As two of just 18 students selected nationwide, junior Business Administration major Anderson Coquillon and junior Marketing major David Santana recently traveled to Wichita, Kansas to attend the prestigious Undergraduate Student Morality and Economics Colloquium. Hosted by The Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics at Emporia State University, the educational and networking event took place Feb. 21-23.
Coquillon and Santana were among students from 12 other elite universities who dove deep into intensive study of markets and ethics. The students explored answers to questions about what makes a rich nation rich, what makes a good person good, and the relationship between those two questions.
At the recommendation of Professor Shahriar Mostashari, Ph.D., associate dean for External Relations at Campbell Business School, the students each submitted a short essay on what they hoped to gain from the experience. Upon their return, they tried to capsulize their amazing learning experience below:
“Being able to participate in the colloquium was an amazing experience,” said Coquillon, an active duty Green to Gold scholarship student who plans to reenter the Army as a commissioned officer upon graduation. “My faith in the human aspect of economics has been reinvigorated and challenged. There is much that needs to be uncovered and taught regarding free markets and exchange with regards to the human need/experience. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to encounter and be exposed to such a diverse group of students. Each one brought necessary viewpoints to the many discussions based off their unique perceptions, ideas, and journeys.”
“The colloquium was a blast. The most important thing we learned was that with economics being a positive science we have taken humanity out of it. The event was about Humanomics, and we spent most of our time discussing why does economics today avoid humanity, ethics, philosophy, and most other fields. We talked about our collective knowledge of these subjects. We had a great time networking and meeting other students from throughout the nation. It was also nice to explore the town of Wichita. Overall a wonderful weekend. It was an honor to be able to represent Campbell University at this event,” said Santana.
Mostashari commented, “Nothing makes me happier than to see our student ambassadors attending and experiencing unique educational programs outside of Buies Creek, within the United States, and abroad. They not only gain new skills, meet new people, and raise their professional profile, they are spreading the warmth of Campbell and extending her long reach.”
The Koch Center for Leadership and Ethics has hosted four Campbell Business students over the past two years, providing all seminar-related materials including textbooks and journal articles as well as lodging, meals and a travel honorarium of $500.