It Takes a Village
Babson College is the first choice for many students and professionals who are looking for a top-ranked graduate degree, the promise of global diversity, and the allure of tackling real-world problems through experiential learning.
But, what about their partners, many of whom accompany their spouse to the United States during graduate school? Babson Partners’ Club was created to solve this problem. We sat down with three current and former leaders to discuss the club’s future.
“We created this club to develop a sense of community between families and the greater Babson community,” said Ana Mariel Bauer, president, Babson Partners’ Club, who came to Babson from Guatemala with her husband, Juan Solares MBA’21.
The Babson Partners’ Club offers access to social, cultural, and educational activities to enrich the graduate school experience and make the transition to Babson more seamless, meaningful, and more fun.
“We aim to help Babson families as they transition to Boston.”
Ana Mariel Bauer, president, Babson Partners’ Club
“We aim to help Babson families as they transition to Boston, and during their time in Boston—making friends, sharing information about health insurance, places to visit, the best supermarkets, the best deals. We came to the conclusion—happy partner equals happy student,” said Bauer.
Like Bauer, many Babson graduate students are international, with families who need support, guidance, and long for connection and purpose.
“Most of the partners had busy lives before coming here. This gives them a chance to share their experience, their skills, whatever they can do to feel like they’re having a life here,” said Aglaia Seliuminova, who came here from Russia with her husband, Vasily Selyuminov MBA’19.
For Danit Ergas, coming here from Chile with her husband, Joel Kraus MBA’18, Babson Partners’ Club was an opportunity.
“We saw that it was a really good chance to do something to meet more people, and to have more interactions with the second-year partners, and now, also with the first-year partners,” said Ergas.
With multigenerational perspectives, and family-like connections, the team has now set out to put Babson Partners’ Club on the map.
Increased Visibility
“One of our main goals for now is to raise visibility and participation, and hopefully people on a deeper level. People really need it, coming from different countries,” said Seliuminova.
Bauer, Seliuminova, and Ergas are focusing on raising awareness though social media and reaching out to the Babson community to create partnerships and get more involved in campus collaborations.
“We are working on being active in order to grow the Club and ensure its future. The new students will be coming soon and we really want to engage them and make sure that everyone reaches us,” said Seliuminova.
Lately, Bauer, Ergas, and Seliuminova have come up with more creative ways to keep people interested, informed, and connected during the coronavirus crisis. They are using their Instagram and Facebook platforms to post videos, recipes, crafts for the kids, and, currently, an effort called Babson Partners Read Aloud.
Collaborations and Family
“We’re trying to set up a process to be available for members before they arrive. And, we do have a budget for activities such as Thanksgiving Dinner, Egg Hunt, Spring Crafting, our own Partners Orientation, Halloween, Apple Picking, Pumpkin Picking, and Baby Showers,” said Bauer.
Yet, the team knows there is still more that needs to be done to broaden their scope, solidify key partnerships, and grow community-wide collaborations.
Reflecting on the Babson Partners’ Club brings up many happy memories for the team.
“Getting to know the Babson family is the biggest memory for us here. You could never imagine the people that you will meet, from all around the globe—in one place—it’s amazing. These new Babson people are your new family,” said Ergas.
The Club also acts as a support group of sorts, creating a global network that is localized around Babson.
“It’s really nice to find people you can share with, and be honest with. We share our experiences with other international people from around the globe,” said Seliuminova.
And, yet, it all comes back to family.
“It’s not like we are just friends for two years. We are like a family until the end of the program, and hopefully, for many years,” said Bauer.
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