MBA student receives international leadership award

Kelley Masters of Business Administration student Kristina Alkire has been honored by the Graduate Business Foundation. The foundation's Student Leadership Award was given to Alkire at an annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga. last month, citing her outstanding performance within the graduate community.\nAlkire faced significant competition from other talented students attending such business schools at Duke, Emory and Cornell Universities.\n\"The Student Leadership Award was truly the greatest honor that I have received in my life," Alkire said.\nEven before receiving this recent honor, Alkire was well on her way to recognition for excellence.\nAlkire came to IU in search of a career in retail and left with a professional reputation. Almost from the moment she set foot on Bloomington soil, Alkire was involved in the Kelley curriculum. Since receiving her MBA on May 4, Alkire has moved on, but her influence on the Kelley School of Business, she said, remains.\nAfter first meeting Alkire, Kelley MBA program director, Terril Cosgray, was instantly impressed. \n"I actually met her before she came to campus," Cosgray said. "I could tell she was to be a superstar MBA student."\nHe was right.\nThough Alkire could already boast a dual undergraduate degree in business from the University of Missouri-Columbia, she sought graduate school to enhance her abilities in strategic business. She thought her greatest development would come from academics, but Alkire learned much from interaction with peers and soon realized growth through leadership.\nAlkire\'s estimation of Kelley is clear: she accepted the Student Leadership Award on behalf of the school.\n"The Kelley faculty members are phenomenal," she said. "The professors work as hard as the MBA students."\nWhile at Kelley, Alkire jumpstarted two new programs that will continue in her absence.\nAs the vice president of professional development for Kelley\'s MBA Association, she developed a complete orientation agenda for incoming MBA students.\n"She gave each of them a three-inch, three-ring binder filled with resources and information," said Cosgray. "She spoke about resume development, networking, interviewing… everything they needed to find a job."\nAlkire not only improved orientation, but she also launched an entirely new event called the "Kelley Kick-Off," funded by a gift from the Daimler-Chrysler Corporation. She contacted various companies and convinced recruiters to participate in mock interviews so students could gain valuable experience for the post-graduation job search.\nMichael Hertel, associate director of graduate student services, said he can't imagine what the business school would be like without her.\n"I've always thought Kristina was outstanding. She's made an impact on the professional development of her class and the class behind her," Hertel said. "She's left a legacy of professionalism."\nEven with her great successes, Alkire does not forget the help of others.\n"The Kelley faculty, administration and students have all worked hard to implement the new programs," she said.\nAlkire's hard work has paid off with a career. She will head to Hoffman Estates, Ill. in June 2002, where she has accepted a position as a Strategy Analyst in the Corporate Strategy division of Sears, Roebuck and Company.