Undergraduate students, Amir Bouhafs and Evie Owens, were named "Best & Brightest Business Majors" by Poets & Quants for Undergrads, honoring 100 of the most accomplished seniors who majored in fields including marketing, accounting, operations, and human resources.
"These students personify the best qualities of their school and business in general," says Jeff Schmitt, Poets & Quants' senior writer, who launched the series in 2015. "They are standard bearers, really, who made the most of their time in business school. In the process, they made the people around them better too. The Class of 2018, in particular, set the bar high. They're such committed and creative students. The business world will be in great shape when these graduates hit their stride."
The article notes that for this year's graduating class, business comes down to one word: IMPACT. As the big day nears, these future business leaders are leaving their mark – often in big ways that defy traditional business roles and methods. It leads with Scheller College's own Evie Owens and her contributions at The Home Depot including a cost savings of over $6 million dollars – now that's impact.
For the past two summers, Evie has interned with The Home Depot. In the summer of 2017, she was given the opportunity to travel to Toronto, Canada in order to benchmark current ordering practices and make recommendations. In the end, Evie identified improvements and estimated cost-savings of $5M annually, which she presented to the Outside Sales and Services EVP, Bill Lennie, and the SVP, Kelly Barrett. After graduation, Evie will return to The Home Depot as the Home Depot Exteriors Merchandising Analyst. The Home Depot's Senior Vice President Home Services, Kelly Barrett, had this to say about Evie "I have never seen the level of confidence that she portrays in a college senior. I have high performing associates at the Senior Manager level that would be hard-pressed to compete with the quality of the work that she produced. We are blessed that she will be joining our team upon graduation and it will be a joy to watch her career progress quickly here at The Home Depot. I have never said this before about a college senior entering into our business to start their career, but I believe she will be an Officer of this company one day."
"I enjoy solving complex business problems. The bigger the challenge, the greater my interest" says Evie, who will graduate with a concentration in Supply Chain and Operations. It was at The Home Depot, where she realized the value of networking, which Evie says is the biggest lesson she learned while in business school. She credits this lesson to Scheller College's Career Services department: "Our career services team pushes entering freshmen from Day 1 to look for internships and to network with alums that have your "dream job". Their dedication helped me secure internships each summer I've been in college." In addition to a great Career Services program, Evie encourages students looking at business schools to also consider the school's location. Scheller College is located in Atlanta's Tech Square, which is home to five startup accelerators, 10 investor offices, and more than 200 startups. "We are constantly on the radar of top firms such as McKinsey, BCG, The Coca-Cola Company, and The Home Depot. It has served the student body well, because these companies are familiar with the prestige of our school, the quality of the students, and the strength of the curriculum; oftentimes elevating us in the interview process and providing access to first round interviews."
Achievement in and out of the classroom is the norm more often than not at Scheller College. Evie Owens was also recognized as Poets & Quants Undergraduate Student of the Year. Evie's favorite course was Servant Leadership, which isn't surprising when you look at her campus and community involvement: Scheller College of Business Student Ambassador, Society of Women in Business (2016 president), Student Government Association – Chief of Staff, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, Leading Edge Leadership Training program, Faculty Merit Scholarship recipient, and more.
Amir Bouhafs is a senior, concentrating in Finance and minoring in Engineering through the Steven A. Denning Technology & Management Program (T&M). The Denning T&M Program is a two-year course of study at Georgia Tech where undergraduate students learn together in an integrated program while preserving disciplinary depth in their major fields of study. "The T&M program has given me the knowledge to bridge the gap between business and technology, as both complement each other in today's world", shared Amir. "By way of attending workshops, networking with corporate executives, and working on projects with corporate affiliates, the opportunities as a member of the T&M program have been extraordinary."
Amir is also exceling outside of the classroom. Amir currently serves as a Scheller College of Business Student Ambassador, collaborating with the Undergraduate Office to achieve priorities set forth by Georgia Tech and Scheller College, such as recruitment initiatives and community development events. In 2016, Amir was recognized as the GT 1000 Team Leader of the Year, for his leadership and mentorship of Scheller College Freshman. He has served on various committees and boards for clubs and organizations on campus, including Tau Kappa Epsilon, the Interfraternity Council, Students of Southern Company, the Investments Committee, and more. During his college career, Amir interned with Southern Company and Deloitte Consulting LLP. He will return to Deloitte's Boston office post-graduation, as a Business Technology Analyst within Technology Strategy & Transformation.
Scheller College's 2018 Poets & Quants Students of the Year, Amir Bouhafs and Evie Owens, are shining examples of the intellect and drive that makes a Georgia Tech graduate unique.