Through Tuck’s Nonprofit Board Fellows program, Alex Xue T’26 helped spark a partnership between Tuck Dining and Willing Hands, a local nonprofit that recovers surplus food and delivers it to those in need across the Upper Valley
Can you tell us about your role as a Non-profit Board Fellow? What do you do in that role and what inspired you to take it up?
It’s a super cool initiative for second-year students to get involved with a local non-profit through the Center for Business, Government and Society (CBGS). As the Tuck board fellow for Willing Hands, I get to participate in their monthly board meetings and will work on a special project aligned to their strategic priorities for the next few years.
I’ve always been passionate about social impact. Being a part of a non-profit board adds a level of richness to my understanding of the inner workings of the social sector and allows me to give back to the community, leveraging the business skills I am developing at Tuck.
Can you share more about your recent initiative with Tuck Dining and Willing Hands?
Willing Hands plays a pivotal role in the community as the main connector between food donors and recipients. Think recovering surplus food from farms, grocery stores, and restaurants that would have otherwise gone to waste, and redistributing it to various food pantries, shelters, senior homes, etc. so people in need have access to food. I had some experience doing something similar as a student volunteer during my undergrad, and knew that food waste is quite common across college campuses.
Given that Dartmouth didn’t already donate to Willing Hands, I wanted to see if I could help initiate a partnership. I reached out to Millie, who is the director of Tuck Dining. She was incredibly receptive to the idea and connected with the staff at Willing Hands to coordinate food donations right away. I want to commend Millie and her team for making this partnership a reality and working tirelessly behind-the-scenes to ensure that not only are members of the Tuck community well fed, but that we’re also making a positive impact on the surrounding communities.
What did you learn about being a member of the Tuck and broader Upper Valley communities through this project?
Two things I have learned through this experience:
Being a part of a non-profit board adds a level of richness to my understanding of the inner workings of the social sector and allows me to give back to the community, leveraging the business skills I am developing at Tuck.
What lessons will you take from it into your life and career post-Tuck?
One thing Hannah Payson, executive director for CBGS, said when we were reflecting on this experience together really stuck with me: the ability to recognize the unique position we are in by our affiliation with Tuck and leveraging it as a force for good. As a current student, I was able to help make the connection between Tuck Dining and Willing Hands relatively effortlessly. The value of the Tuck network lives on after we graduate and I will take that with me as I think about creating impact post-Tuck.
What advice do you have for prospective students who may be considering Tuck?
Tuck’s mission is to develop wise, decisive leaders who better the world through business. The latter part is equally important when it comes to assessing the future career you want to lead. Here at Tuck, we are given resources and are encouraged to reflect on how we can each individually create impact in this world. I would advise prospective students to take a moment to craft their own definitions of impact and how it is relevant to pursuing an MBA at Tuck.
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