The deadline for applications for the 2013 Sapphire Cohort has been extended to Friday, 4/12. Students that have been offered admission or been accepted into the Smeal College of Business have the opportunity to apply to the Sapphire Leadership Program. 

Follow this link for further directions and to submit your application: https://php.smeal.psu.edu/sapphire/leadership/index.php

Are you a current sophomore interested in joining the Sapphire cohort? Applications are now open until Monday 4/21. If interested in applying, please email Dr. Robert Novack directly at osv@psu.edu and let him know that you are planning to apply. 

In this application, indicate that you are interested in junior gate in the top of your first essay. Recommendations are optional and you should post your resume to the application. Additionally, ignore the part of the application that asks for SAT/ACT scores.

The link to the application is here: https://php.smeal.psu.edu/sapphire/leadership/index.php 
Applications are due Monday, 4/21. 

By Tyler Feldman, Publicity Chair

As Sapphire members packed in to room 110 of the Business Building on the evening of March 14, the eager students were welcomed with a surprise. Nittany Lion alumnus, John Galanti, was present to pour his professional business experience onto members’ sponge-like minds.

From the very start of his discussion, Galanti created a relaxed environment for students by saying that he simply came to “chat.”

A man who received an electrical engineering degree from Penn State, Galanti stressed that the  “practical” skills he acquired in school enabled him to become successful in the entrepreneurial business world. Galanti was not shy about indicating what universities today are forgetting to teach their students.

“I’m afraid universities aren’t providing their students with practical skills,” Galanti said.

Galanti, now an advisor of OmniCapital Group LLC, has over thirty years of professional expertise in evaluating startup businesses and developing them from the bottom up. Currently his “hobby” is angel investments, where he supplies large sums of money to businesses that he believes will thrive in the current market.

When asked why he is still working even though he could retire comfortably, Galanti said, “If you can be in a business that you really, really like, you’re not going to stop; you’re not going to want to stop.” 

Are you a current sophomore interested in joining the Sapphire Leadership Program? Junior gate applications are coming soon so be on the lookout for more information on this website! Applications will open shortly and interviews will occur in late April. Stay tuned!

Applications for the 2013 Sapphire Cohort are now being accepted! Students that have been offered admission or been accepted into the Smeal College of Business have the opportunity to apply to the Sapphire Leadership Program. Early submission is highly recommended.

All applications must be electronically submitted by Friday, April 5, 2013 and all applicants will be notified of their acceptance or denial by April 19, 2013.

Follow this link for further directions and to submit your application: https://php.smeal.psu.edu/sapphire/leadership/index.php

Most people are familiar with the phrase, “Those who can’t do, teach,” which originated with Irish playwright and activist George Bernard Shaw. However, Smeal alumnus Anthony Buzzelli proves that sometimes, even those who can do also choose to teach.

On Nov. 5, the Smeal College of Business announced the reception of the Anthony Buzzelli Endowment for Leadership, a $300,000 commitment provided by Anthony and Marta Buzzelli. The gift will enhance leadership development in the college and generate annual funding to support the Sapphire Leadership Symposium and other programs that develop leadership qualities in business students.

“The best way to learn about leadership is to lead,” Buzzelli said.

Buzzelli explained three main goals for the use of endowment funds, including a continuous leadership development program, sessions patterned around skill development and mentoring, and the hope that these programs will eventually extend beyond Smeal. An advisory board, comprised of corporate professionals and Smeal faculty, has been created to facilitate the planning and creation of programs through the endowment.

Students interested in registering for the Leadership Symposium should click here https://php.smeal.psu.edu/sapphire/symposium/index.php. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis and opens Oct. 15.

As fall career fairs draw to a close, students may be missing their daily dose of corporate eye candy while walking around campus. Luckily, with the second annual Sapphire Leadership Symposium on Nov. 2, there will no longer be a shortage of suits.

Previously open solely to business students, the symposium is now accessible to all students at University Park. The all-day event will be held at the Nittany Lion Inn and provides more than just an opportunity to practice professional dress, according to Sapphire’s President Alex Drost.

“The Sapphire Leadership Symposium is an opportunity for students from all domains of study to collaborate and expand their working knowledge of leadership,” Drost (senior-finance and hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said.

Planning for the event, which is expected to attract about 150 attendees, began last winter. This year’s symposium will cover topics in Effective Leadership and Ethics, featuring keynote speakers and interactive workshops.

“The topics covered during the symposium are things that are imperative for success for students of all majors,” said Leadership Symposium Chair Catrina Pinto (sophomore-finance).

It’s not every day that college students have lunch with the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company. But for a small group of Sapphires, that opportunity became a reality.

On September 14, a group of 12 Sapphires attended a luncheon with Jerome Griffith, president and CEO of Tumi Holdings Inc. Griffith presented during the Smeal College of Business’s Executive Insights lecture series, and then interacted with students at the lunch.

“[Griffith] was very down-to-earth, slightly cocky, and had a wry sense of humor,” Cindy Chang (sophomore-marketing) said. “He emphasized the necessity of starting at the bottom before working your way up, because that is really what teaches you the ropes of the industry.”

The members of the newest Sapphire cohort are no strangers to academic competition. But one recent Sunday, their competitive spirits were tested outside of the classroom, in Sunset Park.

The annual Leadership Day, full of games and activities meant to bring the cohort together, occurred on Sept. 9 in Sunset Park. The event was organized and run by Rishi Mittal, Sapphire’s Vice President of Leadership Development, and his team of chairs, Samantha Chu, Radler Kelly, and Lauren Police.

“The goal of the event is to have everyone work together, understand the power of teamwork and get to know those in your cohort,” President Alex Drost (senior-finance and hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said. “There is a fun and competitive atmosphere that allows the students to try hard but also enjoy their time at Sunset Park.”

For the incoming freshmen class of Sapphires, the first Sunday of the school year started bright and early at the annual Welcome Breakfast. Enticed by an assortment of breakfast foods and the Sapphire executive board, the freshmen congregated in the Business Building atrium for a morning of games and greetings.

“I enjoyed the Welcome Breakfast because I was able to meet not only other freshmen in Sapphire, but also upperclassmen that have been involved in the program and have advice regarding the program and majors,” Jenna Fischer (freshman–supply chain management) said.

The Welcome Breakfast was held on August 26 at 9 a.m. and was largely organized by Rishi Mittal, Vice President of Leadership Development, Samantha Chu, and Lauren Police, Leadership Development Co-Chairs. All three began planning the event last spring to ensure that the freshmen would benefit from the day’s activities.