Two years ago, I spoke at the annual conference for Net Impact, an organization composed mainly of MBA students and graduate students committed to using the power of business to improve the world. Held at Columbia Business School in New York City, I met a student from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Analiza.  We struck up a conversation, with memories of my own hubby attending Kellogg. Since then, Analiza kept in contact with occasional emails.

Analiza graduated in June 2006 and she emailed at one point to tell me that she had accepted a job at consumer products company in marketing. I was pleased to get an email from her today with the following:

If you were asked, "You have 3 months to do whatever you want.  What would you do?"   Here’s where I would go and what I would do:

• India – Volunteer at a school for slum kids
• Honolulu – Check out the Filipino National Conference and give a presentation (here’s a story about my research just in case you’re interested http://www.northwestern.edu/magazine/fall2006/studentlife/quiroz.html)
• Kenya – Volunteer for a school for inner-city American boys   
• Uganda – Trek into the jungle to meet gorillas face-to-face
• Tanzania – Get killed by Mount Kilimanjaro
• Zanzibar – Scuba dive with octopus and turtles
• China  – Volunteer for the National Science Foundation, explore the Silk Road
• Mongolia – Get lost in the Gobi Desert
• Reno – Celebrate at Burning Man
• Kauai – Dive, zipline, deep sea fish, and eat a lot with my family

I feel very fortunate to be able to have spent my summer after Kellogg’s business school making this a reality.   There are many things I’ve realized – how very lucky I am to have such wonderful friends and family and also have access to a standing toilet and warm showers. 

Analiza started her first day at work a couple of weeks ago.  I’d say her employer is pretty lucky to have someone on their staff who is fully alive and awake to the world. Workplaces need more employees like Analiza.

Following on Analiza’s lead, what would you do if you had 3 months to do whatever you want? And what will you do to turn it into reality?