莎拉·安瓦尔，06年
活动策划人. 沟通者. 女商人.
After 工作ing for Sean “Diddy” Combs, this graduate found her calling for event planning at the National Basketball Association.
Upon graduating from Columbia’s Business and Entrepreneurship program with a 音乐 Business concentration, Sara Anwar quickly moved to New York City to pursue an internship with Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records. This experience would ultimately lead her to 工作 for Bad Boy Entertainment, the company founded by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs—an internship secured through her 工作 with Columbia's Urban 音乐 Association (CUMA) and producing industry events near campus. Anwar 工作ed in the executive offices of Combs for nearly six years in different capacities. After 工作ing in the music industry for 10 years, she found her passion for event planning. Anwar now 工作s in the event department at the National Basketball Association and also teaches applied marketing in Columbia’s Business & Entrepreneurship Department.
What was your most valuable Columbia experience?
The most valuable experience was when I joined Columbia’s Urban 音乐 Association—and net工作ing! We coordinated industry panels and produced beat battles, 艺术家展示, and music industry conferences for students to connect and net工作. We held a few fundraisers and were fortunate enough to fly out a few legends. This would ultimately lead me to an internship in NYC with Roc-A-Fella. I was [also] a residence assistant in the dorms. This position helped build my character as well as meet more students. The friends/mentors/colleagues I would surround myself with were all determined, focused and driven individuals pursuing dreams. You become a product of your surroundings.
How has Columbia and the Business and Entrepreneurship program prepared you for your career path?
I would constantly be reminded to net工作 and create change. With that mind-state, I took advantage of my internship [opportunities]. The department prepared me in a huge way by [allowing us to] meet alumni who [were] 工作ing in their respective fields, allowing us to physically see how it goes down in the real world.
Any advice for students?
Do as many internships as you can. Internships not only help build relationships but also help determine which position, which department and which pathway is the best for each individual. Net工作 as much as you can. 你的网工作 determines your net 价值. It’s not about who you know, it’s not about what you know, it’s about 谁了解你. Dreams do come true!
