The Jerry S. Rawls College of Business hosted the annual Scovell Business Leadership Program (SBLP) Gala last month in the McCoy Atrium. The event honored 10 graduating seniors and recognized the collaborative efforts of 10 teams of students who developed and presented business proposals. Looking ahead, SBLP is excited to welcome approximately 20 new members in the fall—about 15 incoming first-year students and five current Rawls students.
For the business proposals, each team dedicated significant time to developing their projects before presenting their findings to the public at this year’s gala. The event held special meaning, as Jerry S. Rawls attended and engaged with each team, discussing their selected topics in detail.
Student Reflections
The students worked on their presentations over the course of the past academic year—some even longer—and were proud to finally share their work with a real audience.
Some of the presentation topics included Toddi Cocktails, the Lubbock Expo Center, TERN Mentoring, and Rawls Marketplace.
Emma Fel, a member of the Rawls Marketplace team, discussed the goals of their proposal in detail.
“We were realistically hoping to have about six to eight vendors, and we ended up with around 14,” said Fel. “In just four hours, those 14 vendors made about $8,200.”
Those in attendance at the gala were highly impressed by the students' preparation, with many engaging in conversations and commending them on their success.
Following the presentations, students, faculty, and guests came together to celebrate the graduating seniors as they prepare to leave both Texas Tech and the SBLP.
Katrianna Ling, a graduating senior and member of the Lubbock Expo Center team, offered advice for incoming students.
“Incoming students should be prepared to stay curious and engaged,” Ling said. “You really get out what you put into this program. If you engage with your other group members and contribute well, you can do some amazing things that no other organization will provide you with the opportunities for.”
Jerry S. Rawls’ Insights and Advice
When asked for advice on career growth and long-term success, Mr. Rawls emphasized the importance of hard work and humility. He encouraged students to never pretend to know something they don’t and stressed the value of maintaining a strong reputation and preserving relationships, noting that success in life and business often hinges on not burning bridges.
Each team had the unique opportunity to speak with Mr. Rawls, enthusiastically sharing their presentations as he listened attentively and with genuine interest.
“It was great to talk to Mr. Rawls — it was almost a little bit of a full-circle moment,” said Ling. “The cumulation of what I accomplished in my senior year was being presented to him. It was a nice experience to get to show him what the students at the school that he helped build are capable of and are accomplishing.”