Upper School students have recently heard guest lectures from two different business professionals who hold important positions in their respective fields: Byron Sanders ’01 and Chris Cocks.
Sanders spoke at an Upper School assembly to share his experience at Greenhill. He highlighted what Greenhill meant to him and how he took the lessons he learned to create something bigger.
Sanders’ goal as the president of Big Thought is to create equitable communities and narrow the opportunity gap for young people.
“Closing the opportunity gap means that in addition to high-quality education programs that unlock creativity, we also must provide our children with social and emotional learning skills that will prepare them for careers that are yet to be created,” according to Sanders’ website, BigThought.org.
While sharing his story, Sanders captured the attention of the Upper School.
“My favorite thing about [Sander’s] speech was how he told his story and did not put any names to his story and then later revealed that it was him, and it really showed who he was and how he got to where he is today,” senior Elizabeth Mann said. “I think it should inspire people to realize that if you don’t have it all figured out right now, you will find your purpose.”
Students were inspired by Sanders’ message because he encouraged them to remember that they always have a community to come to.
“I think it is important to remember to not beat yourself up and realize that there are people out there who have your back,” senior Susie Fagelman said. “Even if it’s just one person that can build you back up, they are there for you even when you can’t build yourself back up.”
Additionally, Cocks, chief executive officer at Hasbro, was brought to Greenhill by the Design and Innovation Department. He visited the Upper School and answered questions about how to pursue innovative ideas.
“Cocks’s vision, skills and experience, combined with his extensive omni-channel background and proven track record, make him uniquely positioned to unlock Hasbro’s future potential and drive supercharged growth across Hasbro’s brands,” according to Hasbro.com.
Cocks’ work experience helped him answer questions that students asked about how to get into the field.
“He opened our eyes to what we could use our skills for and how different people run companies and things like that,” senior Daniel Walker said. “It was interesting to see how he does his day-to-day operations and how he runs his business.”
In addition to answering questions, Cocks shared how he got into the industry.
“He said it was a lot of luck and a little bit of skill,” said Walker. “He kind of built up his reputation in the industry and then got offered a job.”
Students agree that listening to his talk was very beneficial for them.
“We just learned a lot of things, from how he runs businesses to how to get into different industries,” Walker said. “I would love for Greenhill to bring more people into the future, especially from different people and different backgrounds.”
