“Where fiscal policy and the federal government’s ambit ends, business ethics become very relevant.”
It’s easy to think that this heady proclamation came from a seasoned professional within the commercial sector. But it is the work of Gavin Huse, a senior at Coronado High School, who submitted this statement as part of a winning essay for the 2015 Skov Ethics Essay Competition.
“It’s something I feel is important not only for businesses but anything having to do with the economy to be morally adequate,” the high schooler said. “It can’t be always about the money. There comes a point where you have to see what’s better for everybody and what’s going to make people’s lives better and exercise it as a whole using that power that money has.”
The Skov Competition is part of a commitment by The University of Texas at El Paso’s College of Business Administration to generate initiatives that enhance ethical decision-making behavior by future leaders from the El Paso region. The contest challenges students to write about a topic that considers how ethical issues relate to business.
“Our goal is to facilitate access to our educational initiatives for the promotion of ethical business issues in order to further the achievement of excellence in business practices,” said Fernanda Wagstaff, Ph.D., a UTEP associate professor of management.
The contest kicked off in 2014 with a generous donation by Robert E. and Jacqueline Skov.
“In this day and age, there does not seem to be that rudder to keep people doing what is right as opposed to doing what is the easiest or what we can get by with doing,” Robert Skov said, adding that his monetary contribution to the competition was “a miniscule attempt” to help younger students gain good footing on a path that would take them far in life.
It was also important to Skov to give something back to the university where he completed his master’s degree, which he accomplished while running his local businesses in agriculture and banking.
“I still have a very soft spot in my heart for this place,” said the born and bred El Pasoan, who received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University before serving three years in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam conflict. “They were extraordinarily generous.”
The program also is sponsored by United Bank of El Paso del Norte and Bank of America.
In 2014, more than 2,000 students from eight public high schools were invited to participate. This year, more than 10,000 high school seniors at 34 high schools – including all public institutions in El Paso and Fabens – had the opportunity to participate.
Wagstaff and her team, comprised of undergraduate and graduate students, evaluated each essay anonymously. The top 10 essays were then sent on to two well-known members of the local business community for evaluation. The final decision was based on the feedback provided by these two key stakeholders: Senior Vice President of WestStar Bank Tamara Gladkowski and Joe Biernacki, vice president of Stackpole Electronics Inc.
Coronado High School swept the awards this year with Bianca Hsieh taking second place and Lauren Chacon coming in third. Clarissa Gomez of Cotton Valley Early College High School received an honorable mention.
A total of 150 essays from 13 different schools were submitted for consideration. Most of the students identified as Hispanic, and submissions came from an equal number of young women and men.
For his part, Huse is thrilled to have had such an opportunity to discover a balance that he knows will stay with him wherever he goes.
“I discovered that business and ethics can come together, finding a medium where there’s still economic gain and progress, but people still are taken care of,” he said.
Lisa Y. Garibay is a writer with UTEP’s University Communications Office.