Using Business to Create Social Change
Marielle Larson has combined international experiences and her commitment to engagement with her business coursework. How have these three things contributed to her passion for creating social change?
Check out Marielle's travel blog!
From West Coast to East Coast
Originally from Mukilteo, Washington, I’m a rising junior and a Process Management & Consulting major and sociology minor. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a fair amount internationally, specifically to China, Australia, Italy, France, and Prague. These experiences have definitely shaped my perspective on life and my IPS (more on that below). In addition to affecting my coursework, extra-curricular activities and goals, this travel and my job at the Blue Talon Bistro have given me an interest in international cuisine. I love to cook and bake and one of my life goals is to make a dish from every country in the world. I am super excited for the Indian cooking class I’ll be taking while studying abroad.
Finding my Passion for Engagement
My IPS combines a global perspective with a commitment to engagement, using business to create social change. My experience traveling internationally has given me a greater appreciation for different cultures and world views. As I study abroad this fall in Bangalore, India I hope to further challenge myself and my views, to better understand global dynamics and people. I believe that a global perspective is particularly essential to creating social change because the world is now more interconnected than ever before. Since coming to William & Mary, my passion for engagement has been further developed through my involvement with Sharpe, Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship, and the Business School. The amazing people I’ve worked with through these programs have helped me to deepen my understanding of social issues, develop the skills to make a difference, and given me hope for a brighter tomorrow. 
As a freshman I was a Sharpe scholar, which is really where my interest in social issues began to take on a more concrete and intellectual form. Since then I’ve been involved with OCES in a variety of ways; with Leadership in Community Engagement, the Active Citizens Conference, and as Undersecretary of Volunteer Services. At this point, the majority of my involvement has focused on deepening my understanding of social issues and building the skills to do something about them. I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in several Branch Out National day-trips, one of which ventured to Malloy Farm. On this trip, the Malloys explained the benefits and challenges of some of the specific organic and sustainable practices they use and then, we were able to help them plant some vegetables.
Another highlight of my Sharpe and LCE experiences were the overnight trips to Pathways in Petersburg. On these trips, we were exposed to some of the issues in the city, especially poverty and the lack of accredited schools, and learned how Pathways, a non-profit organization, is addressing some of these issues. We also worked with Habitat for Humanity to help a couple with some physical limitations move into their new house. This summer my passion has manifested itself in my Monroe research, which pertains to the influence of grading on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation towards learning in high-achieving, high school students. Moving forward, I hope to participate in a more hands-on fashion and begin to apply what I’ve learned.
The Impact of Sustainable Business Practices
My IPS strongly emphasizes sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and creating change. The biggest highlight in my business school experience would definitely have to be the Sustainability Conference in New York last spring. It was an amazing opportunity to meet students at William & Mary as well as from other colleges with similar interests and exciting ideas. In addition, talking to major companies like IBM about their emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility was also extremely enlightening and inspiring.
To India - and beyond!
This fall I’ll be studying abroad in Bangalore, India, which I anticipate will be a challenging, but extremely rewarding experience that will really open my eyes, particularly to social issues in a global context. When I return in the spring, I plan to become involved with Net Impact and in general, invest more time into social change. I also hope to intern next summer at a company like IBM with an emphasis upon sustainability and social responsibility. From there I’m not entirely sure what my next step will be, but I’d like to apply my PMC major, sociology minor, and overall life experience towards using business to create social change in some capacity.
