A Look Back at 2021 - 2022

Our first trivia night with the Canfields. The first CBHPicnic. The first barge party. The 2021-2022 school year was one of many firsts as we returned from the pandemic. As we tackle final exams, and embrace a summer of heat waves and hometowns, let’s take a trip down memory lane to commemorate our first school year fully back in person since the pandemic:

Kicking off the year, our September picnic brought together all four cohorts of CBHPeers. From energy-packed rounds of spikeball to catching up over pizza, this resembled what BHP truly stands for: finding a home on the 40 acres. For many sophomores, this was the first time seeing their entire cohort together outside the classroom. Juniors and seniors may have even gotten deja vu after reuniting with their BHPeers in-person rather than on Zoom. And for freshmen, this was a warm welcome into the BHPhamily.

Not only did we have fun this year, but we also worked hard. We rolled up our sleeves building large quantitative models for Texas Charity Pitch, which introduced many freshmen and sophomores to the financial world. Nevertheless, experienced upperclassmen led the way. Junior Bhavya Kethiredipalli emphasized that in addition to learning about investment and meaningful social return, Texas Charity Pitch focused on meeting industry professionals, refining communication skills, and being involved in McCombs. Stock pitches or case competitions are often the first time that BHPeers apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios.

We ventured outside the classroom but still kept in touch with our professors and mentors. From listening to Dean Mills share her vision of the future of McCombs to chatting with Phil and Mary Beth Canfield during Trivia Night, the HBA community firsthandedly understood the meaning behind “whats starts here changes the world.” We saw BHP alum put this into effect, with guest speakers like Amy Bell and Dennis Thankachan starting new and impactful ventures. For many of us, this was the one of the first times we realized our endless possibilities.

Thank you for being part of our journey this year, and we look forward to what 2022-2023 has to offer.

Signing off,

The HBA 2021-2022 Executive Team

Justin Zhang, Chris Wang, Sue Min Shin, Jenna Chen, Kiersten Schmidt, Scott Fonseka, Nicholas Kao, Michael Cacciatore