A brand new cohort of Oregon MBA students finished up their MBA Prologue experience by spending a day improving the grounds of Mount Pisgah Arboretum.

Prologue is an intensive introduction for incoming MBA students that begins two weeks before classes start.

After days in the classroom soaking up essential business principles, the students relished the chance to work with their hands (and legs and backs)--even if the weather was wet and rainy.

Four teams of MBAs dug post-holes and trenches, laid gravel trails, and helped repair a footbridge. Once the shovels and wheelbarrows were put away, they reconvened to share experiences over a feast of burgers, hotdogs, and potato salad, outdoors at the arboretum.

This day of service has been the time-honored finish to Prologue for many years. Doing their part at the arboretum is a meaningful way for MBAs to make a difference in the Eugene-Springfield community--one that fits neatly with the ideals and ethos of the Oregon MBA itself.

Last May, a new tradition joined the treasured rite-of-passage: the MBAs returned to the arboretum for a spring day of service.

By continuing their work at Mount Pisgah over the course of their time here, students have an opportunity to measure and reflect on the many ways they have grown and changed during the course of their Oregon MBA journey.

Read about two incoming MBAs' arboretum experiences on the Oregon MBA blog.