Upon learning that the Consulting Abroad Program (CAP) would not include travel to South Africa in May, students and faculty alike were understandably disappointed. There would be no in-person visits to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. No late evenings perfecting the presentations at the hotel in Cape Town. No opportunity to meet face to face with the clients at Cenfri, Discovery, Darling Sweet and Lulalend. However, as the Student Administrative Assistant supporting this program, I have been very pleased at how everyone involved in CAP, from students and faculty, to Global Partners and guest advisers, have demonstrated commitment to ensuring the success of the program.
A screenshot of team Lulalend's final presentation deck.
This occurred because G&EE swiftly decided the program would continue to the fullest extent possible via distance learning. Communication between the students and the Global Partners, which is always done virtually throughout the semester, has continued with minimal interruption. The students have been working diligently to provide valuable recommendations and insights to their clients. Faculty, Student Administrative Assistants, and guest speakers have remained committed to setting the students up to succeed.
Throughout CAP, students gain hands-on experience practicing some of the most important 21st century business skills, such as teamwork, communication, client engagement, satisfying requirements from multiple stakeholders, and presentational speaking. In addition, students have also gained skills working with a variety of virtual communication platforms including Blackboard Collaborate, WebEx, Adobe Connect. Proficiency with these tools will undoubtedly be in high demand, even as life slowly returns to normal.
On April 20th G&EE hosted the virtual Panel Presentations, during which each student team presented their preliminary findings to a group of experts. The South Africa cohort was especially fortunate, as they received feedback and guidance from professionals from Deloitte, the World Bank, and the Embassy of South Africa. As I write this, the students are hard at work incorporating this new advice and putting the finishing touches on their reports and presentations. Although the presentations were delivered virtually, GWSB’s strong professional connections and alumni network in DC were instrumental in securing the evaluators’ participation.
It has certainly been a challenging semester, both inside and outside the classroom. People often say that what really matters in life is not what happens, but how you react to it. Everyone involved in CAP has been very resilient, and I am confident that the students have learned a great deal during the process. Next week, the students will deliver final presentations to their Global Partners, and we will conclude with a virtual happy hour. Although we will be unable to celebrate in South Africa, hopefully we can bring a bit of South Africa’s spirit to DC. Virtually, of course.
Mike Bonfatto is a ‘20 Global MBA Candidate at The George Washington University School of Business.
