A photo of the team huddling in celebration at the Final Four
Talia Caldwell ’13, a key contributor in Cal’s run to the Final Four, holds the distinction of being the first women’s basketball player accepted into the Haas School of Business.

A citizen of the global world

Berkeley gave me space to grow into my complete self. It’s rare to find yourself at an institution where you are challenged to think critically among the brightest minds in the world, while also encouraged to express the fullness and totality of who you are.

My entire time at the Haas School of Business was memorable. From my business and ethics instructor, Professor Ross, beginning day one of our class with the thought-provoking premise that, “Everything that is legal is not necessarily ethical and everything that is illegal isn’t unethical.” Or my class on corporate social responsibility with Professor Kevin Sweeney, who gracefully reminded us on our last day of instruction of Chinua Achebe’s words, “Things fall apart,” while adding, “but we rebuild.” That alone has helped sustain me as I journey through life. And finally, all four of the Haas School of Business’s defining principles — “Question the Status Quo,” “Confidence Without Attitude,” “Students Always,” and “Beyond Yourself.”

I am constantly learning, unlearning, and evolving to critique my own biases and blindspots. I’m constantly interrogating my beliefs making sure that I am first and always a citizen of the global world: understanding my existence is dependent on the next person’s and that we are all integral to the success of each other and to the ecosystem of life.

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