Path to Purpose
Business on Purpose is our promise to help all Gies students think about why they’re getting a business education and how they can use that education to help make the world a better place.
Your true purpose isn’t something you can just “find” while you’re earning your degree – it’s an exciting, ongoing process that you’ll continue after graduation. But while you’re a student here, we’re committed to providing the opportunities and resources you need to make significant strides along your Path to Purpose.
You’re invited to the Path to Purpose event!
If you’re at Gies Business, you’re already on your Path to Purpose – whether you knew it or not!
To help make the journey more intentional and tailored to your interests and passions, we’ve created the Path to Purpose event. It’s easy to participate.
1. Show up!
Stop by the Path to Purpose table in the BIF atrium during one of these windows:
- Tuesday, October 11, starting at 10:00 am until 2:00 pm
- Wednesday, October 12, starting at 10:00 am until 2:00 pm
2. Reflect and commit
Join your classmates as you each reflect on your own, personal goals to stretch yourself and explore new possibilities during your time at Gies. Then write one of your goals on a special card provided at the event. (Big or small, each goal will take you another step closer to your purpose-driven future!)
3. Get your Gies flashlight or highlighter
When you turn in your Path to Purpose goal card, you’ll get a small Gies flashlight or highlighter. We hope it will remind you of the goal you shared and help illuminate your path as you continue your journey.
4. Be part of the big picture
Your card will soon become part of a Path to Purpose installation, contributing to a bigger story about the Gies Community. Together, our goals, commitments, and ideals are a force that will make the world better.
Don’t forget to check out the installation when it’s complete! It will be on display in the hallway that connects the BIF atrium to Deloitte Auditorium. Find your card, show your friends, and be inspired by what your classmates are doing.
Want to start brainstorming your goals?
Here are the kinds of Gies experiences that will take you another step down your path to purpose:
Anything that…
- stretches you outside of your comfort zone
- challenges you to see things in a different way
- helps you grasp the real-life applications of something you learned in class
- gives you an opportunity to explore a new skill or area of thought
- helps you meet people who are different from you
- sparks curiosity
- teaches you something important about yourself
- and more!
You get the idea. Write yours down and add one of your goals to a card at the Path to Purpose event.
Alumni Stories
Our alumni have been in your shoes and share their journey of finding a purposeful career. These words of wisdom and lessons learned can help empower you to start on your own path to purpose so you can become tomorrow’s business leaders.
For Todd Lillibridge ‘78, his experiences at Gies were foundational in providing him a place to grow. He describes how his path to purpose was founded on relentless humility, empathy, and a drive to improve the lives of others.
Doniel Sutton’s experiences at Gies enabled her to explore a wide variety of career opportunities, leading to a realization that she had a passion for human resources and using that to help people overcome obstacles.
For Cortlon Cofield ‘14, graduating college is not the end of education – it is the beginning. He describes his drive to successfully launch a financial planning company that focuses on young people to give them the advice they need to achieve their financial goals.
Al Goldstein ‘02 finds his purpose and motivation on building things that are new and transformational and watching people emerge in their careers and become leaders. He brings that back to the university by helping future entrepreneurs become successful.