Babson?
When I moved to Los Angeles 15 years ago one of the first things I did was reach out to local Babson alumni. I was new to the area and didn't know anyone so I wanted to build my professional and personal network. I started by emailing 40 alumni to see if they'd be open to connecting over a cup of coffee or a phone call. I didn't know what type of response I'd get but almost every one of them responded! Some of them were on the Babson LA Alumni Committee and I started regularly attending planning meetings and Babson events. I have been on the Babson Alumni Committee ever since.

Has being a Babson volunteer made a difference in your life? If so, how?
Being on the Babson LA Alumni Committee and attending local Babson events has created so many rewarding personal and business relationships. The relationship I am most proud of is my good friend Elissa Kalver '09 who I met at a Babson event shortly after I moved to LA. We are always supporting each other's businesses. Elissa started a wonderful non-profit called We Got This which is the world's first registry for cancer patients. I founded a benefit corporation called Cerca Cultivation which ships vegetable seedlings nationwide and we donate our extra seedlings to local charities and underserved communities. Elissa and We Got This hosted this year's Babson LA Day of Service and I donated seedlings from Cerca Cultivation that we potted up during the event and We Got This delivered to cancer patients at local hospitals. I am proud of the power of the Babson network and how we can make an impact on the world together. 

Madeline Lambert '22

Volunteer Activities: 

• Babson Alumni Advisory Board 
• BOLD (Beavers of the Last Decade) Board
• Battle of the BOLD Ambassador
• Make Your Mark Ambassador
• Undergraduate Admission Volunteer 
  
  

Please share the different ways you volunteer with Babson.  
Volunteering with Babson is a meaningful way to stay connected with the Babson community and help grow the next generation of Babson Beavers. I help cultivate the Babson ecosystem by serving as an admission ambassador to find students who will embody Babson’s entrepreneurial spirit. I foster alumni connections by serving on the Babson Alumni Advisory Board which works with the Office of Alumni Engagement to plan events and lifelong learning initiatives for alumni. I am also on the Beavers of the Last Decade (BOLD) committee which focuses on engaging alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years. Lastly, I strive to empower the Babson community everywhere I go by connecting with global alumni when I travel, networking with Babson alumni at work, planning events in my hometown, and planning events for groups I was a part of while at Babson. There is a little something for everyone when it comes to volunteering with Babson! 

  
Your favorite Babson memory (either as a student or an alum)  
My time at Babson and volunteering with Babson has been filled with many special moments but my favorite so far was at the 2024 Babson Connect Worldwide (BCW) in Singapore! The 3-day conference was filled with exploring Singapore’s rich culture, hearing from industry specialists about emerging trends across multiple sectors and inspiring conversation. Connecting with old classmates and teachers and becoming instant best friends with people I just met all because we have Babson in common was a definite highlight. BCW showed me that a love for Babson is a powerful force that makes it seemingly effortless to connect with any alumnus regardless of graduation year, country of origin, or sector!

Dick Kimball '64

What about Babson inspires you? 
The quality and the enthusiasm of the students that I've met is truly amazing. They feel so fortunate that they were accepted and loved their Babson experience. I have had the opportunity to invest in several Babson start-up ventures and couldn't be more pleased with their intellect and entrepreneurial spirit.

Favorite Babson memory: 
On Founders Day in the Fall of 1963, Roger Babson (age 88 at the time) came to campus and delivered a most inspirational speech in Knight Auditorium on his hopes for the future of the graduates of the College. He illustrated (as best as I can paraphrase) his hope by showing a kernel of corn and then he held up a 6 foot corn stalk and said "this tiny kernel of corn is like a freshman student and the full size corn stalk is what we hope he will become". Classmate Bob Weissman reminded me some years back when recalling that story that Mr. Babson handed out corn kernels to students as they left Knight Auditorium. Full disclosure: I have used this same kernel to corn stalk story more than once to illustrate a point!

Favorite Class or Professor: 
We were blessed with amazing professors who took a keen interest in students. Dr. Genovese, who was a favorite professor, often invited us to his home for "Italian Spaghetti Night." Dr. Mors would have students over on Friday nights for a BBQ, and Peter Black who lived on campus often had students over for conversations on every subject under the sun!  

Why is it important to give back?
Every successful organization like Babson depends on their ‘customers' to continue to buy their products or services on a recurring basis. Supporting Babson after graduation is vital to the sustainability and success of the College. Our family has been fortunate to have been able to underwrite several important investments including the Glavin Chapel, the Library, and the Weissman Foundry. In addition, we have established a named endowment to provide scholarships to worthy students. What a thrill to meet the recipients of these scholarships. I urge everyone to be thoughtful in making donations to the College. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving.

Please share the different ways you volunteer with Babson: 
Volunteering for Babson has been a truly wonderful and learning experience. Specifically, for over 40 years I have been an active member of the Board of Trustees and now serve as an honorary trustee. I've recruited students, have hired many Babson students at our company, coached at the Coaching for Leadership Program, served as a judge for the Philip Charm Entrepreneurial Prize, volunteered in several capital campaigns, chaired numerous trustee committees, and am currently helping plan 1964’s 60^th Reunion. Lasting friendships and great personal satisfaction resulted from these kinds of volunteer activities.

Has being a Babson Volunteer made a difference in your life?  If so, how?
I can hardly count the many ways volunteering has made a difference. Several lasting and rewarding friendships were born of connecting with alums, students, faculty, and College leadership. I humbly confess that several significant clients came to our firm through Babson volunteering. A number of venture investments that I have made were the result of Babson connections, be they faculty or graduates. My personal life (and portfolio!) has been greatly enhanced because of my active involvement with like-minded Babson connections.