by Ken Harris
I graduated 5 years ago from Rady and joined the Rady Alumni Board in 2010 with a desire to help find ways to increase alumni engagement. There are many ways for alumni to stay connected with Rady and gain benefit from the growing network of Rady alumni. I encourage all alumni to create and keep their profiles updated on the Rady Alumni Network (RAN) web portal, as well as, stay connected to their peers through social media outlets like LinkedIn and Facebook. Our strength as a business school is firmly seated in the alumni we graduate and through fostering a culture of connection, community and collaboration. We spend two years in a graduate school program but have a lifetime of benefit to gain from the connections we made and continue to make through the growing community that is Rady.
As I approach my first Rady class reunion I find myself reflecting on the past five years and what I’ve accomplished during that time. Did I use my newly gained knowledge and MBA degree to my full potential? Did I improve my career prospects? Did I accomplish the goals I set for myself before I entered the Rady School? These past five years have produced many new and exciting opportunities for our family and me. My wife and I brought two wonderful additions into the world, with the birth of our daughters in 2009 and 2012. I incorporated my consulting business and continue to development new opportunities and relationships in San Diego. My wife and I collaborated on the development and startup of several public charter schools in southern California. I continue to be engaged with the charter school and contribute my skillsets where they are needed. You can read more about the launch of the school here: http://rady.ucsd.edu/news/newsletter/2011/winter/charter-school/ .
UC San Diego and the Rady School of Management recently celebrated important milestones in their history. UC San Diego celebrated its 50th anniversary and the Rady School, this year, celebrates its 10 year anniversary. The UC San Diego campus, the Rady School, and the Rady Alumni Board are going through a strategic planning process whose outcome will set the direction for the next ten years; the outcome will define the future of the schools and will have an impact on all alumni and the community. There are many opportunities available to alumni. I encourage you to join the conversation and stay connected and reflect on a strategic plan for your personal growth in life, in your career and as a global citizen.
Ken Harris is the CEO of We Do IT All, LLC, an IT consulting firm. He and his wife started San Diego Global Vision Academies, a public charter elementary and middle school, and they consult on charter development. Ken earned an MBA from the Rady School of Management in 2008 and he is the President of the Rady Alumni Association Board. Ken lives in San Diego with his wife and four children.