Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 - (Page 50)

the Internet,” Chanchani says. Before long, their big dreams of building a successful business were becoming a reality. “Soon after starting the business, we dropped out of college because our time was spread too thin, as we were all students,” Chanchani says. “We were all working at Lehigh and we had the business. We soon realized if we were going to succeed, we needed to devote our full time to developing the business.” His family, however, was not as convinced as the young and enthusiastic Chanchani that the three students were sitting on top of a gold mine. “They were supportive, but definitely not happy,” Chanchani says. “Education was always very important to my family, and they were really concerned that if the business didn’t work and I didn’t complete my education, I would be a little stuck. They were wonderful and very helpful, but dropping out did cause a little contention.” It wasn’t long before there was contention within the business, too. Chanchani soon realized that his vision for the business was not shared by his partners, and the trio split up. “We parted ways mostly because we were young and didn’t know how to handle conflict very well,” Chanchani says. “We had some disagreements about the direction of the business and how to position ourselves. Unfortunately, this led to me leaving our partnership and starting a similar company, INetU.” By 2002, with INetU stable and prospering, Chanchani decided to return to Lehigh to complete his education. “I started to finish my education largely due to a serious promise I made to my Dev Chanchani ’08 mother when I dropped out that I would return and finish as soon as the business was mature enough to allow me to do so,” Chanchani says. It was more than that promise that kept Chanchani in the classroom. “I quickly realized that there is incredible value in learning the business basics,” Chanchani says. “I had some great teachers at Lehigh and was able to apply what I was learning in class almost immediately to the business. As these lessons improved the business, my desire to finish my education grew.” When he returned to Lehigh, Chanchani needed 55 credits to graduate. Over the next six years, he skillfully balanced his career and his education. “It was difficult, but not as hard as one might fear,” Chanchani says. “Several things helped. The business had reached a level of maturity where I had excellent managers and employees in place to keep things running while I was at school. Everyone at INetU was very supportive. It was mentally tiring having to worry about both INetU and school, but only taking one or two classes at a time really helped me manage the things on my plate.” Chanchani also found that his focus was much sharper as he studied to earn his marketing degree. “It was a little strange, but mostly because my perspective changed,” Chanchani says. “When I was originally a full-time student, before dropping out, I was more concerned with getting out of class early and social activities. After returning, I was really concerned with learning.” Meanwhile, INetU continued to flourish. “We have an excellent and committed management team which all started in nonmanagement roles and have grown as the business has grown," Chanchani says. They have done an excellent job. INetU has also been very fortunate to have incredible employees. Every day, they impress me and make me very proud of their hard work, commitment, and creativity.” In January, Chanchani’s dream of becoming a college graduate finally came true. Even though it took him longer than he originally planned, he says it was the smartest business plan he could have created. “Business can be risky,” Chanchani says. “You never know how things will turn out in the end, and it was very comforting knowing I had my degree to not only assist me in my business, but fall back on should something not work out.” —Madelyn King ambassador of Hope William Scott vividly remembers teaching the firstyear seminar on reparations for slavery four years ago. “It was probably the most diverse class I ever had,” the professor of history and director of Africana studies recalls. Scott remembers listening “raptly” to the perspectives of several African and white Americans whose voices mingled with a student from England, a white South African, and an Australian. “And there was Ahmed from East Africa,” Scott says. “We had all kinds of views regarding the pros and cons of the argument. The debates were intense and impelling.” 50 LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN photo by douglas benedict

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Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008 Contents From the President's Desk Mailbox On Campus Research Arts & Culture Sports Cover Story: The Dalai Lama at Lehigh Heart of a Champion Around the World in 80 Years Fighting for Children wth Autism Keepers of the Flame From the Publisher's Desk Alumni News The Last Word

Alumni Bulletin - Fall 2008

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