Stefan Burris believes that volunteering and community involvement should be a part of every person’s life.
The Daniels College of Business International MBA student is the co-president of Out for Business, a graduate student business group. The club is an educational and professional forum designed to further the interests of business graduate students who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and their allies.
Out for Business was formed three years ago by a group of students who saw the need for a club that would support DU’s environment of inclusive excellence while helping the GLBT community become engaged and active in the business world.
The club participates in the annual Daniels Inclusive Excellence Business Case Competition and Business Awards, an event that allows students to apply critical thinking and knowledge about diversity to real-world problems at the participating companies.
In addition to working on inclusiveness issues, the group participates in community service projects and volunteer work.
Members of Out for Business and the Daniels Graduate Women in Business groups will host a Halloween party on Oct. 30 from 10:30 a.m.–noon for children at the Bridge Project. The party will include pumpkin painting, face painting, cookie decorating, hat making, games and other activities. The Bridge Project provides educational opportunities for children living in Denver’s public housing neighborhoods. Organizers anticipate 75–100 children will attend.
“This is a cool opportunity for both clubs,” Burris says. “I want people to know that as a club we are focused on the community, not just on the awareness of GLBT issues — it’s an opportunity to give back a little bit.”
Burris hopes to partner with other GLBT advocacy groups on campus, including the OUTlaws from the Sturm College of Law and the Queerbels, an organization of students from the Josef Korbel School for International Studies.