Community Fellows Blog Posts

I have been fortunate enough to gain a holistic education here at the Leavey School of
Business. As a student in LSB, I am required to take a breadth of courses within the
business school, as well as within the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.
However, during my time as a Public Policy intern at the San Jose Office of Economic
Development, there were 2 particular business classes that have continued to resonate
with me in my fellowship and beyond.

One of the first classes I ever took at Santa Clara was Business Ethics. The class
focused on different ethical cases faced in the business world, and truly challenged me
to think deeply about the way in which individuals conduct themselves in industry. This
class has been extremely beneficial to my understanding of the importance of having an
ethical lens when communicating ideas to the people you work with, and the people you
work for. This has been particularly useful working for the city of San Jose. This
fellowship is the first opportunity I have had to work for the public sector (which in this
case refers to companies or organizations run by the government). After getting to know
my team better and understand their perspectives on a multitude of policy and
economic issues, I have noticed that they have always put people in the community
first. For this reason, I believe that being ethical and focusing on the interests of your
clients and “target market” is the best way to bring value to the community in San Jose.
Another impactful class I took was the Management of Organizations. This class was a
management class that focused on building and creating leaders for future companies
and organizations. There was a specific concept we discussed in class called the
“Diversity Toolbox”. In a nutshell, this “toolbox” referred to the idea that everyone on a
team or a leadership board should be bringing a new perspective, and that the idea of
diversity extends past race and gender - though those are important to consider when
thinking about one’s perspective. At the City of San Jose, I have the privilege of
interacting with business owners and team members who all hold different perspectives
than I do. This has allowed me to understand that though my viewpoint may be feasible
in solving or approaching different issues, there are multiple viewpoints that can be
integrated into business decisions and solutions.

These classes amongst others have been extremely beneficial during my time at the
San Jose Office of Economic Development. Much of my role is outreaching to
businesses and doing work in housing policy and downtown development, and with the
understanding of communication through different perspectives, as well as the use of
correct judgment and ethics, I have been able to thoroughly enjoy my work and
continue serving the San Jose community.