Student clubs are a vibrant part of student life at Harvard Business School. There are over 85 active clubs on campus, and new clubs are being created each year. Clubs encompass a wide range of student interests, and are based on everything from industries, geographies, affinities, to extra-curricular activities.
Clubs also sponsor a variety of events such as workshops, speakers, and conferences that provide distinct opportunities for learning, networking, and socializing outside of the classroom. As part of our MBA Voices blog we like to put the spotlight on different clubs around campus. We recently connected with the new leadership from the African-American Student Union (AASU) – here’s what they had to say about their club.
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AASU strives to be an extended family for its members from the moment they decide to attend HBS, through the transition to EC year and beyond graduation. Our current membership includes over 130 first years, second years and partners who engage in social events, cultural activities and academic and professional development workshops.
New members are first welcomed to the AASU family at our annual fall retreat. From there, they are supported throughout the RC year with informative workshops, panels and alumni events. These events primarily focus on academic excellence, recruiting / career support and community building. Many of our events are designed to engage the broader HBS and Harvard community and highlight the role of AASU member within their respective sessions, including community-wide discussion on The 1619 Project and the student-led “MyTakes,” and diversity-focused panels.
The Naylor H. Fitzhugh Conference is the culminating event for AASU. It gives prospective and admitted students an opportunity to engage with the current AASU membership, facilitates networking between current students and alumni and provides a platform for the club to honor industry leaders — many of whom are AASU alumni. The 48th conference will be held on Feb 27, 2021 and is nicely positioned to wrap up the club's Black History Month programming.
"We just cheer each other on... during all of my most exciting and terrifying moments at HBS, an AASU member has been in my corner making this place feel like home. That's the type of community that we are looking to build through AASU. From the time students step on campus through graduation and beyond, we root for Black leaders." -Alexis Jackson, Aaron Hancock, and Bukie Adebo (AASU Co-Presidents)