Drawn by Diversity, She’s Focused on Solving Human Trafficking

As a first-generation college student, Tiffany Ramsarran ’24 was looking for a business school that emphasized diversity, and a place where she could tackle the global issue of human trafficking. Babson College supplied both.

Ramsarran is a Diversity Leadership Scholar, having accepted a full, four-year scholarship awarded to students with the greatest potential for leadership in creating a diverse community. In high school, she was president of the Massachusetts Business Professionals of America (BPA), a national organization that develops future business leaders, and a Diversity Club leader.

To further develop her skills and goals, Ramsarran attended Babson’s Summer Study, an immersive program for rising high school juniors and seniors to develop as entrepreneurial leaders. “The program had a huge impact on my life and really made the deciding factor for me to do early decision when applying to Babson,” she said.

Ramsarran recalled the extensive work she did around the issue of human trafficking during her Summer Study in 2019. “I had developed a venture idea to create a non-profit organization to help human-trafficking survivors incorporate into society through business,” she said. “And, I really look forward to making efforts to stopping human trafficking while at Babson.”

Early on, Babson’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion also stood out to her. “I felt like Babson was a really inclusive environment and had a strong passion for diversity,” she said.

The pieces had fallen in place.

Connecting on Diversity

On a campus that values, emphasizes, and works toward diversity, equity, and inclusion, Ramsarran had found the perfect environment to pursue her passions.

“I honestly love it here at Babson so much. I’m really glad I was able to keep that energy … and continuing it into the first semester,” she said. “And, I really admire that this school cares so much about diversity and inclusion, which is something that’s so important to me as a Diversity Scholar, and I really see how they weave that into campus life every day.”

From joining Babson’s Christian Fellowship to pursue her faith, to her involvement in the Admission Fellows Program for undergraduates to learn leadership skills while at Babson, to participating in Dinner With Strangers hosted by Multicultural and Identity Programs, Ramsarran sees that genuine efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion everywhere on campus. “It’s not just something that you put to get people into your school,” she said. “I see how they weave it into campus life every day, and I really admire that.”

“My FME class has complemented my desire to do something about human trafficking, because it has been extremely motivating and inspiring.”
Tiffany Ramsarran ‘24

A diverse campus also is an ideal launching ground for Ramsarran to pursue solutions to global challenges through entrepreneurial leadership.

Tackling Human Trafficking

Ramsarran has a long-held passion for ending human trafficking. “I’ve always had a heart for it, and it’s always broken my heart to see what people are going through,” she said, “and I really just want to use all of my resources to stop that.”

As part of her Summer Study program at Babson, Ramsarran developed a viable idea for a venture that would implement affordable childcare and provide educational opportunities, and motivational speakers, as a path out of the horrors of human trafficking for many who couldn’t find a way out. “I hope to make this dream a reality after college,” she said.

Ramsarran also credits her first-year Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME) course with supplying a much-needed boost for her business idea. “My FME class has complemented my desire to do something about human trafficking, because it has been extremely motivating and inspiring,” she said. “It has helped human trafficking feel more like a local and tangible issue. I can start small by opening the hearts and minds of those around me.”

And, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ramsarran has applied Babson’s foundational Entrepreneurial Thought & Action^®—an entrepreneurial methodology that charges founders to start with the means at hand, get new data to guide further action, and adjust your goal as necessary.

This semester, she has plans to start raising awareness on campus through planning events and supporting human trafficking survivor businesses, as well as a film and discussion series around human trafficking.

It’s exactly the types of solutions-oriented action she hoped to take at Babson.

Posted in Entrepreneurial Leadership

Tagged Undergraduate, Diversity and Inclusion, Entrepreneurship Education

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