Why did you enroll in this course (motivation, prior interests)?

Being extremely passionate about working with kids, I always seek new opportunities to get involved in any project where I can help them. I also wanted to be a part of a research program, but being more of a business major, it is difficult to find research programs to be a part of. My idea of a good time is not being in a lab coat and testing out chemicals, it’s organizing, budgeting, and ensuring everything is on track. Enter the Global Social Impact Fellowship program, the malnutrition team to be specific. A research program where I can focus on treating malnutrition and stunting in children under the age of 5 in Sierra Leone, Africa – a project that focuses on something I am extremely passionate about, helping kids. Community service is such an important aspect of my life, and I honestly feel that every single person has a moral obligation to give back to those less fortunate than them. To make things even more exciting for me, the project description stated they wanted more business majors involved, making it a perfect fit for me. Not only was this a project that focused on helping children less fortunate than the ones in the United States, it wanted someone who was not going to spend most of their time in a lab, but instead focused on business matters. It almost seemed too good to be true! I remember how excited I was during the application process and how nervous I was that I would not be accepted to be a part of this incredible opportunity to give back to others. This is why I am in this course. It ties together everything I wanted to be a part of, something bigger than myself. 

How do you envision this course making you a better Financial Engineering student?

In terms of relating to my major, I believe this project will enhance the skills I need to be successful in the field I am pursuing. While not evident at first, it definitely will teach me or build upon skills that are critical to my profession. I am an IBE Financial Engineering major, so I will end up working in the finance field. This project will allow me to enhance my communication skills, as working on a team with many different people can be difficult at times. Team management and communication is so important in any profession, especially in finance where you will be working with the rest of your department to analyze and evaluate your company’s performance. Additionally, working on budgeting for the group will help me gain more of the skills I will need in my professional career. Task management and staying on track will be crucial to what I do in the future, so getting a head start on that during my college career is very beneficial to me. 

The World Health Organization estimates that over one billion people who need eyeglasses do not have access to them. The vast majority of these people live in developing countries like Kenya where there is barely one optometrist per one million people. Given the high poverty levels, access to eyeglasses is almost nonexistent. Lack of proper eyeglasses severely impacts people and their livelihoods by decreasing their productivity at work, limiting or eliminating new opportunities, affecting their quality of life, deteriorating their general health and possibly leading to (preventable) blindness. What solution do you propose to address this problem?

I remember the day I got glasses. I was in third grade and so excited to finally see things clearly. I looked at the world around me so differently from that day on; I remember running around outside and looking at all the nature around me. The world seemed so much brighter and happier. It truly saddens me that there are over one billion people in the world who do not get to experience the same feeling I did, even though they are in need of eyeglasses. Even worse, some even become blind from the lack of resources. It is clear that action needs to be taken to solve this problem, and it is going to take a lot of work. I have thought of a solution of my own that I believe with active participation will contribute positively in helping those less fortunate. 

I propose a “buy a pair, give a pair” approach. Various companies do this. For example, TOMS, the shoe company, has been doing this for many years and donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. Another example of this is Bombas, a sock company that does the same with their socks. Warby Parker, the fast-growing eyewear company already follows this “buy a pair, give a pair” approach, and if other eyewear companies did the, many people could be reached. In the United States alone, there are about 188.7 million adults who use some form of vision correction (https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/sites/default/files/Q415-Topline-Overview-Presentation-Stats-with-Notes-FINAL.PDF). This number does not even take into consideration the children who have a form of vision correction, or people from other countries. If a pair of glasses was donated to those less fortunate for every pair purchased in the U.S., the world would be one step closer to achieving better vision for all. While it could be argued that this is not necessarily “profitable” for companies, glasses can be produced for a reasonable price. Also, I feel like every individual or company has a moral obligation to help those around them. Various companies have CSR initiatives implemented into their philosophies, so it isn’t unreasonable to urge other companies to do the same.