By Jacob Tomaskovic
One of the most meaningful parts of my MBA experience at Scheller has been helping lead the Graduate Philanthropy Committee, a student-led group focused on creating service opportunities for graduate business students across our MBA and MSGMT programs.
Our goal is simple: to make service a more central part of the student experience. In business school, we spend a lot of time talking about leadership, strategy, and impact. But I believe some of the most important leadership lessons happen outside the classroom, when you show up for people in moments that are difficult, messy, and real.
This year, one of our most impactful initiatives was partnering with Georgia Works, an Atlanta nonprofit that provides housing and workforce support for individuals experiencing homelessness. The idea for this dinner actually started with our monthly volunteer dinners at Covenant Community, a nearby recovery housing program for men. Since the fall, a few classmates and I have been preparing home-cooked meals there, and those evenings reminded me that a meal can mean much more than food—it can mean dignity, consistency, and care.
Through Scheller Career Services Director Joe Arton, I was connected with Darlene Schultz, CEO at Georgia Works. When I asked how we could make the biggest impact, she shared that their kitchen was behind schedule, making it difficult to provide hot meals for residents. The challenge became finding a commercial kitchen large enough to cook at scale.
That led me to Terry Blum, Director of The Institute for Leadership and Social Impact, who helped connect us with Reverend Bronson and the team at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Ebenezer had already been supporting Georgia Works and generously opened their kitchen to us. With their help, students came together to prepare lasagnas, roasted vegetables, potatoes, salad, and garlic bread for residents.
The most meaningful part of the experience wasn’t just cooking or serving the food, it was sitting down afterward, sharing conversation, and hearing people’s stories. That is where service becomes something more than a task. It becomes relationship. It becomes shared humanity.
For me, this work reflects what graduate business education should be about. Leadership is not just about performance or achievement. It is also about humility, responsibility, and the willingness to be present for others. My hope is that service continues to be a foundation of the Scheller experience for years to come.
