
If traditional majors don’t fulfill what you want,Jill Howard ’19 has some advice: Create your own. That's what she did.
“If you’re passionate about a cross-discipline major or something that traditional majors don’t fulfill, it’s worth it to design your own,” saysHoward, who designed hermajor in social innovation and enterprise.
Howard'slove for social innovation started back in high school;she was taking business coursesand realized that she enjoyed the subject. Community service has also always been an important part of her life, soher major"utilizes business as a force for good and is the perfect combination of my two interests,” she says.
To be able to combine business and community service into her major was essential.For example, Howard explains how the company TOMS is involved with social innovation. TOMS is a one-for-one company that donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased.This type of work was exactly what she wanted to be involved with. During her senior year of high school, she conducted a year-long projectresearching the field of innovation and creating a business plan for a social enterprise that she created herself.
Taking charge of your future path is important for college students, and designing your own major is one big step in the right direction.
Initially, Howard wanted to major in marketing and management, but when she met the director of the Social Innovationand EnterpriseCenter, Fiona Wilson, she decided to go down the path of designing her own. She says shewanted to have complete control over heracademicsand to shape her college experience.
Howard encourages other studentsnot to be afraid to be different andnot to subject themselves to a traditional major if it's not the right fit. Designing your own major takes a vast amount of creativity and proves that you have a vision for yourself. Taking charge of your future path is important for college students, and designing your own major is one big step in the right direction, she says.
The Center for Social Innovation and Enterpriseprovides students with opportunities to become more involved around campus. One opportunitythat Howard has taken advantage of isSemester in the City. She wanted a taste of the 9 to 5 life before graduation, and since Semester in the City is a partnership with the Center for Social Innovation and Enterprise, it was perfect match.
Howard spent the fall semester interning with the economic growth team at the working on programs related toeconomic and racial equity initiatives.Her goal?To leave Boston with astronger personal and professional networkas well asenhanced knowledge and skills related to economic growth, community developmentand the socialsector.
Howard was recently profiled by in their story about business schools that specialize in social innovation, ""
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Written By:
Zachary Tavano | Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics | zt1007@wildcats.unh.edu
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