A Babson Moment That Spanned Generations and Locations

For about six weeks now, video chat has kept Babson College students, staff, and faculty connected.

Using that same technology at last month’s Dean’s List Ceremony, a special moment spanned generations when Florida resident Jean Rebello, the grandmother of honoree Olivia Deval ’23, called in to help celebrate.

“Even though she’s distant from us, we wanted to invite her to join us in this moment, to make sure she still felt like she was part of the family,” Deval said.

Creating a Connection

Deval was supposed to visit her grandmother with family in March. After the coronavirus outbreak disrupted those plans, the Dean’s List Ceremony provided an opportunity to incorporate “the family as a whole, no matter where anyone’s physically located,” Deval said.

“Our virtual Dean List’s event allowed for participation of students as well as their families in the personal and powerful learning experience that our students engage in,” said Ian Lapp, dean of the Undergraduate School. “I was delighted that it allowed for intergenerational learning and conversations to take place.”

This year’s ceremony featured Assistant Professor Lakshmi Balachandra’s thought leadership on the role of gender biases in venture capital decision-making. She hoped to provoke students, and other lifelong learners listening to her presentation, to make a difference in the world.

“These students are accomplished, they are our future decision makers, our future leaders,” Balachandra said. “When it comes to work, you’re working with different generations. We bring our shared perspectives, who you are drives your decision making.”

The Dean’s List recognizes outstanding scholarship among students enrolled in the undergraduate program. Eligible students must have a semester average of at least 3.30 based on a minimum of 12 semester credits taken at Babson or through cross-enrollment.

Posted in Community

Tagged Entrepreneurship of All Kinds, Faculty, Global, Student Life, Undergraduate, Women's Leadership

More from  »