Ethics Speakers Series: World Traveler Talks with Students About the ‘Impact of One’
Scotty Utz left college with a degree in finance. He also left with thousands of dollars in debt and a desire to see the world through the eyes of those whose stories go untold and whose lives go unnoticed.
How Utz managed to do this was the topic of his conversation with the students in the MBA, MAcc, and Undergraduate programs on March 25 at the University Center. Utz described how he took a simple concept from his business classes-the time value of money-and leveraged the windfalls to fashion an unorthodox career working with at-risk, inner-city youth.
Utz was the second speaker in The Mason School of Business Ethics Speakers Series, sponsored by Professor Ed Felton and the Student Ethics Initiative Committee.
The title of his talk, "The Impact of One,' reflects his idea that each person can make a significant impact once they realize the power and ability they have. Using stories from his own life and re-telling stories of the lives of others-Ghandi, Martin Luther King, 11-year-old Andrew from a ranch where he worked, hippies he met on his travels, and even a horse-Utz urged the students to "consider the road less-traveled," as they make the transition out of school and to appreciate what the world can teach them.
"As aspiring business people, I encourage you to understand yourself and the world," Utz said.
Utz praised the Ethics Initiative's Four Pillars of Ethics-1) all decisions have ethical implications; 2) ethics are dynamic; 3) the most important ethical decision you will make is how you use your talents; and 4) student leadership is essential-in their ability to help shape a world view broader than one's immediate sphere of influence.
"I was asked to come here tonight to share some of my journey, which has been neither traditional, nor linear, with the hope that it may ignite in you some new ideas about how you may choose to journey into a greater self awareness and larger world view for yourself" Utz noted to the audience.
