For Breann Shook ’02, it all began with an 11-12 months-aged English Cocker Spaniel named Lucy. When Lucy developed food stuff allergies in the late 1990s, Shook – then a business administration major at Chapman College – set out on a quest to obtain wholesome and delicious foods possibilities for her picky pet. She finished up founding her personal all-purely natural pet foodstuff corporation, Grandma Lucy’s, while she was continue to an undergrad.
Two a long time afterwards, Shook has been honored by the Orange County Company Journal with the 2022 JPMorgan Chase & Co. “Women on the Move” Award.
“Our enterprise has seen double-digit expansion each calendar year because we started out, yet we however have so a lot of alternatives to carry even extra pets globally nutritious food items,” states Shook. “I look forward to continuing to increase our organization while setting up our new non-gain, Undertaking Pet RAK, that raises funds to aid guidance provider and treatment pet dogs and their people today.”
The nonprofit is a passion undertaking for Shook, started out with her daughter, Alex, who hopes to show up at Chapman up coming tumble.
“Our center son has autism so we have observed to start with hand the freedoms these amazing animals can give to their particular person,” claims Shook.
We asked her to share some of her favored reminiscences from Chapman.
Who was the most influential particular person for you at Chapman and why?
Although I never was capable to fulfill him in particular person, I heard Dr. Doti talk lots of occasions and I usually cherished hearing about all of the wonderful issues he was undertaking to grow Chapman.
If you could go back in time and encounter one second all over again at Chapman, what would it be? Would you do anything in different ways?
In one particular of my courses, we were being in a position to work with a female who was commencing a corporation that made stickers to mark children’s things these types of as their jackets, lunchboxes, etcetera. I cherished assisting her generate a sound business enterprise strategy as I understood how attempting it can be as an entrepreneur starting off your individual business enterprise from scratch.
What do you would like you knew at the time you graduated that you know now? What guidance can you give to students or new grads of right now?
Since I was building Grandma Lucy’s during my time at Chapman, I was not in a position to do an internship but I would have beloved to. I was fortunate to be able to use what I was finding out and I think it is so crucial for higher education pupils to do the identical. Coming out of college with a diploma AND work practical experience is so useful in supplying them a leg up in a highly competitive work marketplace. It is also a excellent time to check out unique types of careers and perform environments to see what you like greatest. This is why we are operating with Chapman to create a college or university internship system at Grandma Lucy’s for 2023.
How did Chapman get ready you for your profession? For life? How did your practical experience at Chapman put together you for the true entire world?
I am grateful to all of the Chapman enterprise professors for their true-entire world educating. What I indicate by this is, so many moments I hear from staff members or colleagues that they definitely do not use what they realized in university. They felt that what they uncovered was out of date and was not effortlessly applied to the frequently changing business enterprise globe. My Chapman professors would utilize what we were learning to current companies and instruct about new tactics emerging in the marketplaces. It was so useful and also taught me to be informed of these developments.
Do you have any other terms of knowledge for learners and new grads of Chapman University?
Chapman is also so intertwined in the Orange County enterprise neighborhood which is accurately what captivated my daughter to Chapman. Orange County is a hub for all kinds of enterprises and the chances Chapman has made for their pupils to be a aspect of it all offers them activities you simply cannot uncover in numerous universities. Have so a great deal pleasurable when at Chapman and acquire benefit of all of the courses and possibilities they have established for their pupils. Not only will it all create lifelong recollections, those people experiences will assist you strike the ground jogging when you graduate.
