Meet the Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2020 - Poets&Quants

Over the past year, the McCombs School of Business has undergone a transition. Actually, that’s an understatement. “Transformation” may be a better description. Between a new home and a revamped MBA curriculum, McCombs is positioning itself as the south’s answer to Michigan Ross. Like Big Blue, UT boasts across-the-board academic excellence that can draw expertise and resources from a world-renowned research institution and a Top 10 undergraduate business program.

Great pitch? Just wait until you hear it delivered by Tina Mabley, assistant dean for the McCombs MBA program. A 1998 McCombs grad who has devoted the past 17 years to the program, Mabley personifies the confidence and cheer of a dynamic business school on the rise. For her, the most underappreciated parts of the McCombs experience is the program’s size. Not just the 289 take-charge MBA candidates in the Class of 2020 – but the scope of everything surrounding them.

McCOMBS’ RESOURCES ARE TEXAS BIG

“We have incredible graduate programs that our MBA students can access across the university, including law, public policy, communications, architecture, energy and earth resources, and the new medical school, among others,” Mabley tells Poets&Quants. In fact, 49 of the university’s graduate programs are ranked among the nation’s top 10 in U.S. News & World Report. This depth at the university allows us to create innovative programs that connect collaborative teams across campus, whether that’s public policy students, med students, and MBAs finding solutions for child poverty; architecture students and MBAs working on sustainable design ideas; or law students, computer science students, and MBAs teaming up to work with early stage start-ups to help raise series one financing.”

Sound enticing? Fasten your seatbelts – Mabley is just getting warmed up! “Outside of the classroom, students enjoy of a wide range of activities and resources across campus, afforded to a university of this size. This includes renowned speakers, live music, art and history museums, health resources, recreational sports, libraries, football games, and more. And upon graduation, our students join a supportive and passionate network of over 450,000 UT alumni worldwide. This means that no matter where you go, you can always find a fellow Longhorn.”

Those are persuasive points…to the left-brained. What really hooks McCombs MBAs is the school’s “famously friendly” culture. A catchy, alliterative tag line? Maybe, but it illustrates a point: There is a palpable energy surrounding the program, one infused with a sense of possibility and community that borrows from the Indie spirit of its Austin homestead. That was the impression made by the school on Joseph Martin, a 2018 grad and P&Q Best & Brightest MBA, who stayed in Austin to work for Deloitte Consulting.

The newly-opened Rowling Hall

AN OPEN AND WELCOMING CLASS

“McCombs has the same atmosphere as all of my favorite units that I served with in the Marine Corps,” he explains. “When you walk in the building, there is just a buzz of excitement because everyone enjoys being here. The first thing I noticed when I visited as a prospective student was the overwhelming mutual respect that existed between the staff, the faculty, and the students. I knew in the first 10 seconds of walking in the door that this was the place for me.”

Martin wasn’t alone in experiencing this distinctly good-natured culture. This summer, Jascity Hutchison was struck by how quickly her McCombs peers “meshed” together during the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management’s orientation program. The dynamic continued to play out with the larger class when she arrived on campus. “Everyone I have met since coming to Austin has been equally welcoming,” she observes. “No one is afraid to sit next to you and strike up a conversation for an hour. People say your MBA classmates become your family by the time you graduate. I can believe that because it already feels like we are one.”

The Class of 2020 may be one, but it is composed of some unique individual personalities. Take Bryant Buraruk, who calls himself as a “Native Texan, 50% Thai, 50% Mexican, 100% American. That said, he brings a passion that’s more common in frigid Minnesota than ‘Friday Night Lights’ Texas. “Growing up, I played ice hockey. I also participated in sports typical for your average student growing up in Texas, but ice hockey was my primary focus,” he says. “Showing up to tournaments in Canada or the Northern U.S. was a shocker to a lot of local teams. Most people were surprised that Texas even had ice.”

FALLING 250 FEET SHORT OF A 20,310 FOOT SUMMIT

Buraruk wasn’t alone in bucking the system. As an undergrad at the University of Texas, Aydin Zahedivash had his heart set on becoming an engineer. He ever earned a degree in biomedical engineering. Still, he was increasingly drawn to medicine after shadowing physicians at the Dell Children’s Medical Center. Eventually, it galvanized him to pursue a medical degree.

“The delicate nature of caring for children and the way the physicians carefully and expertly explained procedures and medical conditions to parents really shone a light for me on what I wanted to do with my career,” he explains. “I loved how the best doctors were so approachable and used their knowledge to address and diffuse anxiety and concerns in patients and their families. This has inspired me to keep working hard in school so that I can someday be like them.”

It’s also a class that’s as compelling and contradictory and as the wired and ‘weird’ world of Austin itself – where different worlds collide and create new concoctions. Anton Fraser majored in Film, Television and Theatre at Notre Dame…before managing financial portfolios. Hyonwoo Yoon headed up marketing at the American Chamber of Commerce in South Korea. In his spare time, Scott Porter, an entrepreneur and U.S. Marine with two deployments to Afghanistan under his belt, makes video games. If any class members need a pick-me-up, Travis Miller is the go-to guy. How is this for a positive attitude after this crushing blow?

“I recently made an effort to summit Denali, North America’s highest peak, but was turned around 250 feet shy of the summit due to high winds and -40 degree temperatures,” Miller shares. “The journey was the real reward, though I will be back to attempt it again…if my wife approves.”

AN “ELECTRIFYING” CLASS

Women now account for 38% of the MBA candidates at the University of Texas-Austn McCombs School of Business.

That’s just the start. Hyonwoo Yoon helped lead communication efforts for visits from Vice President Pence and President Obama to Korea. Not to be outdone, Rodrigo Zeno Lisboa Vieira spearheaded his company’s expansion into sub-Sahara Africa. As a wellsite supervisor, Bryant Buraruk set a well-drilling record for Halliburton.

“I had to completely breakdown and analyze a mature project and become the leader of a team that had been together for several years,” he explains. “It was an iterative process of procedural implementation and innovation that required full team buy-in. Setting the record was the culmination of the entire team’s work, but knowing that I was able to rally the team behind a common goal and be an effective leader was the real accomplishment.”

Gbenoba Idah, a Los Angeles native and law school graduate, sums up her classmates in one word: Humble – “some of the most accomplished, insightful, and intelligent individuals I’ve ever met.” That doesn’t mean the class is low key. In fact, Katherine Rowe describes the Class of 2020 as an “electrifying” group to be around.

“I’ve been energized by my classmates and their backgrounds,” writes the U.S. Army Captain. “On our pre-MBA trip to Guatemala, the group worked extremely hard, but grew together every day. We shoveled a lot of dirt and rocks while repairing and renovating a small local school, and made a huge impact on a community of coffee farmers.”

ENROLLMENT INCREASES BY 24 STUDENTS

In a down year for business schools overall, the McCombs School also followed the path of their peer schools. During the 2017-2018 cycle, the program received 2,078 applications, down from the 2,586 applications for a spot in the Class of 2019. Despite this, the school managed to boost its class size from 265 to 289 students in one year, which included a 6% increase in acceptance rate.

Despite fewer applications and higher enrollment, McCombs was able to maintain its high academic standards. The class boasts a 703 GMAT average, the same as the previous year. At the same time, undergraduate GPA average inched up from 3.48 to 3.49. For the second straight year, engineering majors accounted for the largest segment of the incoming class at 29% – up three points over the previous year. Business majors were again the runners-up at 20%, down five points. The humanities (16%) and economics also make up 16% and 10% of the class respectively, with math, science and computer composing just a combined 5% of the class.

Women again represent a substantive bloc of the class at 38%, down two points. By the same token, the percentage of international students fell two points to 25%, with this year’s class featuring students from lands as far as Argentina, France, South Africa, Taiwan, Japan, and New Zealand. Like previous years, the largest blocs of students feature backgrounds in consulting and finance. They comprise 15% and 14% of the class respectively. The class also features a boost in students who worked in energy, a number that rose from 11% to 13%.

Go to next page for 12 in-depth profiles of Texas McCombs students.

The Texas McCombs Class of 2020

LEADERSHIP NOW TAKES CENTER STAGE IN PROGRAM LAUNCH

What’s new at McCombs? Well, just about everything. That starts with the curriculum. Long known for its MBA+ Leadership program – an impressive mix of coaching, events, and hands-on projects to strengthen students’ communication and collaborative skills – McCombs rolled out some enhancements this fall. Namely, says Tina Mabley, the school is launching the program with a “Leading For Impact” core course, which provides a personalized platform for students to develop their leadership abilities.

“This course will organize a variety of essential elements of our program into a strategic two-year sequence designed to help our MBAs understand, assess, and strengthen their leadership skills, including credibility, character, communication, emotional intelligence, how to have difficult conversations, and give and receive critical feedback,” Mabley tells P&Q. “Students will meet with our leadership coaches to develop their personalized leadership development plans that are connected with the concepts introduced in the classroom. Through this experience, students will demonstrate greater self-awareness and mastery of their leadership skills, better understand contextual demands, and grasp how different leadership styles and behaviors best meet those demands. Ultimately, the course will provide students with a unifying capstone experience for students to integrate learning across the curriculum.”

This curriculum is unanimously considered one of McCombs’ strengths. A well-rounded MBA program, McCombs ranks as the nation’s graduate accounting program according to U.S. News. The school also places among the Top 20 MBA programs in eight other specializations, including marketing, management, entrepreneurship, and supply chain. At the same time, McCombs finishes in the Top 10 in eight categories at the undergraduate level, including areas not measured at the graduate level like real estate and insurance. Such academic excellence, coupled with the school’s trademark chumminess, is one reason why McCombs alumni ranked among the Top 10 in Forbes’ bi-annual “Most Satisfied MBA Graduates” survey. It is also what drove Mary Li, a media manager and Northwestern grad, to enroll at McCombs.

“Outside of the people and the culture, which are extremely important when I picked McCombs, it was the academic opportunities that really excited me,” she says. “I can get a world-class business education in becoming a general manager and at the same time have such insightful experiential learning through projects and cases that will allow me to bring concepts and ideas to life.”

Terraces overlooking Rowling Hall in downtown Austin.

TEACHING A PRIORITY AMONG FACULTY

What’s behind McCombs’ academic success? It helps to look at accounting, which has nabbed the top spot with U.S. News for a dozen years running. In a 2018 interview with P&Q, Stephen Smith, senior director of the McCombs Master of Professional Accounting program at McCombs, credits the school’s ability to reward stellar teaching as much as research prowess – meaning students are always placed front-and-center and research is tool for teaching as much as tenure.

“Texas-Austin is world-renowned for that research, especially on the accounting side. That means we stay current and up-to-date, and we push the envelope. And we have teachers that are able to translate that to the classroom. You hear a lot about, ‘That person is a great researcher, but they are terrible in the classroom.’ That is not the case for our accounting faculty.”

At the same time, Smith notes that the school’s reputation and scope, coupled with intensive outreach to employers, gives students a distinct advantage in landing high-paying jobs after graduation. “We have long-term, firm relationships with a lot of employers. Our students have many options to start their career, whether it’s industry, public accounting, financial services, consulting. And this also brings in a lot of students, because anything they want to do, we have an employer that wants resumes.”

NEW BUILDING MATCHES SCHOOL’S PHILOSOPHY…AND ASPRATIONS

The big news on campus, however, has been the opening of Rowling Hall in March. The new home for the McCombs School, Rowling Hall spans 497,500 square feet. This five story masterpiece is laid out to facilitate community interaction and classroom innovation, with spaces devoted to an auditorium, ballroom, outdoor terraces, and business labs. The building also connects to the adjoining AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center that offers additional meeting space, hotel accommodations, and restaurants for students.

“Rowling Hall is designed to convene and inspire bright minds and enterprising leaders from around the university and beyond,” says Tina Mabley. “Every corner of the building, from the expansive entry hall to the Moontower Café, has been created to promote conversation, camaraderie and idea-sharing among students, faculty members, staff members, alumni, recruiters, executives and other business school visitors and guests. That’s what drove this building’s design. It is purposefully crafted as a space that would invite learning, debate, dialogue and the freedom to experiment — both in terms of teaching and in forming the ideas that will shape our future.”

Beyond embodying the McCombs philosophy, Rowling Hall also offers greater utility to meet the ever-changing needs of business students. “It will expand classroom, conference, and convention spaces, all of which have been engineered for ultimate flexibility to match the teaching and learning approaches of modern higher education,” Mabley adds. “The facility also includes a state-of-the-art studio for video and sound production, which improves the school’s video networking capabilities as well…It even includes a variety of classroom styles that allow faculty and students to employ new ways of teaching and learning.”

SILICON VALLEY MEETS CENTRAL TEXAS

McCombs’ Tina Mabley

Such resources make McCombs an even big player in Austin. Think of Austin – or “Silicon Hills” as some call it – as the next great city. Boasting 18.4% job growth over the past five years with a 2.9% employment rate, Austin is a mix of Fortune 500 might and startup pluck. The area’s Top 25 employers reads like a who’s who of American business lore: Dell, IBM, Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Accenture, and 3M. Beyond that, firms like Cisco, eBay, Facebook, and Oracle maintain a substantive presence in the area. In 2017, Google entered the Austin fray for real, opening up a regional hub downtown, leasing 10 floors covering 300,000 square feet to accommodate growth beyond its 450 employees already there. Just last month, Resideo, a Honeywell spinoff with $40.5 million dollars in 2017 revenue, announced that it was re-locating from Minneapolis to Austin. Add to that, Austin is startup central. Home to 85 incubators and accelerators, investors poured $773 million dollars into area startups in 2017 alone. Let’s not forget culture, with Austin serving as the de facto “Live Music Capital of the World,” headlined by famed festivals like South by Southwest (SXSW) and Austin City Limits.

Thanks to Rowling Hall, McCombs can better integrate with the Austin community as a whole, Mabley asserts. “The building was designed to host our wide array of overlapping communities including the MBA program, the university, the city of Austin and beyond. Our unparalleled location places us at the intersection of The University of Texas campus and downtown Austin, which serves as a live and vibrant business laboratory right outside our doors. This allows our students to integrate easily into the business and not-for-profit communities, and for corporate partners and outside visitors to join us on campus.”

In fact, it can be difficult to discern where McCombs starts and Austin ends – and that’s a positive in Mabley’s book. “The University of Texas and the city of Austin have grown and evolved together. Austin has been the fastest-growing city in the country for three of the last five years and Rowling Hall allows us to capitalize on all the richness that growth has brought to the area. We appreciate a synergistic relationship with the city, which enhances the experiential applications and interactions we can offer our students every day. Being a major hub for tech, healthcare, energy and variety of other industries, we continue to find ways to bring these elements into our curriculum and community.”

AUSTIN IS FAR MORE THAN BREAKFAST TACOS AND COUNTRY MUSIC

Despite traffic gridlock and rising housing costs, Austin also ranks among the best American cities for a high quality of life, including top-notch schools and hospitals…and recreational opportunities galore.

However, Mabley considers the relationships that McCombs has forged with the Austin business community to be the most underrated part of its MBA experience.

“Many students know of Austin for quality of life, focus on tech, and for consistently being named one of the top places to live in the country (also for the live music, breakfast tacos and barbecue),” she admits. “However, sometimes students miss the value of Austin to them as an MBA student. Our students are a major source of talent in the area which means we have strong community and corporate partners in Austin who turn to our students for projects, volunteering and an array of other opportunities. The business school is located less than 10 blocks from downtown Austin, which means that our campus and classroom extend into the city in a seamless way. As the capital city, Austin provides many opportunities for students to be at the forefront of major business challenges such as transportation, healthcare, education, and affordable housing. Austin is a city known for collaboration and innovation, located in one of the best states for business, making for an enriching landscape for the MBA experience.”

 

The Austin advantage – along with Rowling Hall – was front-and-center for Anton Fraser when it came time to pick a business school. “The connection to the city of Austin was the key factor in my choice of McCombs,” he says. “Austin is a vibrant city where it’s never hard to get outside, even in the winter months, which was also very appealing to me. With all the companies that are deciding to headquarter – or open an additional office – in the Austin area, there is also no shortage of networking opportunities. Additionally, now that Rowling Hall is fully operational, the talks we have lined up to connect with Austin based businesses are being released. Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Block-chain, and Crypto-currency are a few of the topics that will be covered at events this fall that I’m excited to attend.”

“HOOK ‘EM HORNS”

Networking played a key part in Travis Miller’s decision as well. “Though Austin is where I grew up, it has since transformed into an international hub of culture, innovation and unique opportunity. The combination of family roots and diverse creative energy around Austin were strong influencers for me.”

Where does the Class of 2020 see itself after graduation? Bryant Buraruk, for one, plans to return to the oil and gas industry. This time, he plans to trade in his flame-resistant clothes for a three piece suit when he’s working in acquisitions and divestitures. In contrast, Jascity Hutchison plans to take a short break; she has already booked a trip with her best friend to see the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Then again, Gbenoba Idah won’t be straying too far from the family she has found at McCombs.

“In five years, I see myself pushing for a promotion, mentoring incoming and current MBA students at Texas McCombs, volunteering in my local community, and keeping in touch with my McCombs [community] via our numerous Slack, WhatsApp, and GroupMe chats. Communication is key, and the Texas Longhorns network is expansive and responsive.  Hook ‘em Horns!”

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.

Student	Hometown	Alma Mater	Last Employer
Bryant Buraruk	Sugar Land, TX	Texas A&M University	Halliburton
Anson E. Fraser	Summit, NJ	University of Notre Dame	Envestnet
Jascity Hutchison	Boynton Beach, FL	Howard University	JPMorgan Chase & Company
Gbenoba (Benoba) Idah	Los Angeles, CA	Cornell University	Blavity, Inc.
Mary Li	Beijing, China	Northwestern University	SapientRazorfish
Travis Miller	Round Rock, TX	U.S. Naval Academy	U.S. Navy
Scott Porter	Denver, CO	University of Colorado	Synthesis Analytics
Katherine Rowe	None	Clark University	U.S. Army
Lindsay Sullivan	Ormond Beach, FL	University of Connecticut	Accenture
Hyonwoo Yoon	Seoul, South Korea	Kyung Hee University	American Chamber of Commerce in Korea
Aydin Zahedivash	Austin, TX	University of Texas-Austin	NA
Rodrigo Zeno Lisboa Vieira	Florianópolis, Brazil	UDESC (Brazil)	BRF SA

Bryant Buraruk

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Native Texan. 50% Thai, 50% Mexican, 100% American. Dependable friend. Mediocre golfer.”

Hometown: Sugar Land, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself:

Growing up, I played ice hockey. I also participated in sports typical for your average student growing up in Texas, but ice hockey was my primary focus. Showing up to tournaments in Canada or the Northern U.S. was a shocker to a lot of local teams. Most people were surprised that Texas even had ice.

Undergraduate School and Major: Texas A&M University, Petroleum Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

Halliburton, Drilling Engineer

Halliburton, Wellsite Supervisor

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Drilling a record-setting well for Halliburton in Saudi Arabia. As a new Wellsite Supervisor, I was tasked with improving operational performance. I had to completely breakdown and analyze a mature project and become the leader of a team that had been together for several years. It was an iterative process of procedural implementation and innovation that required full team buy-in. Setting the record was the culmination of the entire team’s work, but knowing that I was able to rally the team behind a common goal and be an effective leader was the real accomplishment.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Unconditionally supportive. I was fortunate enough to attend the Consortium OP Conference with some classmates in early June. Throughout the conference, classmates were encouraging one another, facilitating introductions, and assisting in interview preparation. We were each other’s biggest advocates and wanted to see one other succeed and excel at the conference.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The key factor that led me to McCombs was the ample opportunity to participate in experiential learning in the form of Fellows Programs. I am a firm believer in putting theory into practice, and McCombs has programs tailored toward numerous specific functions or industries. The Fellows Programs provides the perfect platform to apply what you learn in the classroom to real world problems while underscoring the value and importance of the theory.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Venture Fellows

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I decided to pursue an MBA because I wanted to make a career switch from an engineering role to a business role. I want to pivot from a role that requires a specialized, narrow focus to a role that will allow me to approach problems from a broad, strategic point of view.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I approached the situation of leaving my job and returning to school full-time from a long-term point of view. I looked at my current career and determined the steps and time it would most likely take me to achieve my goals. From my assessment, it would take far longer than two years to transform my career and I would still have critical gaps in my skillset. An MBA was worth the investment because I could focus all my attention and effort on placing myself in the best position to achieve my long-term goals. Additionally, I knew that should my passions change an MBA would provide multiple avenues of career exploration.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Dartmouth College (Tuck), Duke University (Fuqua), Rice University (Jones), MIT (Sloan)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? When applying to business school, I placed an emphasis on class size and school culture. I wanted to attend a program that gave me the opportunity to get to know all my classmates and plug into a tight-knit, collaborative environment.

I evaluated schools through recruiting events, admissions webinars, reading program blog posts, and visiting campus. This allowed me to see what different schools valued and determine if that aligned with what I prioritized in my life.

The best way to get a true look into a school’s culture is by interacting with the people associated with the program. Visiting campus allows you to meet and talk to people at every level of the program. I would talk with admissions, faculty, current students, alumni, and career development. The personality and culture of those you interact with is a reliable reflection of the school’s culture.

I also looked at where schools placed their graduates and the career paths of their alumni to determine if it was a good fit with my career goals. I looked at top employers and industries where their school had strengths. Most importantly, I looked at the academic and professional preparing schools provided and what they emphasized.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was hiking the “O” Circuit in Patagonia. I was not much of a hiker before going on this trip, but I could not pass at the opportunity to visit Patagonia. My group set an aggressive pace to complete the circuit, and I was under-trained and under-prepared for the task at hand. The hike took a major strain on me physically and mentally. There were numerous times when I did not think I could finish, but the only way off the trail was to continue to push myself and complete the circuit. Checking into the last campsite was a huge accomplishment and rewarding experience.

This moment was a realization that the biggest limitations in our life are self-imposed, but with perseverance and determination these limitations can be overcome. I learned that I can endure more than I think mentally and physically. Most importantly, I adopted the mentality that comfort and complacency are the hindrances to improvement and growth.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduation, I would like to return to the oil and gas industry, particularly in acquisitions and divestitures. The strategic aspect of evaluating and allocating oil and gas assets from both short and long-term views is fascinating.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I envision myself acquiring oil and gas leases, working interests, and mineral rights and redeveloping these reserves in an economic, sustainable way.  The oil and gas industry has undergone major changes in the last several years. I want to solve the industry’s challenges, assist in redefining its place in the global economy, and properly steward the reserves and assets under my responsibility.

Anson E. Fraser

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Level-headed Caribbean-American lacrosse player with a passion for how technology is shaping society.”

Hometown: Summit, New Jersey (NJ)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was born in Trinidad & Tobago, an island nation in the Caribbean, but I never got my sea legs. To this day, I get seasick on boats in open water.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Notre Dame Bachelor of Arts in Film, Television, and Theatre

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Envestnet | Portfolio Management Consultants (PMC): Associate Vice President, Investment Product Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment of my career so far was initiating and delivering a project to decrease the time needed to produce quarter end marketing materials that include portfolio performance figures. In my last role, I oversaw the performance calculation and verification process for over a thousand portfolios with $15.5 billion in assets under management. The painstaking process involved numerous teams and often took more than 45 days to complete. Through documenting the steps each team was responsible for, identifying redundant steps, and then restructuring the process, I was able to hand off a set of instructions that were used to automate the process. That change not only decreased the time to publish our marketing materials by over 80%, but also mitigated the risk of human error in the process.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? The quality that best describes the MBA classmates I’ve met so far is… Selfless. From the time I submitted my deposit, to preparing for The Consortium’s Orientation Program (OP), and throughout the first few weeks of life in Austin, my McCombs classmates have gone out to their way to share words of wisdom, help with interview prep, and make themselves available whenever I need assistance. During the admissions process, the reoccurring comment I heard about McCombs MBAs was, “They’re very friendly.” That comment wasn’t a stretch of the truth if anything it was an understatement.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The connection to the city of Austin was the key factor in my choice of McCombs for my full-time MBA. It was important to me because I wanted my MBA experience to be different from what I had as an undergrad in South Bend, or as a young professional in New York City. Austin is a vibrant city where it’s never hard to get outside, even in the winter months, which was also very appealing to me. With all the companies that are deciding to headquarter – or open an additional office – in the Austin area, there is also no shortage of networking opportunities. Additionally, now that Rowling Hall is fully operational, the talks we have lined up to connect with Austin based businesses are being released. Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Block-chain, and Crypto-currency are a few of the topics that will be covered at events this fall that I’m excited to attend.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I have two: McCombs Board Fellows and The McCombs Graduate Consulting Group. Board Fellows because I’m a product of the work and generosity of non-profit initiatives. The opportunity to pay that forward while learning how a non-profit operates is one that I don’t want to miss. The McCombs Graduate Consulting Group because of the exposure to a myriad of problem-solving techniques. Regardless of the industry or position, I’ll go into it having a diverse set of problem-solving tools will be an important part of a successful long-term career.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Accelerating my career to the next level was what led me to pursue my MBA at this point. When I say “next level”, I mean the point in my career where I’m setting the vision for the initiatives I take on and having profit-and-loss responsibilities. To get to that point, I knew needed to learn some foundational aspects of managing a company that I didn’t have the opportunity to learn as a Film, Television, and Theatre major at Notre Dame.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I know a lot of people created spreadsheets to quantify whether an MBA was worth the investment, but I never got that detailed. I understood that I would be giving up a salary for a couple of years, but I also would be expanding my skill set and knowledge base, and that would ultimately make me more valuable when I finished my program.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UCLA (Anderson), UC-Berkley (Haas), UNC (Kenan-Flagler), USC (Marshall)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? To evaluate my fit at various schools, I signed up for EVERY event in the NYC area attended by an admissions representative of the schools I wanted to attend. I knew I wouldn’t be able to visit all the schools I would apply to so it was important for me to do in person research before committing to visit a school. I also reached out to friends, coworkers, and acquaintances who attended my target schools to get their opinions about whether the culture and values mentioned online and in marketing documents was in line with what they had experienced. I knew it fit my career goals because of the percentage of students it places in consulting, tech, and private wealth management. Those three areas are the ones that interest me the most. Once I defined my target areas, it was easy to rule out any school that didn’t have a good record of placing MBAs in those areas and seeing them go onto successful careers.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment happened in the winter of 2000 when I decided to play lacrosse. For most people, deciding to play a sport isn’t one that sticks with them. For me, a black male, it changed the trajectory of my life. Lacrosse doesn’t have a reputation for being the most inclusive of sports, although it’s made great strides in recent years. When I talk to people who don’t know much about the sport, their comments usually revolve around it being elitist and overwhelmingly white. Yes, I have experienced that side of the sport, but I also experienced the side of the sport that is a community that takes care of their own. I experienced the Summit Lacrosse Club granting me a scholarship to play my first year of lacrosse when my parents couldn’t afford it. That year of lacrosse developed my passion for the game and propelled me to an academic and athletic career at the University of Notre Dame that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I also experienced what is happening with Harlem Lacrosse, a non-profit helping at-risk youth in cities throughout the country, by teaching them the game of lacrosse and providing academic support. The experiences I’ve had through lacrosse (the good and the bad) have made me a stronger person by challenging me and made me a more thoughtful person by showing me that sports can change lives. That’s why I look back at my decision to play the sport as my defining moment.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After I graduate, I plan to take a position that keeps me close to the Financial Technology industry. The intersection of finance and technology, and how to combine the two to create better financial outcomes for investors has kept my interest for the last four years, and I’d like to get back to it. I plan to figure out over the next year whether that means working on strategic issues for a large tech company that is building out their financial services support model or working as a private wealth associate to create a business plan for my practice.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself working at the same employer I joined after graduation and beginning to take on a role involved in managing my division.

Jascity Hutchison

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“I am brave, and I get nervous, but bravery always wins. It has to.”

Hometown: Boynton Beach, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: I spent three years in NYC and never had food delivered once! I hope to continue that streak in Austin.

Undergraduate School and Major: Howard University, International Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: JPMorgan Chase & Co., Corporate Client Banking Client Service Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far in my career would have to be a figuring out a tool I never used before. I am someone who loves to figure out a problem or issue on my own before asking for help. I am an autonomous worker, so when I was presented the chance to use the Salesforce platform I studied it until I was able to optimize the future reporting for my team. My international business concentration at Howard University was information systems, but I never practiced this in my career. When I was given the opportunity to work with a technology platform again, I was proud of the way I figured out something unfamiliar until I was accustomed to it. Solving problems and being able to leave a lasting impact on a wonderful team is something I am truly proud of.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Welcoming! I first met some of my classmates at The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management’s Orientation Program in Orlando in June. The fact that everyone comes from different backgrounds and career paths did not matter as we all meshed so well. During our first school specific ice breaker, I mentioned my career plans. Those with a background in non-profit or social impact or education all volunteered to help me with my future career search. That showed me my classmates who did not even know me cared about my future. Everyone I have met since coming to Austin has been equally welcoming. No one is afraid to sit next to you and strike up a conversation for an hour. People say your MBA classmates become your family by the time you graduate. I can believe that because it already feels like we are one.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The key factor that led me to choose Texas McCombs were the opportunities for an MBA candidate who wished to possibly pursue a career in social enterprise. On the McCombs website for concentrations with a focus on social enterprise, I saw a ray of hope that this program, above the rest was where I should be. This was important to me because I did not have a clue on how to reach the goals that were in my head. I talked with alumni at McCombs, and I became sure that the ambiguity I felt on moving to the next phase in life would be fully supported by the MBA staff and alumni network. When the McCombs Consortium group paired me with a second-year buddy who was interning at an organization I could potentially see myself working, I knew I made the right decision.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? That’s easy, I am most looking forward to joining the Board Fellows Program at McCombs. My concentration in graduate school is social enterprise and long before I applied to business school I knew I wanted to serve my community as a leader. The Board Fellows Program provides students with the opportunity to serve as a non-voting board member for one year. I can’t wait to build a network of Austin community leaders.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Volunteering and mentoring are a huge part of my life. When I received a promotion at work, I started evaluating where I wanted to go from there. I loved the company I worked for, but I wanted more for myself in terms of career impact. I knew I always wanted to pursue my master’s degree. When it became clear that I wanted a chance to work in social impact, business school was the clear choice. I debated getting my MBA right out of undergrad, but I believe that your MBA should have purpose especially if you are looking to go full-time at a top business school.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? When I applied to business school, I knew I wanted to change careers, but I didn’t know exactly how to go about that. The more I researched the various MBA programs I was interested in, I became sure that this was the right decision. Business school offers opportunities far beyond the classroom. Those opportunities are priceless in my book. Also, based on where I was in my career – only three years in, and with a clear sense of what I wanted to do – I knew this was the time to take the leap.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business, University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, and the University of California Los Angeles Anderson School of Business.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Honestly, in the beginning of the application process, the main factor I was concerned with was location. The schools I chose to apply to all had an ideal location in mind and that was very important to me. After narrowing down to my top five, I visited the cities, toured the campus, did class visits, and talked with alumni to get an idea of what the area was like and how the people were once you are living there.

I created a document called “Graduate School Profiles.” Aside from statistics such as class size and tuition costs, I prioritized international opportunities, diversity breakdown, electives and current student and alumni feedback. I completed the same table for each school to be able to do a side-by-side comparison of where I thought I would fit in the best. The hardest part to research was culture. To understand the culture of the school, I watched countless student videos on the university pages and wrote down what resonated with me.  What students say about the schools was important to me, and the schools that showcased studens with an uncertainty of how to achieve their career goals got an extra point in my book. This is how I knew what schools fit my career goals because other people came in unsure and left with an amazing new career.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My parents bought me my first travel book when I was a child. Lonely Planet’s The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World gave me a glimpse into life around the world. I knew I was meant to see more than the Florida Atlantic coast and college provided me that life changing moment. January 2014, I boarded a plane to Shanghai, China for five months to study abroad at Fudan University. Getting on the plane knowing I would not be home for a very long time was surreal to me, but it has shaped me into this woman never afraid of a flight alone, a different culture, or unfamiliar surroundings. I am adaptable. I love being able to adjust to new surroundings because I get to expand my comfort zone constantly, which allows for diverse friendships and experiences.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Immediately after graduation, I plan on jumping on a plane with my best friend and traveling across the globe for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. We have been planning this trip since they announced Japan will host the 2020 games, so I have no plans on missing it.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself celebrating my three-year work anniversary at whichever job I receive post-graduation. I see myself making an impact in the community by serving on a non-profit board with the goal of changing one life at a time. Traveling is also a huge part of my life, so I want to continue to explore the globe.

Gbenoba (Benoba) Idah

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Inspired by family and driven to contribute to my community.”

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I have over 40 first cousins in Southern California and over 75 first cousins worldwide.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Cornell University, Urban and Regional Studies & City and Regional Planning

University of New Mexico School of Law

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Blavity, Inc. – Pre-MBA Associate – Business, Sales, and Strategy Department

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment of my career came outside of my work as a commercial litigation and transactional attorney and dates back to my time in undergrad as the lead tutor and after school manager for an Urban 4-H Program for at-risk and underserved youth. Over three-and-a-half years, I secured grants for multiple computers, printers, and computer equipment for the program, helped bring new activities and programming, watched with pride as the program attendees excelled in subjects where they once struggled. Recently, many of the older students were accepted into top 10 colleges and universities.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humility.  My classmates at Texas McCombs are some of the most accomplished, insightful, and intelligent individuals I’ve ever met, but you would never glean this information or their triumphs in a normal conversation.  They epitomize everything that I or any MBA student would want in classmates and constantly remind me of our school hashtag: #WhyMcCombs.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Diversity.  Texas McCombs’ commitment to racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic diversity was the primary factor that led me to pick McCombs. Everyone at McCombs is fully committed to making McCombs an inclusive environment for students from all walks of life. McCombs’ commitment is evident in its mission, programming, activities, networks, classes, breadth of student organizations, and it is reflected in its class profile year-after-year.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to being an ally in the Graduate Women in Business (GWiB) club at Texas McCombs. I believe in equal representation both in the classroom in the boardroom, and I hope to listen, learn, and help plan events to continue discourse on issues in the business world and beyond.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was looking for a new challenge, both personally and professionally, and an MBA is one of only a handful professional degrees that requires you to constantly think about both personal and professional growth. Once I started to research the ROI of an MBA and the innumerable career opportunities, I quickly realized an MBA would allow me both take on a new challenge academically and later pivot into both a new industry and function at this point in my career.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I spent an inordinate amount of time sifting through schools’ career services websites and materials and read as many articles as I could on Poets & Quants on average starting salaries, networks, industries, and cost of attendance. I reconciled my research with very direct and candid questions to students and admissions officers to try and analyze if an MBA was worth the investment. I quickly learned that an MBA would boost both my career, in addition to adding to my toolkit of both soft and hard skills needed to compete for opportunities and jobs.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Michigan, UCLA, and USC

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I prioritized the various schools’ culture, network, and commitment to diversity. I took a pragmatic approach early on and created a spreadsheet where I listed all of the individuals (current students, faculty, alums, marketing or admissions officers) who I spoke to at a school event in my city or an on-campus event and whether or not those individuals responded to my emails and questions. I asked current students open-ended questions such as, why they chose to attend their respective school over another school; what they wish they knew about their respective school; and how responsive are alumni when contacted, and what they would change about their respective school. I was looking for a school where the students were candid and willing to share their experiences about the MBA process, and it was a deciding factor for me as everyone from McCombs was forthcoming, genuine, and practical with their advice, tips, and guidance.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My parents are long-time small business owners (beauty supply and hair care products in South Central Los Angeles), and my defining moment relates to their work ethic and dedication to serving and employing local individuals from underrepresented communities in Los Angeles. More often than not, my parents donated products to not only individuals but other business owners in need. Their acts of generosity set the foundation for my commitment to serving my community through Big Brothers Big Sisters, Urban 4-H, and ENLACE Communtario, and it is a daily reminder that all businesses are about people and your actions can make a positive impact daily.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Texas McCombs’ involvement in both the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management and MBA Jumpstart helped me secure multiple summer internship offers in both strategy consulting and general management rotational programs prior to starting my MBA, so I plan to pursue a full-time role with one of those corporate partners. Shortly after graduation, I plan to use my first few paychecks to start a scholarship fund for incoming students at Texas McCombs, as well as a scholarship for local at-risk youth in the greater Austin metropolitan area.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself pushing for a promotion (while remembering to take copious amounts of vacations), mentoring incoming and current MBA students at Texas McCombs, volunteering in my local community, and keeping in touch with my McCombs classmates and the Texas McCombs faculty, admissions officers, marketing, and student affairs via our numerous Slack, WhatsApp, and GroupMe chats. Communication is key, and the Texas Longhorns network is expansive and responsive.  Hook ‘em!

Mary Li

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“I’m a spirited foodie, avid news junkie, frequent national park hiker, and extreme animal lover.”

Hometown: most recently Chicago, IL for the last 8 years (but I’ve lived in [chronologically] Beijing, Dallas, New Haven, and Birmingham Alabama)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I picked my name Mary when I moved to America back in 2001, when my third-grade teacher asked then 9-year-old me what my name was on the first day of class.

Undergraduate School and Major: Northwestern University, Political Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: SapientRazorfish – Paid Media Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Being the leading member of the first team in my agency to use Pinterest for paid social media advertising. When I recommended Pinterest as major opportunity for one of my clients, Pinterest had just launched their advertising beta. Nobody within the agency had prior experience, and there were no established best practices and resources for me to rely on. I took charge in onboarding this brand-new publisher, learning a new system to manage advertising campaigns, all while keeping the client informed of creative and targeting optimizations in real time. I successfully launched the campaign and drove huge lifts in traffic and e-commerce revenue for the client. I was also able to pass on the learnings and best practices onto the agency for future Pinterest initiatives so other teams can have a solid start.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diversity. I have only been here a week and the stories I’ve heard of everyone’s backgrounds and experiences are truly global in its variety and impact. The knowledge and perspectives that they will bring into the classroom and into my life is going to make the next two years a truly rewarding experience.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The myriad of marketing learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, including (and definitely not limited to) the Brand Marketing concentration, the Marketing Fellows program , the annual Marketing Challenge hosted by the Graduate Marketing Network, the experiential Marketing Labs, and the MBA+ Leadership Program.

Outside of the people and the culture, which are extremely important when I picked McCombs, it was the academic opportunities that really excited me. I can get a world-class business education in becoming a general manager and at the same time have such insightful experiential learning through projects and cases that will allow me to bring concepts and ideas to life.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Austin is such a unique, trend-emerging location for food & beverages, so I am really looking forward to joining the Epicurean Club, not only as a foodie but also as someone very interested in the industry.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Having developed strong expertise in digital advertising for the past four years, I’ve come to realize I could not be a true advocate for the brands I worked on unless I was part of the client’s team where I could know the ins-and-outs of a company and be a part of the strategic decision-making process. And one of the best ways to pivot into brand management was through getting an MBA.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I weighed the likelihood of successfully pivoting into brand management and the personal fulfillment of an enriching school experience with classmates against a temporary pause in income and financial security. There are rewards in an MBA far beyond salaries forgone. The amazing network, the unique experiences, and the opportunities to get to know companies and invest in myself are unparalleled.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Kellogg & Haas

How did you determine your fit at various schools? By talking to current students about what they love and found lacking, and to fellow admitted students to get a feel for how much I would enjoy spending two years with them in and outside the classroom.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Immigrating to America from China back in 2001 was life-changing and it has truly made me more empathetic as a person, appreciative of different backgrounds, and excited to learn and experience new things.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Become an associate brand manager at a major food & beverage company working on brands I love to eat or drink as a consumer myself.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I want to become the director at a major food & beverage company where I drive the strategy and performance for my category while continuing to innovate and satisfy the needs of consumers.

Travis Miller

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Passionate, creative leader driven to make a positive difference in the world.”

Hometown:  Round Rock, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I recently made an effort to summit Denali, North America’s highest peak, but was turned around 250 feet shy of the summit due to high winds and -40 degree temperatures. The journey was the real reward, though I will be back to attempt it again…if my wife approves.

Undergraduate School and Major:  United States Naval Academy / B.S. in Systems Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:  United States Navy / Executive Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Serving in a high performing organization with some of the most talented and driven service members. My accomplishments pale in comparison to what has been accomplished by the men and women who I have served with and what we’ve done together as a team.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?  Authentic – it is extremely impressive to see the caliber of individuals who are at McCombs, their aspirations, inclusiveness, and drive to have impactful change.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Networking opportunities – though Austin is where I grew up, it has since transformed into an international hub of culture, innovation and unique opportunity. The combination of family roots and diverse creative energy around Austin were strong influencers for me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Titans of Investing led by Britt Harris.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was interested in learning ways to more objectively problem solve, enhance my organizational leadership aptitude, and explore alternate ideas and paths to effecting positive change in the world. Fortunately, the U.S. Navy offers a unique program that afforded me this opportunity to attend a civilian graduate school.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment?  Several senior officers in the military who have earned MBAs have expressed to me the benefit of an MBA in their leadership development and leading dynamic and high performing military organizations. Looking beyond military service, they highlighted how an MBA will complement my unique talents from military service for transitioning into the next phase of my professional life.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? McCombs School of Business was my primary choice and the only school I applied to Round 1 to prioritize my effort and focus my attention on the application.  If I was not accepted to McCombs, I intended to apply in Round 2 to Stanford Graduate School of Business, Chicago Booth School of Business and then Harvard Business School as secondary choices.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I reached out to colleagues who were attending other schools like Stanford, Chicago and Harvard to get their thoughts on their school experience, along with traveling to the cities to better understand their respective cultures. I also reviewed the national school rankings and overviews, and ultimately discussed with my family the area we would like to live after the military in order to maximize the development of our network.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are?  Following graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, I began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. During Hell Week, I developed pneumonia and was medically rolled to the next class. It was a very low point watching colleagues continue training and overcome immense obstacles while I sort of spun my feet waiting to start again. I read the book Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl who tells his life story and philosophy on why some people make it and others don’t – he often referred to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and quoted, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how” – this quote and Frankl’s philosophy defined the way I looked at things… that life is about the ‘why’ and not the ‘how’.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  I am currently on active duty orders at McCombs and will continue with my Naval service following graduation.

Where do you see yourself in five years?  I will be nearing military retirement and considering future military and civilian career paths with my family.  I will definitely engage the McCombs Alumni to follow up on their successes.

Scott Porter

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“I’m still figuring out who I am.  No rush.  There’s plenty of life ahead.”

Hometown: United States. (I always feel left out with this metric; Dad was in the Army, and I grew up across the US… but if you need a city: Denver, CO)

Fun Fact About Yourself: In my spare time, I enjoy making video games with a cadre of creatives. I have eight small games under my belt so far.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Colorado at Boulder, Computer Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Synthesis Analytics, Co-founder

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led a healthcare campaign in Arlington, TX that doubled the annual treatment of debilitating spinal fractures, alleviating severe pain for those previously unable to find care.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?  Going places. My classmates so far have been exceptionally experienced with large goals. I am still getting to know them, but if the generous and successful McCombs alumni are any indication, I am excited to see where my class ends up.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I felt like I would have the latitude to explore technologies and specific industries meaningful to me and be empowered to expand McCombs’ program along those verticals.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school?  Venture Fellows. I am excited to experience the venture capital side of the start-up world, working with real companies and developing as a product manager.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was successful and had become comfortable in my pre-MBA role of (mostly) sales and was ready to build the skillsets and network I needed to start working on my own dreams.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Ultimately, it came down to valuing an MBA network above all else. For me, it is not about lost salary or tuition. It is about being a part of a high achieving circle of professionals 30 years from now.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?  Kellogg and Columbia.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I actively sought meetings with other (non-MBA) university departments relevant to my goals and asked their experience or willingness to work with the MBA program. If I experienced a warm conversation as an applicant, I knew I could be successful as a full-time student.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Joining the Marine Corps.  Commissioning as a Marine Officer at 22 was the culmination of my most difficult journey up to that point, with an even tougher road still ahead. Four years and two Afghan deployments later, I developed as a servant leader and strategic planner, conditioned never to mistake effort with results.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Product Management with a technology firm.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Leading my own company, developing and bringing to market innovative technology.  Starting a family. Releasing a video game, small in scope, commercially.

Katherine Rowe

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Former military officer who consistently leverages limited resources in adverse environments to accomplish objectives.”

Hometown: N/A – military child

Fun Fact About Yourself: Moved 17 times in 29 years, legacy of military service in family dates back to the Revolutionary War

Undergraduate School and Major: Clark University, Political Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Captain, US Army

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment has been the leadership experience I’ve had during my military service, especially through two overseas deployments. I’ve been fortunate to lead some of America’s best in both combat and non-combat situations. What makes me most proud is how I’ve always found a way to shape my team and inspire them to become adaptable leaders in their own right, even in the most stressful environments.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Electrifying – In a short amount of time, I’ve been energized by my classmates and their backgrounds. On our pre-MBA trip to Guatemala, the group worked extremely hard, but grew together every day. We shoveled a lot of dirt and rocks while repairing and renovating a small local school, and made a huge impact on a community of coffee farmers.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? McCombs genuinely cares about immersing students in industry to give a better picture of what options exist post-graduation. I learn best through experiences and McCombs offers so many real opportunities to me over the next two years.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Texas Venture Labs

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As I was considering options after leaving the Army, I knew I wanted to receive a well-rounded business education. When I was accepted to McCombs and spoke to veterans in the program, I knew it was the right place for me.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I knew I needed time to explore myself and the opportunities that exist outside of the military, while increasing the breadth and depth of my professional skills.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UC-Berkeley, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and USC

How did you determine your fit at various schools? While deployed near the DMZ in South Korea last year, I went to The MBA Tour in Seoul and met a few of the admissions teams there. Since I was on deployment, I was forced to do most of my research online and by speaking to veterans attending each school. I knew I wanted a fully immersive experience. McCombs’ culture was consistent with my interests.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Last August, one of my soldiers died during a deployment. The past year has been full of moments of self-reflection and self-reliance as I move forward after such a devastating loss, while supporting the troops under my command. As difficult as it has been, the lessons I have learned in the process have been life-changing and have shaped who I am today.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I’ll be exploring a number of options, but I’m leaning towards entrepreneurship or business development and strategy.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Working for an innovative company, developing and delivering impactful, dynamic, and strategic projects.

Lindsay Sullivan

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Enterprising and approachable, with a passion for people and a love to solve problems!”

Hometown: Ormond Beach, FL

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I’ve played competitive volleyball in every place I have lived, including Florida, Connecticut, Boston, Dallas, and Singapore.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Connecticut, Electrical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Accenture, Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It would be when I assumed the role of lead functional designer for an end-to-end software implementation project. This role required me to manage the life cycle of each functional design, starting from the initial impact assessment through to the development, approvals, testing, and go-live support.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Cohesive. From Day 1, every question has been answered collectively, every plan has been made with awareness of the group, and every opportunity has been taken with the intention of sharing a mutual success rather than improving the success of the individual.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? McCombs has always been my top choice. I learned early on that where I live is crucial, and I immediately fell in love with the palpable energy that is unique to Austin. Joining the McCombs community was not only an educated career choice, but also a desire to put down roots in a city and people that I can get behind.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Board Fellows

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? In my most recent promotion, my role grew from accepting assignments to getting the opportunity to create new business opportunities. I come from a strong technical background, and as I progress in my career I find it has become increasingly important to support my decisions with knowledge of the economy and relevant markets.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I love school and have always believed the knowledge and experience alone would be worth it. Regardless of my career path, higher education was always a “when” for me, not an “if.”

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Stanford Graduate School of Business

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Location was the most important factor for me. Once I narrowed the schools down based on academics and location, I researched factors such as the cost of living, average age, and extra-curricular activities available in each city.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I came very close to losing a family member unexpectedly. I used to be the one to strive for perfection. I still find myself stressed when things do not go exactly as planned, but I no longer sweat the small things. Family, health and happiness are key drivers for me; I’ve gotten better at not obsessing over perfection.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to find a position that allows me to combine my love of technology and of people and apply it to practical business solutions. I love to problem solve and am motivated to find a collaborative work environment.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself as either a product owner or specializing in the improvement of a business process (e.g. transitioning from waterfall methodology to agile). I enjoy the challenge that change poses to businesses, and my goal is to be in a role where I can lead that change.

Hyonwoo Yoon

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“A person full of curiosity and is not afraid to take calculated risks.”

Hometown: Seoul, Republic of Korea

Fun Fact About Yourself: I consider myself to be very lucky. While backpacking in Europe, I lost my wallet in Belgium, the 2nd country I was visiting. A month after returning to Korea, the wallet was sent to me anonymously with all my credentials and money in it!  I still do not know what happened, but use this lucky wallet even today.

Undergraduate School and Major: Kyung Hee University, Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, Head of Marketing

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I have successfully served in several roles in my organization; raising revenue as a marketer, strategically managing positive P&L as a financier, and leading communications for projects and joint occasions including meetings for Vice President Pence and President Obama.  While managing the Chamber’s 60th Anniversary Annual Campaign Project, I raised and surpassed the projected revenue, and thus, all staff members were able to go on a retreat to Taiwan.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? After meeting my cohort and study teammates, everyone is incredibly talented and from very diverse backgrounds and nationalities. I am very lucky to be surrounded by a community of determined people who enjoy life, have fun, and are talented academically and professionally.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I chose the McCombs School of Business due to its strong community network of current students and faculty, as well as the alumni who were extremely helpful and engaging while I was preparing my application and throughout the Accelerated Foundations Program.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to joining the Graduate Operations Group, International MBA Student Association, Graduate Blockchain Society, and Graduate Marketing Network.  I would also like to participate in the MBA+ Leadership Program to evaluate and improve my leadership and communication style. Further, l would like to attend the tailgates for this year’s football games with my class members.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was at the tipping point of my career and needed an additional push. As I would like to become a leader of a big organization one day, I believe the extra skills I will learn during this program will assist me in achieving that goal.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I decided to pursue an MBA after speaking with my mentors and hearing from MBA graduates on how it impacted their careers. Throwing myself out of my comfort zone to move to the States for two years was the price I was gladly willing to pay to upgrade myself and be surrounded by extraordinary people from around the world.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Several schools throughout the US, mostly on the east coast. I received acceptances to a number of programs, but decided to attend McCombs.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? During the application process, I reached out to faculty and alumni members to grasp the sense of community and visited various campuses to assess the overall atmospheres of the schools and cities. As I was planning to move with my family, such aspects were equally important for me when deciding which program was the right fit for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My mother has had three open surgeries for the past 15 years and I was always by her side each time she entered the operation room and when she woke up, even when I was serving in the army. The experience has taught me the importance of family and to be patient and remain hopeful even at the worst of times.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I want to expand the role of the Chamber to become a proactive business designer that provides a further depth and breadth of services to members and guide new U.S. entities to succeed in Korea.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I would like to be more involved as a leader at AMCHAM and expand the outreach of the organization in the region by establishing a broad and unique network in Asia.

Aydin Zahedivash

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“An engineer and medical student, working to modernize how we get and stay healthy.”

Hometown: Austin, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love aviation—I can identify almost any commercial aircraft flying overhead just by looking at it from the ground.

Undergraduate School and Major: The University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering; Current degree in progress: Doctor of Medicine at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: I’ve had internships and concurrently work in engineering research and design, but I haven’t taken gaps in my education for full-time jobs yet.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’m usually not too great about describing my accomplishments, but there are moments in my career, thus far, which have given me great satisfaction. The most impactful moments have been while on my 4-week block serving on our trauma/acute care surgery service here at the Dell Seton Medical Center. Each night I was on call, I had the privilege of taking care of patients while they were in critical condition. I found great satisfaction not only during surgery but also while following the patients after recovery and helping their families navigate through such a difficult time in their lives. There really is a sort of magic feeling when you are welcomed into someone’s family during such a confusing and difficult time and are trusted to help them get better, cope, and move forward.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Adaptive. The few that I’ve met so far seem very forward thinking and ready to absorb and build on ideas. This is an awesome thing.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The Texas McCombs MBA has a great focus on strategy and innovation which is a key interest of mine as I work towards being an effective innovator in medicine.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m looking forward to learning from the people! My classmates and the faculty will come together with experiences from industries vastly different than my own in medicine and I’m very much looking forward to learning how people from other backgrounds think and approach problems. Aside from broadening my own way of thinking, there’s a lot in healthcare that can be improved simply by taking lessons from other industries.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Throughout my medical school experience, it has become apparent to me that advocating for patients and effectively keeping people healthy requires thinking beyond the patient-to-patient scale. There’s more to think about on a systematic scale about how broad decisions and strategy affect how well we can take care of people. I hope that my experience as an MBA student will better prepare me to take care of patients as a physician and help me address broader barriers to effective care.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None, this is because I am a dual MD/MBA applicant and applied to the Texas McCombs MBA program through our partnership between the Dell Medical School and the McCombs School of Business.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? While I was an undergraduate engineering student, I spent some time shadowing physicians in the surgery suite at the Dell Children’s Medical Center and the delicate nature of caring for children and the way the physicians carefully and expertly explained procedures and medical conditions to parents really shone a light for me on what I wanted to do with my career. I loved how the best doctors were so approachable and used their knowledge to address and diffuse anxiety and concerns in patients and their families. This has inspired me to keep working hard in school so that I can someday be like them.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After I graduate medical school, I will need to complete 3-5 years of residency in order to be a practicing physician. I hope to attend residency at an institution that places emphasis on collaborating with others outside of medicine to think of solutions to some of the most pervasive problems in healthcare. This is one area where I hope to make contributions to our field. UT Austin is a great example of a place like this!

Where do you see yourself in five years? After residency, I hope to have a job that allows me to work together with academia and industry to improve the health of our communities. The types of problems that interest me revolve around optimizing our healthcare networks and resources to adequately and efficiently respond to health concerns in our community.

Rodrigo Zeno Lisboa Vieira

University of Texas, McCombs School of Business

“Highly curious and adventurous, a Brazilian heart with footprints all over the world!”

Hometown: Florianópolis, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself: I speak 3 languages. However, as a great icebreaker, I can probably curse in a dozen others!

Undergraduate School and Major: UDESC (Brazil) – Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: BRF SA – Innovation Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Led the strategic planning for the expansion of the company (BRF) through sub-Saharan Africa and developed from scratch all the studies and intelligence tools necessary for it.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Uniqueness. Every person has their own fascinating lives, careers and skill sets. It will be amazing to get to know more about and learn from each one of them.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Austin is such an amazing city, bursting with life and opportunities. The MBA is a life decision broader than just an academic and career move. The very environment in this city challenges both social and business paradigms and is a rich opportunity for self-discovery and growth. Besides, the seemingly endless places to explore are a perfect ground to build the friendships that will be the core of our network in the future.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Having worked on the ground with such a basic necessity as food in my years in Africa has made me realize the power of corporations to improve lives and create a better future. That’s why I intend to participate in the McCombs Net Impact organization.

Well, being a good Brazilian, looking forward to Soccer Club too!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? It has always been a dream of mine to live the MBA experience. Coming back from my years in Africa, it was the perfect opportunity to quickly relaunch my international career and, in the future, come back to the market in a position to cause much more impact.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? At that point in my life, it presented a good balance: on the one hand the personal side of wanting to live this experience and on the other the professional leap that would likely take much longer to achieve otherwise. Moreover, to be honest, it had always been a dream and I believe my life story would feel incomplete without this chapter.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Wharton, Kellogg, Tuck and Berkeley

How did you determine your fit at various schools? My decision to pursue an MBA this year was very late, so I applied in the 3rd Round, with little time for research. I was guided by reputation, recommendation, location, and a good deal of gut feeling. As further stages of the process came, I truly learned more about each program and felt how each interacted with the applicants. At this point, I already began to fall in love with the possibility of McCombs.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? After over a year traveling through Africa and visiting several informal food markets, I had witnessed the appalling conditions so many submit to in acquiring (not always) affordable food. Shortly after, I was leading the project of a new food factory in Namibia that would create thousands of jobs in the region, and potentially improve the lives of many people. I was then called to an emergency meeting to address the city council of the potential location. I was so passionate about the project that presenting it, answering all the questions, and identifying the real stakeholders was sheer pleasure. That moment consolidated my belief that corporations have the potential to be extremely impactful on creating a better future, and that I want to be an important part in such endeavors. 

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Find an impactful position in a company that represents the values mentioned above.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Rising within one such company to broaden the scope of the work, and potentially achieve bigger goals.

 

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