FALL 2020
HUNT LEADERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT Typically, I start the fall newsletter with a recap of our fabulous fall retreat. However, the image above shows you the real way the Hunt Leadership Scholars kicked off the Fall 2020 semester: a BYOP (bring your own picnic, in case you have not engaged in this new socially distant gathering technique) on the steps of Dallas Hall before the first day of classes. As the Director of the program, I am unbelievably proud of the creativity, dedication, and stamina the students have shown, while continuing to care deeply for their fellow Mustangs and Hunt Scholars. They have taken the initiative to maintain a strong sense of community and welcome the Class of 2024 in the Hunt Scholar family. You'll see some Zoom screen shots in the pages that follow, but you'll also see how we have managed to maintain some sense of normalcy and tradition in spite of a global public health crisis. I hope you, too, will be proud of all the students have accomplished. Pony Up, Lindsay Davis
WHAT'S NEW? Our Peer Mentor Program is still going strong! All of the first-year Hunt Scholars are paired with the sophomore Hunt Scholars for the duration of that first year on campus. This year, meetings happened from a safe social distance, on Zoom, and with masks, but they happened nonetheless. The sophomores have done a spectacular job as mentors!
The First-Year Leadership Seminar, EPL 3101, was still able to meet in person every week until our final class meeting. This Zoom photo is from our last class meeting, which was conducted virtually after the Thanksgiving break. Getting together every Wednesday was a highlight of the week for all of us!
WHAT'S NEW? Hunt Scholars led some of SMU's most treasured campus traditions this fall in spite of the event restrictions associated with COVID-19. Junior, Eliana Abraham, and Senior, Nick Fontela, executed Perunapalooza in a safe and fun manner after the event was postponed in Spring 2021.
Five senior Hunt Scholars were Homecoming candidates this year: Zac Scornavacco, Christian Hammond, Caroline Gutowski, Nick Fontela, & Kennedy Eaker.
Sophomore Piper Holden was one of several Hunt Scholars on the Student Foundation Homecoming Committee. She hosted an amazingly impactful alumni panel as part of the week's festivities. Yup, that's Brian Baumgartner on Piper's Zoom screen!
FEATURED ALUMNA BETH McKEON Class of 2002 Undergraduate Major: BA in French Language & Literature On-Campus Residence: VirginiaSnider Current Location: Denver, CO Current Job: Founder & CEO of Fluent Tell us a little bit about what you're doing now... In 2018, I founded a data technology company based in Denver called Fluent that produces a product called the Fluency Score, like a FICO Score for startups. I've been in the entrepreneurial support space for a number of years now and have worked all over the country, helping lead over 18 accelerator programs in five states. I built Fluent out of the learnings from those experiences and knowledge gained through my previous job roles. Our product, the Fluency Score helps organizations deploying capital to startups make strategic decisions based on the startup's product-market fit. We've been in the market for about 18 months, and we already have customers in 14 states. It has been incredible to see how fast we're growing! In my spare time (pre-COVID), I dance tango. In starting your own company, where did this idea come from? How did the company emerge? My primary interest has always been bolstering the success of startups. There's currently a general s acceptance of the fact that nine out of ten companies are going to fail. People just assume that this is okay. I, however, was not satisfied with that success rate. I knew we could do better. Fluent really came from a place of wanting to understand what entrepreneurs need in order to truly improve their chances of being successful. And then we built the products founders need to reach success. Do you have a favorite success story you're able to share? The one that I'm most proud of comes from a mother-daughter team out of Tennessee. It's actually a really cool story...
FEATURED ALUMNA They started this company together and were the kind of entrepreneurs you want to bet on. They pitched really well, had a great story, were solving an interesting problem, and already had high profile Fortune 500 customers. They had both quit their jobs and put everything, all their life savings, into the business. They had done everything you could possibly ask founders to do. However, when they connected with me, they were about to have to shut down because they still weren't quite where they needed to be with their growth. They'd been able to raise a small round, but they really needed more capital to grow. Fortunately, they got hooked in with Fluent at exactly the right moment. They went through an accelerator that I led, and shortly after that became the 37th and 38th black female founders in the world to raise a million dollars for their company. How have you seen the startup space change during the COVID-19 pandemic? I would say that our industry hasn't been affected in big ways, other than people needing to take what was in-person programming and bring it online. That being said, the need to support entrepreneurs and help people build businesses has only grown as people are trying to navigate changes and workforce demands. Right now there's an even bigger emphasis on how communities around the world can support local entrepreneurs so that they don't have to move somewhere else to grow their company; so they can really contribute to the local economy. Now for the rapid fire section... coffee or tea? Coffee all the time, in every situation. Coffee's always the right answer. Favorite stay-at-home hobby? I live in Colorado, so I have the benefit of the mountains. I've started playing disc golf as a way to get outside, have a really nice walk in the beautiful weather, and do something that still feels safe. Best thing you've watched lately? This is a clichĂŠ, but I was a huge fan of "The Queen's Gambit," which is a big thing on Netflix right now. It was just so great to see a strong female character also supported by all of the men in her universe in really cool ways. Favorite takeout? Torchy's Tacos all day- they have amazing queso! Could you share a quote that inspires you? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver
FEATURED ALUMNA Thinking back on your time at SMU, what would you say is your favorite memory? Honestly, studying abroad as part of my Hunt Leadership Scholarship was the most transformative part of college for me and for sure changed the trajectory of my professional life. I'm incredibly thankful for that opportunity. I was in Paris for two semesters, and actually, that's why I became a French major. I went to Paris and it completely changed my life. I even earned my Master's degree in Paris. Speaking to your academic trajectory, obviously you had a language-based major and now you've ended up working in this startup space. What advice would you give to students who are trying to figure out what to study? There's really good research that shows that you're not supposed to specialize too early. You're supposed to dabble and experience different things; go take three semesters of something and then change your mind and go study something else, and then go have five jobs in five years that are vastly different. With that in mind, my advice is, don't feel like you have to know what you're going to do. I'm for sure doing what I'm supposed to be doing in my life, and I couldn't be doing this if I hadn't meandered for a period of time. It's the combination of experiences both in college and in my early career that made it possible for me to see potential for innovation and see potential for really making an impact in the world. What are things you do to continue to grow as a leader in your professional life? I read a lot of books, primarily around emotional intelligence and building strong relationships. Running a company is mostly about relationships, communication, trust, and things that are important in our personal lives. We actually can't build successful companies if we're not building great relationships at the base of them. Since none of us are perfect out of the gate, it's a skill we need to learn and to really practice. If you had a moment with Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, what would you say? I wouldn't have been able to go to SMU without this scholarship; it was the deciding factor for me being able to go to SMU. My business partner was my roommate in college, and we've been best friends for 20 years now. My life trajectory can trace back to the decision to go to SMU with the Hunt Leadership Scholarship, so I'm just incredibly thankful.
We're thankful for you, Beth, and cannot wait to see how Fluent continues to grow and equip entrepreneurs with the resources they need to be successful!
ALUMNI UPDATES HELP SELECT THE CLASS OF 2025 HUNT SCHOLARS! Alumni participation is critical to selecting the best Hunt Leadership Scholars possible. We hope you will consider serving in one of two ways this year: Review application files January 25 - February 8 Interview finalists on March 12 Sign up here by January 8! Both processes will occur virtually this year, and the funding we normally use on a large-scale interview day will be used to help fund finalists' personal visits to campus. We look forward to returning to a large interview day, but are thankful to be able to cover to cost of visiting campus for this stellar group of students in the meantime.
STAY CONNECTED Big move? New job? Working on a cool project you'd like to share? Please reach out! We are always looking for alumni to feature and stories to share. We're continuing to monitor health and safety before planning any big events, but hope we will be in a situation to share information about Homecoming 2021 in our Spring newsletter. In the meantime, please join the alumni group on LinkedIn and follow the Hunt Leadership Scholars Program on Instagram.
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