Meet Ohio State Fisher’s MBA Class of 2020 - Poets&Quants

“We have a good thing going. Why mess with it?”

Two decades ago, that thinking surely swayed the board rooms from Borders to Blockbuster. They just couldn’t picture the digital tsunami swelling off their shores. Now, they are case studies, Ozymandias-sized warnings against complacency in a world of never-ending shifts and sieges

Academia isn’t immune to this disruptive dynamic. That’s why the most forward-thinking programs are taking what’s solid and stable and revamping it. Count Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business among them. The MBA program already enjoyed several advantages, including world-class career services, a tight-knit community, and a wealth of resources that comes with a 60,000 student research powerhouse. These days, such blessings aren’t enough to weather the changes to come.

ONGOING SUPPORT FROM AN ADVISOR, CONSULTANT AND COACH

Becoming great starts with humility. It requires summoning the courage to listen, act, and change. That’s exactly what the Fisher College committed itself to do. “Over the last 18 months, Fisher has worked with students, alumni, executives, recruiters, faculty and staff to redesign the Full-Time MBA program,” says Walter Zinn, associate dean for graduate students and programs. “We set out to create an MBA that provides maximum value for both students and the firms that hire them. The result is a program that produces a well-rounded MBA graduate that is poised for immediate and long-term success.”

Fiisher MBAs collaborating together before class.

The foundation of the program is self-awareness. Before classes start, Fisher has already conducted student assessments to identify each student’s strengths and gaps, so they can tailor programming to their needs. While it may take a village to raise a child, it takes a Fisher team to truly prepare an MBA graduate. For students seeking personalized attention to make a career transition, they’d be hard-pressed to find better than Fisher. The difference? Students receive continuous feedback and support from a team that includes an academic advisor, career consultant, and professional coach.

That’s just the start for a program that has grown increasingly cross-functional, data-driven, and experiential. Notably, program courses are often co-taught by faculty from differing disciplines, so students can clearly discern how various roles and functions are interconnected. Fisher also leverages Ohio State’s scale, freeing MBA candidates to take electives in nearly 100 graduate programs. What’s more, the program has beefed up its hands-on opportunities, pairing up student teams with area businesses as part of its Business Lab and Core Capstone projects.

A PERSONALIZED APPROACH OVER THE PROVERBIAL ‘BOX’

At the same time, Fisher has reached out to top companies and alumni to gain a deeper understanding of what makes MBAs valuable. As a result, the program has more deeply interwoven soft skill development into the curriculum, along with areas like problem-solving, persuasion and influence, cultural understanding, ethics, and leading through ambiguity.

“Fisher’s redesigned MBA program applies a multifaceted approach to help each student to achieve their full potential,” says Keely Croxton, Co-Director of the Full-Time MBA program. “We have increased the focus on experiential learning, improved upon a strong core curriculum using integrated class sessions across subjects, and designed an array of assessments, workshops, and flexible paths for coursework to facilitate a personalized approach to each student’s success.”

This flexibility appealed to students like Christopher Scott, a first-year with a chemical engineering background who hopes to move into consulting. “A few things became major priorities during my [campus] visits,” he writes. “One was the ability to craft my path and decide for myself which gaps needed filling in my resume. Whereas some programs will try to put students into a box and require them to declare one major or another, Fisher guides us to handcraft a curriculum path that can incorporate one or multiple specialties.”

PEACE CORPS BECOMES A LESSON IN GRIT

Embracing an interdisciplinary ethos, Fisher tends to attract students with rather diverse professional backgrounds. The Class of 2020 is no exception. As an undergrad, Erin Collin studied Zoology before running a laboratory at archrival University of Michigan. In contrast, Courtney Clark majored in Religious Studies at Loyola University, which led to a life-changing stint in the Peace Corps.

Fisher MBA Trek to Microsoft

“[My defining moment came during] the moment the Peace Corps Jeep drove away from my host village, leaving me to figure out how to live, work, and make a home in a rural Guinean village,” she shares. “It was terrifying, but I leaned into the challenge and developed incredible relationships with members of my host community and learned so much. I look back to that moment when I’m faced with challenges that seem insurmountable and know that I can make my way through a lot of situations if I approach them with openness, humility, and a willingness to learn.”

Isaac Reynolds also brings an international profile to Columbus. A Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs major, Reynold was named by the U.S. State Department as their youngest officer in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. “I led a team of four American instructors as we engaged over 320 secondary school students across the Sultanate of Oman in vocational and English literacy development in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the US Embassy. I deeply appreciated the experience of representing my country through such meaningful work and will never forget my students!”

POWER LIFTERS, CAKE DECORATORS, AND ANIMAL RESCUERS

Their interests are equally eclectic. When people think of the Rochester Institute of Technology, most envision engineering and computer science. What about slam poetry? Well, Christopher Scott, an RIT alum himself, coached the school’s poetry slam team to the national finals in 2016. This year, Nick Bosa and Dre’Mont Jones weren’t the only big names in the Ohio State weight room. In her weight class, Iowa’s Hayley Coffas ranks among the Top 20 in the world in competitive powerlifting. Outside work, Sai Krishna Velaga rescues animals and birds in her native India. At the same time, Sandra Glaude has racked up three certifications from the Wilton School, the most respected name in cake decorating and confectionary art.

The Class of 2020 is equally accomplished. Adedimeji ‘Tade Idris got a taste for real responsibility in his last job, managing a government securities portfolio worth over a billion dollars. Christopher Scott was the youngest engineer to work on the Acura NSX Supercar, a $160K hybrid that goes from 0 to 60 in three seconds. After a pipeline gas leak explosion caused the death of 27 people, Sai Krishna Velaga was tapped to lead the testing of an underground pipeline’s physical integrity.

You won’t find some of their biggest accomplishments in the news, however. That doesn’t mean they weren’t truly profound. Take Sean O’Rourke, who has spent nearly a decade teaching high school English. His greatest feat was spending four months preparing a dozen students to re-take the Pennsylvania State Assessment they’d failed. Not surprisingly, all twelve passed after O’Rourke’s involvement. For Hayley Coffas, her big moment was a culmination of small sacrifices and unseen acts of courage. She graduated at the top of her class at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville as a first generation student.

“UNIQUELY COMPASSIONATE” AND “CONSTRUCTIVELY COMPETITIVE”

Fisher faculty working with students.

“It was such a milestone for me personally. I grew up in a small town where the idea of engineering (or an MBA) is not a typical path.”

Ask the Class of 2020 to list the best qualities of their classmates and phrases like “deep thinkers” and “Midwest nice” are bound to spring up. It is a place, notes Adedimeji ‘Tade Idris, where “everyone has a voice.” That said, Christopher Scott is happy to add a new phrase to the Fisher Lexicon: uniquely compassionate.

“Fisher’s tight-knit, familiar MBA program has a unique tendency of creating more than just “cohorts,” but families of students who care deeply for one another and for the community around them,” he writes. “They spend the majority of their days finding ways to improve and lift up the students to the left and right of them. The atmosphere is best described as constructively competitive.”

APPLICATIONS AND GMATS UP

By the numbers, the Class of 2020 is a step forward over previous classes in most metrics. That starts with the number of applications. In a down year for American business schools altogether, Fisher boosted its number of applications during the 2017-2018 cycle by 32%. In the process, the school boosted class size to 94 students, all while dropping its acceptance rate a point to 36%.

It gets better, with average GMATs rising from 670 to 676 over the past year (though average GPAs slipped fro 3.47 to 3.44).  GMAT scores also stretched from 600-740 in the 80% range. In addition, the percentage of international students jumped by four points to 29%, with the class share of women holding steady at 32%. Overall, the class includes students from 20 states and 12 countries, including Brazil, Pakistan, the Ukraine, and Vietnam.

Those aren’t the only numbers that impress. The Class of 2018, for example, notched a 95% placement rate within three months of graduation. According to U.S. News’ annual survey, business school academics ranked the program’s supply chain and operations programs among the ten best in the United States. In addition, the program trends towards being among the more generous with three-quarters of full-time students receiving merit-based funding according to the school.

Go to next page for in-depth profiles of a dozen Fisher first-year MBAs. 

Fisher students greeting each other in the morning

FIRST-YEARS SPEND THREE WEEKS OVERSEAS

What attracts students to Fisher? Among the Class of 2020, the GAP (Global Applied Projects) program was a huge hit. Held each May, GAP sends 4-5 member student teams across the globe to partner with an international firm. After completing seven weeks of intensive preparation, students spend three weeks overseas, with the course culminating in a presentation to senior company executives.

In recent years, the GAP project has taken Fisher MBAs to locales as different as Ethiopia, France, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, and India. While demanding, GAP teams also find plenty of ways to enjoy themselves. Last year’s German team, for example, visited Prague and Geneva, enjoying architecture tours and sampling cafes along the way. In China, the team visited the Great Wall, not to mention taking a bullet train to the most luxurious hotel in Nanjing to indulge in salty duck.

Fisher student lounge

Not surprisingly, alumni consider GAP to be Fisher’s signature experience, an international consulting project whose length doubles those offered at rival programs. It is also an immersion that means very different things to the Class of 2020. For Christopher Scott, GAP is a “unique primer” designed to prepare him for his summer internship. Adedimeji ‘Tade Idris is treating it as a chance to deliver practical solutions to real world problems. By the same token, Rabia Usmani, a global financial analyst for a Fortune 500 bank, views GAP as an avenue to absorb different cultures and business practices.

Then again, Sai Krishna Velaga is looking forward to doing all of the above. “I believe that true learning comes by applying classroom concepts to real-world situations. GAP is an excellent opportunity not only to exercise my teamwork, leadership, planning, communication, and decision-making skills but also to understand the work culture in a different economy. Cross-functional knowledge is extremely important in today’s global business environment.”

SMALLER SIZE, BETTER LEARNING

The Fisher Board Fellows (FBF) has also piqued the Class of 2020’s interest. In a nutshell, the FBF places second years on local non-profit boards for a year as non-voting members. In addition, board fellows must complete a consulting project for their organization to gain further business experience. “The opportunity to channel my humanitarian entrepreneurial spirit and interact with top-level management to understand the intricacies of strategic decision making is what drew me to Fisher Board Fellows,” says Sai Chandra Pujita Vazrala, a process engineer who was born in India and raised in Uganda.

Sai Krishna Velaga’s heart, however, is set on making an impact on Fisher’s Centre for Operational Excellence (COE). “COE is a place where member companies, which belong to a wide variety of industries, come together to solve operational inefficiencies symbiotically,” he writes. “This center not only helps students to learn about current problems in the operations and supply chain management industry, but also gives an opportunity to interact with influential people in various organizations.”

Another benefit to the Fisher experience? The small class size, say first-years. In particular, students cite the “personalized” attention and support they’ve received from all corners of the MBA program. More than that, says Sandra Glaude, the program’s size amplifies the educational experience. “I wanted to join a program where I could readily access my professors. I believe smaller classroom sizes enhances the learning experience for both the instructors and the students. Furthermore, a small class setting encourages intimate, meaningful and collaborative discussions between students and professors.”

Ohio State University’s “Oval”

CAPITALIZING ON THE RESOURCES OF A “BIG” UNIVERSITY

In the process, Fisher also offers the best of both worlds: a small community embedded in a business school with 80,000 alumni…and a larger university where over 500,000 graduates call themselves Buckeyes. Bottom line: Fisher MBAs will have plenty of opportunities to pursue their passions.

“Because the overall university is so large, any experience or opportunity you can dream up is possible if you know where to look,” says Paul Sobecki, a 2018 P&Q MBA To Watch who joined Deloitte Consulting after graduating this spring. “Fisher specifically offers international project opportunities, global business expeditions, countless student organizations, and one-on-one attention for your job search.”

One example of this is Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research. Affectionately known as CAR, the center – an interdisciplinary collaboration headed by the College of Engineering – includes over 150 graduate and undergraduate students who focus on areas like safety and environmental protection. The center is also a leader in autonomous vehicle research, a point not lost on Monyk Hernandez Wecker, a mechanical engineer hoping to transition to a strategy role.

“Autonomous vehicles are the next generation of vehicles that will hit our streets, and I want to develop plans to deploy them safely. At Fisher, I will have the opportunity to research the area that I intend to work post-MBA.”

FISHER’S SECRET WEAPON: COLUMBUS ITSELF

This wide scope of resources at Ohio State, coupled with the personal touch of Fisher, is what truly sets the MBA program apart, adds Roger Bailey, co-director of the Full-Time MBA program.

“The diversity of the student body complements a culture of collaboration and close relationships. MBA students get to know and learn from each other. On the other hand, Fisher College of Business includes over five thousand students, and being part of The Ohio State University, MBA students have access to all of the amenities, resources, and opportunities afforded by a large top-tier research university.  Fisher is also in the heart of a thriving business community.  Columbus is the 14th largest city in the US, and the Columbus region is home to the headquarters of 15 Fortune 1000 and five Fortune 500 firms.  Our unique combination of size, location, and culture is a real differentiator, and the MBA redesign leverages these strengths to offer students unique opportunities such as on-site consulting projects with local firms and a social impact challenge where student teams work together with non-profit organizations to solve problems and give back to the community.”

Columbus, Ohio

Indeed, Columbus may be Fisher’s most underrated value add. It is just an afternoon drive away from Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Pittsburgh – a circumference that nets nearly 70 Fortune 1000 firms. In addition, Columbus has also been racking up the honors in recent years, ranking among the top metros for Up-and-Coming High Tech City (Forbes), Most Livable City (CNN), and Best City for Jobs and Finance (Yahoo Finance). Translation: The area is flush with opportunities for students to gain real experience and build a strong network.

THE GOAL: LOVE WHAT YOU DO

“I saw Columbus’ globally-focused economy and Fisher’s role in the region’s advancement as incredible assets for an MBA program, full of opportunities for collaboration and partnership,” says Isaac Reynolds. “As an MBA candidate, I have already connected to Columbus’ community within the Council of World Affairs, Metropolitan Club and Sister Cities International.”

So what’s next for the Class of 2020? Courtney Clark, for one, is quite specific. “My goal is to be riding my bike to work in Amsterdam as the Director of Innovation or Marketing for an international NGO or a socially and environmentally conscious company.”

Adedimeji ‘Tade Idris, however, is looking for more intangibles. “Find a role that lets me do what I love, in a way I love doing it. There is an obvious attraction to some roles or organizations due to the financial remuneration, but I prioritize learning, an open, welcoming work culture and a chance to grow above all else.”

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	Employer
Courtney Clark	Muskegon, MI	Loyola University of Chicago	Optum
Hayley Coffas	Bellevue, IA	University of Wisconsin–Platteville	Georgia-Pacific
Erin Collin	Novi, MI	Miami University	University of Michigan
Sandra Glaude	Brooklyn, NY	SUNY College at Old Westbury	Coffee America
Monyk Hernandez Wecker	Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico	University of Texas at El Paso	Commercial Vehicle Group
Adedimeji ‘Tade Idris	Lagos, Nigeria	Federal University of Technology	Access Bank PLC
Sai Krishna Velaga	Hyderabad, India	Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad	Trans Asia Pipeline Services FZC
Sean O’Rourke	Pittsburgh, PA	Grove City College	Westfield Insurance
Sai Chandra Pujita Vazrala	Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India	Milwaukee School of Engineering	Tekra
Isaac Reynolds	Cleveland, OH	Miami University of Ohio	The Oman Oil Company-Takatuf Human Capital
Christopher Scott	Worcester, MA	Rochester Institute of Technology	Honda R&D Americas
Rabia Usmani	Cincinnati, OH	University of Cincinnati	Fifth Third Bank

Courtney Clark

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“Social-impact and sustainability-oriented travel enthusiast with a passion for innovation and strategy.”

Hometown: Muskegon, Michigan

Fun Fact About Yourself: My partner and I just adopted a 10-month-old puppy! He’s a lot of work but helps keep my life in balance.

Undergraduate School and Major: Loyola University Chicago, Religious Studies and International Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Optum, Healthcare Operations Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Launching a community garden in partnership with the health center and agricultural cooperatives in my host village while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea, West Africa. We provided over 400 kilograms of produce to malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women after our first harvest.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Selfless. I have been blown away by the generosity of spirit, time, and energy that my classmates demonstrate. I know that I could reach out to any of them for help at any time and would be immediately greeted with a “yes.” My relationships with my classmates have made my MBA experience completely worth the investment.

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? Fisher made me feel incredibly welcome and valued throughout the application process – and this extended far beyond the recruiting staff and student ambassadors. During all of my campus visits and touchpoints, current students and alumni were very generous with their time and worked hard to ensure that all of our questions and concerns got addressed. I felt like a member of the Fisher community from the moment I stepped on campus for my Fall Preview Day.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Fisher Board Fellows, which works with Columbus non-profits to place MBA students on their boards as non-voting members. Most Fellows also complete consulting projects for their non-profit.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I started considering an MBA in 2016. Many of the roles that were attractive to me required a graduate degree, and an MBA has always been a no-brainer as most programs emphasize both leadership and technical skills. Also, I am pursuing a career that will allow me to have a strong social and environmental impact, and I want to deepen my knowledge and sharpen my skills to have the largest positive impact that I can.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Ohio State has been incredibly generous by providing me with a Graduate Fellowship and a Forte Fellowship, so my biggest investment is my time and the opportunity cost of my previous salary. My family has always placed a high premium on education, and I knew that my post-MBA career opportunities and earning potential would be well worth the investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Northwestern Kellogg.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I prioritized cultural fit, academic rigor, career management, service and international opportunities, and financial aid. I’ve touched on a few of those in previous answers, but I want to highlight Ohio State’s Global Applied Projects (GAP) program, which is open to any MBA student and allows students to gain experience completing a real-world consulting project for an international company. The program includes seven weeks of preparation during the spring semester and culminates in three weeks overseas and a presentation to company executives.

Regarding tools, I certainly looked at rankings, but I also assessed how well I meshed with current students and alumni, as well as the course offerings and student organizations. I knew that Fisher would help me achieve my career goals for several reasons, including the ability to take classes at Ohio State’s graduate school of public policy, a highly individualized career consulting program, and the vast alumni network.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The moment the Peace Corps Jeep drove away from my host village, leaving me to figure out how to live, work, and make a home in a rural Guinean village. It was terrifying, but I leaned into the challenge and developed incredible relationships with members of my host community and learned so much. I look back to that moment when I’m faced with challenges that seem insurmountable and know that I can make my way through a lot of situations if I approach them with openness, humility, and a willingness to learn.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I love analyzing data to shape innovative strategies, and I’m likely going to accept a strategic marketing internship, so probably something in that space. I am very passionate about living overseas again sometime in the next 5-6 years. I am seeking out firms and organizations with a global footprint and a strong social and environmental conscience.

Where do you see yourself in five years? My goal is to be riding my bike to work in Amsterdam as the Director of Innovation or Marketing for an international NGO or a socially and environmentally conscious company.

Hayley Coffas

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“Tenacious Midwesterner transitioning from a career in paper engineering to finance.”

Hometown: Bellevue, Iowa

Fun Fact About Yourself: In 2017, I was ranked top 20 in the world in competitive powerlifting in my weight class.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Wisconsin – Platteville, B.S. in Industrial Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Georgia–Pacific, Project Engineer & OEE Business Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Graduating from my undergrad university at the top of my class as a first-generation college graduate is my biggest accomplishment in my career so far, because it was such a milestone for me personally. I grew up in a small town where the idea of engineering (or an MBA) is not a typical path.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My MBA classmates are a diverse and intriguing group of individuals tied together by a common characteristic of collaboration. I am learning from their past experiences and through our cultural differences, which is facilitated by the collaborative spirit amongst our group. We are supportive of each other and our unique situations while also challenging each other to think outside of our comfort zones to grow and develop our unique perspectives.

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 was impressed by the feeling I got in my interactions with the recruiting team and the credentials of the faculty. The faculty each have amazing academic and work credentials. We are taught by individuals that have gone to top business schools and worked all over the world, which exposes us to a wide breadth of experiences and perspectives.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? While I have participated in and am looking forward to many activities at Fisher, I am looking forward to the internal case competition the most. I am competitive and excited to leverage my presentation skills while growing and building my communication skills with my peers and when presenting to high-level executives.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? During my time as an engineer, I was beginning to realize I had gaps in my understanding of the overall business world. I was also teaching myself about financial literacy and starting to build a passion for finance through my studies. I wanted to fight the idea of being complacent in my career and decided that it was the perfect time to make a shift in my career trajectory as I was ready for more responsibility and complexity in my day to day work. The MBA was a great opportunity to strengthen my understanding of the business world and transition into the world of finance to blend my analytical background with my passion for finance.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? In true finance fashion, I did a net present value analysis of the different options and compared them to find the highest return over the next five years.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? In order to determine my fit at the schools that I applied to, I started with online research of various sources such as blogs, rankings, and post-degree job opportunities. Once I had narrowed down the schools that I was interested in, I applied and visited campus for a preview. In speaking with current students, admissions staff, and professors, I was able to paint a picture of what each school’s strengths and weaknesses were. Fisher College of Business recruiting team was extremely respectful during the application process, and I felt as though they were an advocate for applicants. They were timely in their decisions and communications, and helpful throughout the entire process. The professors were incredibly willing to help and speak to applicants before they were committed students. I was confident that based on the credentials of the professors and the attentiveness of the recruiting staff, it was a reflection of the overall resources of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was taking an internship across the country in Utah following my junior year in college. It stretched me personally and professionally to move so far away from my family for a work assignment. I was exposed to diverse individuals and an ambiguous project, which pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The internship helped me build my self-confidence and desire to discover new experiences, people, and places.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduation, I plan to work in finance for a competitive company, building my experience and leadership skills. I would love to find a position that challenges me.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself in a management position, leading a group of employees to create an impact on my company, and eventually, I would like to be in a CFO position.

Erin Collin

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I meet challenges with creativity and innovation, strive for positive impact, and fight for my beliefs.”

Hometown: Novi, Michigan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I volunteer with an animal rescue and have successfully fostered and adopted-out 17 animals.

Undergraduate School and Major: Miami University, B.A. Zoology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: University of Michigan, Laboratory Business Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After leaving my full-time position with Banfield Pet Hospital (a corporate hospital owned by Mars, Inc), I created the part-time position, unique to our hospital that focused on community outreach. I saw the need to strengthen our hospital’s relationship within the community—which often viewed the hospital as a very “corporate” entity—and I knew I possessed the skills necessary to build the community relationships that would make this happen. I generated a proposal outlining what I would accomplish and asked my practice manager for a six-month trial period. She agreed, and after the initial six months, I had not only met but exceeded all of my goals. This was a position I held for the next three years until I left to start the Fisher MBA program. During this time, I secured an annual sponsorship for the local humane society, established multiple partnerships with local animal rescues, and hosted numerous drives to support local animal charities. By identifying a need and considering what I could do to help, I was able to develop a creative solution that allowed our hospital to improve its image within the community, and generate new customers.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Incredibly supportive: There’s not a single person in my class I would hesitate to go up to and ask for help. We’re a tight-knit group, and I see people going out of their way to assist classmates on a daily basis. The MBA program is both rigorous and stressful, but having a group of people who you know you can rely on—whether it’s to get help understanding class material, preparing for an interview, or to vent for a minute—has made everything very manageable. The support I receive and comradery I feel with my classmates has made even the most challenging aspects of the MBA program very manageable.

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? A key factor in my decision was the opportunity to work in a Graduate Assistant position with Ohio State’s Global Water Institute (GWI).  The GWI is working to deliver clean water sustainably to areas of rural Tanzania, while also seeking solutions to assist in disease surveillance and epidemic outbreak identification. It was a position that presented a unique opportunity to tie together my passion for social impact and my background in the sciences, while also gaining real-life business experience. Before entering the MBA program, I was concerned about how I would pivot into the business world (where I felt I had no relevant experience), and utilize my previous experience (which felt very unrelated) in a new career. Work with the GWI seemed like (and has been) an incredible experiential learning opportunity that I knew I wouldn’t find at another school. In general, Fisher College of Business offers more opportunities for Graduate Assistant positions than any other school I looked at, and as someone who came from a non-business field, the opportunity for additional experiential learning was very valuable to me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Recently, I was elected as Vice President of the 2020 MBA class, and I’m thrilled by the opportunity to contribute to the continued growth and development of the program, and to assist in continuous improvements that will impact not only my classmates but future Fisher students as well. Particularly during such a pivotal time in Fisher’s history—with a redesigned MBA curriculum—involvement with the council allows me to ensure that the voice of my peers is heard, and to help develop and implement innovative ideas that will only strengthen an already phenomenal program.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I pursued Zoology in undergrad because I had a great passion for animals and the environment, and I wanted to be able to make a positive impact; it felt like a natural path to choose. After graduation, as I moved through my career, I realized how many opportunities there were to make a positive impact in the world—and particularly in my areas of interest—through different areas of business. I also realized how many of my strengths and personality traits aligned with a position in business as opposed to one in research. I saw how my background in the sciences could be combined with an MBA to make a positive impact in the areas I am so passionate about.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? While a Bachelor’s degree in the biological sciences is a great degree, the reality is that to continue to advance in your career, additional education is essential. I knew that I was looking at a Master’s degree, and very possibly a Ph.D. if I wanted to continue down that career path. However, after spending three years working in a gastrointestinal stem cell lab, I knew I didn’t want to pursue a life-long career in research. The MBA program was the best opportunity to pivot into a career that I felt would make me happy, give me the opportunity to explore different career options, and would most assuredly provide a strong ROI.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

University of Michigan, Ross and SEAS, MBA/MS dual degree

Duke University, Fuqua and Nicholas, MBA/MEM dual degree

Northwestern University, Kellogg

Emory University, Goizueta

Vanderbilt University, Owen

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The fit was the biggest priority for me. I wanted to fit into the culture and ideals of the school, and I knew I wanted to be in a place where there would be plenty of resources, and where I wouldn’t feel lost in the crowd. I loved Fisher’s small class size, and talking with current students I was struck by the amount of individualized attention they felt they received from both professors and different graduate school resources, particularly the Office of Career Management. Clearly, it was also a collaborative culture, which attracted me. My interview at Fisher felt very conversational—it was clear that finding students who would fit the program was very important in the selection process; intellectual ability alone wasn’t going to cut it. I also loved that I got to meet with a career advisor that day, and discuss what I was looking for, and what resources Fisher would be able to offer to help meet my goals.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I don’t think I had a single defining moment, but rather a series of events throughout my life that have helped to define who I am and what drives me. All of these most impactful moments have been centered around being able to make a truly positive impact on the lives of those around me, or on the understanding that someone else’s actions have had a positive impact on me. It’s these moments that have driven me to focus on involvement with organizations such as animal rescue organizations, student council, and Fisher Board Fellows (FBF), and to seek a career that will allow me to utilize my skills to make a positive impact in my community, and hopefully the world at large.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I’m focusing on brand management and strategy, and am particularly excited for the data analytics aspects that are involved in both. I hope to work for a company that either has some level of social impact focus or that allows me to utilize my passion and previous work with animals and science; ideally, I’ll work for a company that does both.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Working for a company I love and whose mission I believe in, and utilizing business as a force for positive change.

Sandra Glaude       

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I love to watch the sunrise and sunset. I enjoy breathtaking intangible experiences.”

Hometown: Brooklyn N.Y.

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love to cook, and I have three Wilton certifications in cupcake and cake decorating with butter cream, gum paste, and fondant.

Undergraduate School and Major: SUNY College at Old Westbury, B.S. Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Coffee America, Financial Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The greatest accomplishment in my career, thus far is, my professional development with my previous employer. I started my career as a receptionist and worked my way up to the finance department. I have learned a lot about working with teams, effective communication, and emotional intelligence. My hard work, resilience, and ambition did not go unnoticed.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My MBA classmates at Fisher are resourceful. Fisher MBA students are always willing to assist others.  They are also equally eager to make introductions to facilitate each student’s professional network.

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 Fisher’s MBA program is the small and personalized classroom sizes. This is an important factor for me because I wanted to join a program where I could readily access my professors. I believe smaller classroom sizes enhances the learning experience for both the instructors and the students.  Furthermore, a small class setting encourages intimate, meaningful and collaborative discussions between students and professors.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to participating in Fisher’s Global Business Expeditions (GBE). GBE’s will give me the unique opportunity to gain full cultural and business immersion, internationally. Also, I look forward to serving as a resource and mentor to minority students through the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) – Columbus chapter.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I have always wanted to pursue an MBA; however, it was a matter of timing. I reached a point in my career where I wanted to challenge myself and explore life, outside of my comfort zone. Also, I wanted to take on more leadership roles in my career. I knew that in order for me to attain these goals I must acquire the necessary conceptual knowledge that can afford me the opportunity to make effective business decisions and solve complex financial issues. Attaining my MBA will provide me with a challenging yet well-rounded curriculum with gifted classmates from whom I can learn.  Moreover, earning an MBA would provide me with a global business perspective through the study abroad program which would afford me opportunities and access to a wealth of resources through a network of faculty members, as well as professors who are dedicated to each student’s professional success.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I attended quite a few MBA information sessions. Additionally, I spoke with admission counselors, MBA graduates, and current MBA students. I dedicated approximately two years to reflect on the goals that I set forth for myself and within which to be admitted to an MBA program. I also researched various ways to supplement the cost and expenses of an MBA education. I joined  Forté MBA Launch, a program geared towards female pre-MBA students. I then realized that the investment in my MBA education was incontestably worth it because of the overall experience, opportunities, and education I would gain would be immeasurable.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to a number of MBA programs, all of which had similar curriculum structures and opportunities.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I value an MBA program that is competitive yet collaborative and promotes diversity. I wanted to be in a city where I could gain access to leaders at top corporations. Pursuing an MBA is a momentous decision, and I wanted to make sure that I gathered as much information about each program before committing to a particular program. I scheduled coffee chats with current students to learn of their personal experience at the program. I also made it a priority to visit each campus. In addition, I reached out to the alumni network at each school to learn about their successes post MBA. Current student and alumni connections allowed me to gain first hand, personal knowledge into their responsiveness and willingness to assist prospective students.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? During my sophomore year in undergrad, I vividly remember my mother working overtime to pay for my brother, my sister and my college tuition. As a sophomore, my brother was a senior, and my sister was a first-year student. The sacrifices that my mother made for my siblings and I were awe-inspiring. I have never met anyone in my life who worked as hard as my mother did. She invested everything she had in her children, and I knew I had to work hard and achieve success to make my mother proud. She always told us that we were her investments. My work ethics, values, self-motivation and passion for succeeding in my endeavors come directly from my mother.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Pursuing an MBA has afforded me with numerous opportunities. I have not yet committed to a particular industry; however, I plan to accept a role that enables me to apply my bias for numbers and strategic thinking.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I see myself working on a diverse leadership team. I would love to have a seat at the table to discuss building new financial strategies and creating innovative ways to improve business processes. Being successful also means that I must give back. I am committed to aiding underrepresented scholars in achieving their dreams.

Monyk Hernandez Wecker

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I am someone who has integrity and strives every day to become a better person.”

Hometown: Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love to travel. Traveling allows me to experience other cultures first-hand, and learn from them. Traveling outside the U.S. (to Europe and Asia) have enriched my life in ways that cannot be described with words.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Texas at El Paso, Mechanical Engineering and Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Electrical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Commercial Vehicle Group, Lead Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Researching, developing and applying a seat sensor specification that covered different industries and having the opportunity to lead the team that developed the sensor that met the specification and its required cost.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Collaborative. I come from a background in engineering and have always found someone willing to help me with unfamiliar business courses.

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 research that Fisher is currently performing with Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in the field of autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are the next generation of vehicles that will hit our streets, and I want to develop plans to deploy them safely. At Fisher, I will have the opportunity to research the area that I intend to work post-MBA.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to becoming more involved with Fisher’s Association of Marketing Professionals (AMP) student organization. They have many events throughout the year to help students interested in marketing careers and also help students with resume workshops and interview preparation.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I want to use my experience in product development to set the strategy for a project and see it to fruition. My product development experience was only in engineering, and to achieve these professional goals I needed to reinforce my experience with the tools and skills that an MBA would provide.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Being analytical by nature, I created a forecast that showed how long it would take to move to the job that I was interested in solely through work experience versus pursuing an MBA. The numbers showed that my goal was more easily achievable by pursuing an MBA.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Michigan State and Rutgers.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? An important factor for me was the different pathways that each program provided. Since I am a career switcher, a program that offered the different areas that I was interested in was the main factor when I was deciding where to apply. I researched programs that had strong marketing, data analytics and strategy pathways since these are areas that I am interested in pursuing post-MBA.

Poets & Quants was a website that I regularly used to understand what each program had to offer.  Although, the most impactful experiences were the on-site campus visits. Campus visits gave me a good sense of the culture of each program and how I would fit into it.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When I was a freshman in college, I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in the automotive industry. Realizing what my dream was helped me create goals to achieve it. It was then that I decided to study a second engineering major.  Pursuing two engineering degrees helped shape my critical and analytical skills and ultimately, shaped who I became after graduation.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  I plan to continue to work in the automotive industry in a strategic and planning role. Using my engineering experience with the skills that I am learning in Fisher’s MBA program will allow me to develop strategic plans that enhance the future of the automotive industry.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In 5 years, I see myself working at an automotive OEM leading a global product planning and strategy department specifically in the area of autonomous vehicles.

Adedimeji ‘Tade Idris

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“Free-spirited Lagos boy a beautiful mind, having a blast while conquering the world.”

 Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: In 2014, I decided to travel to at least one new country every year for the rest of my life. (I’ll probably run out of years before I run out of countries).

Undergraduate School and Major: Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria (B.Eng Mining Engineering)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Access Bank PLC, Nigeria (Fixed Income Trader)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was interim head of the fixed-income trading desk at my last job and had to manage a government securities portfolio of 1.1 billion USD. In that period, I earned unprecedented income for the bank and surpassed all earning forecasts for the quarter.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Supportive. One of the biggest apprehensions I had about the MBA program was the fact that I had to move to a new a country with new cultures (and new food), but my classmates made the transition a smooth one. Even though the MBA environment can be challenging and competitive, there is always that warm feeling around most of my classmates that makes me feel like I made the right choice.

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 got admitted into various programs at the same time, so I had to consider a couple of factors when making my final decision. The relatively small MBA class size at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business was a big factor in tipping the scales thanks to the culture it creates where everyone has a voice. I was also interested in a program where I would receive an inclusive learning experience and one-on-one career management. When I combined these factors with ROI, the decision was a relatively easy one.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Global Applied Projects (GAP) program. In Fisher’s exclusive GAP program, I get to be a consultant in a foreign country. The GAP program presents a chance to diversify my MBA experience, solve real-life organizational challenges, and practical applications of a business solution.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I have an undergraduate degree in Mining Engineering and six years of work experience in banking. I was approaching middle-level management in my organization and felt there was a need to get some theoretical knowledge of finance and accounting to support my work experience. An MBA was the solution.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? A straight line is the shortest distance between two points – the shortest way to get from where I was on the trading desk of a bank’s dealing room in Lagos, Nigeria to the boardroom of a Fortune 500 company was to get an MBA. Just a few months into the program and I can already tell that I made the right decision.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Arizona State University – Carey, Michigan State University – Broad, University of Maryland – Smith, University of Illinois, Urbana Champagne, Washington University – Olin.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? A lot of effort went to the determination of fit for various schools. I spent a lot of time researching online and checking various forums and MBA blogs to sample the opinion of current and past students on the common mistakes to avoid when selecting a business school. The ranking, location, class size, etc. were all put into consideration. After the initial screening process, I narrowed down the list to about six schools and proceeded to contact international students from those schools to research the culture and fit. When I was on vacation in America in November 2017, I scheduled appointments to visit some of the schools and sit in on some classes. 

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The defining moment for me was enrollment in a boarding school at the tender age of 7, away from the comfort of my home and away from the watchful eyes of my parents, I learned to be independent and developed a knack to succeed in the face of overwhelming odds, that attitude remains with me till this day.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Find a role that lets me do what I love, in a way I love doing it. There is an obvious attraction to some roles or organizations due to the financial remuneration, but I prioritize learning, an open, welcoming work culture and a chance to grow above all else, so after graduation, I plan to keep practicing finance in an organization like that.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Employee management in a good organization, gaining as much experience as I can, imparting my knowledge, values and wealth of experience on my team and driving my organization towards its goals. I also hope to be traveling the world and living my best life.

Sai Krishna Velaga

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“A creative thinker who is a strong believer of yin and yang.”

Hometown: Hyderabad, Telangana

Fun Fact About Yourself: I understand that each lifeform strives for its survival.  I have rescued animals and birds that were illegally sold by vendors in Navi Mumbai.

Undergraduate School and Major: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University-Hyderabad, Bachelor of Technology, Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Trans Asia Pipeline Services FZC, Senior Project Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was the lead on multiple teams for a top priority project that required testing the physical integrity of an underground pipeline network, which has a cumulative length of 600 kilometers and belonged to the largest state-owned natural gas distributor in India. This project was initiated after a gas leak from the client’s pipeline led to a massive explosion, resulting in the death of 27 people living near the pipeline. Our work ensured the safety of people of nearly 300 villages through which the underground pipeline network passes.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would describe my classmates as deep thinkers. They come up with comprehensive solutions to complex and ambiguous problems by thinking beyond the obvious.

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 Global Applied Projects (GAP), which are three-week long real-world consulting projects, are a unique feature of Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business. I believe that true learning comes by applying classroom concepts to real-world situations. GAP is an excellent opportunity not only to exercise my teamwork, leadership, planning, communication, and decision-making skills but also to understand the work culture in a different economy. Cross-functional knowledge is extremely important in today’s global business environment.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Fisher’s Centre for Operational Excellence (COE) is what most interested me.  COE is a place where member companies, which belong to a wide variety of industries, come together to solve operational inefficiencies symbiotically. This center not only helps students to learn about current problems in the operations and supply chain management industry, but also gives an opportunity to interact with influential people in various organizations.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After working for a few years in the oil and gas pipeline industry, I felt that my learning curve was flattening. I realized that I could accelerate my career growth by gaining a top-down perspective of business and by enhancing my analytical, communication, and decision-making skills. I also wanted to enhance my knowledge about how the interactions amongst various functions affect the overall performance of the organization.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? From my interactions with current students and my research about career-growth of MBA graduates, I realized that my career trajectory would be much better regarding responsibilities and compensation than if I would continue in my current role. Business schools that are sensitive to student needs such as Fisher can also provide impressive scholarships to eligible candidates, thereby making the decision to pursue an MBA much easier.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? McCombs School of Business, Kelley School of Business, Jones Graduate School of Business, WP Carey School of Business, Eli Broad College of Business

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I understood that business schools base some of their admission decision on the career potential of the candidate post-graduation. So, I started looking at the main trends in the student placements of a business school such as company, function, and roles. As I have a background in project management, I looked for schools that are strong in operations management and supply chain management. I reached out to current students with a similar background as mine to understand the culture of the business school. I also interacted with the leadership of various cultural and professional clubs to understand experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom. Then I short-listed business schools that are located in the vicinity of a major industry and had good industry relationships.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My most defining moment is when I learned about the concept of yin and yang. According to this concept, two opposing forces exist together, and each force also has a small portion that belongs to the opposite force. This ideology made me think about what could go wrong when it appears as if everything is going perfectly. It also helped me to look at the bright side of things when things are not working at all. For example, life in the oil and gas pipeline industry is extremely difficult. People have to stay away from their families for a few months at a stretch. However, I used to think that this kind of separation from your dear ones will increase the quality of the time that you spend with them during time-offs.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I want to work as a consultant or a manager in operations or supply chain management.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself in roles such as a category manager or general manager.

Sean O’Rourke

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I’m world class at two things: iron skillet cooking and storytelling.”

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fun Fact About Yourself: One day I hope to be published in the New Yorker.

Undergraduate School and Major: Grove City College, B.A. English Education; Carnegie Mellon University, Master of Public Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Westfield Insurance, Commercial Insurance Underwriter

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I spent the first nine years of my career working as a high school English teacher. Near the end of that time, I volunteered to teach a remedial course for students who had failed to pass our Pennsylvania state assessment. In four months I was able to work with them to get all twelve of them to a passing level. While I was excited to see my hard work pay off, the real reward was seeing them realize that if they put in the work, they could succeed.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Honestly, while my class is incredibly driven and focused on performing well, the quality that most defines them is kindness. I can’t tell you how many times I have had someone reach out to me with studying tips or volunteer to help me prep for an interview.

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? In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to travel to several countries outside the U.S., and those opportunities have granted me immense personal growth. When I was looking at MBA programs, one of the distinguishing features at Fisher is the Global Applied Projects (GAP) program—an opportunity to work on a real-life international consulting project.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? My involvement with Fisher’s Association of Marketing Professionals (AMP) student organization is going to be a key feature of my time at Fisher, both personally and professionally.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? When I transitioned from education to business, I realized that I had made the right decision, but I hadn’t taken a big enough leap. Getting an MBA is a risk, but a calculated one, and I trust that it will enable me to have a larger impact in my work than would have been otherwise possible.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? A combination of spreadsheets and late-night conversations with my wife!

What other MBA programs did you apply to? While I looked at both Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown, my wife and I ended up moving to Columbus for her new job, so I ultimately only applied to Fisher.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I used various online resources, Poets & Quants, and talked to alumni from several schools when thinking through my decision. Ultimately, the campus visit is what helped me to draw a final conclusion.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I don’t know if I can say this is the defining moment, but my moment of greatest clarity recently occurred on November 5, 2017—the day my son was born. While I had been anticipating his arrival for nine months, the first day I held him helped to put things in perspective in terms of my family, career, and life purpose. My decision to pursue an MBA is in large part inspired by the idea that I want him to look at my choices in life and realize that I wasn’t afraid to step out and tackle new challenges when I had the opportunity.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduating, I will be working in brand marketing for a market leading CPG company.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I plan to be in Columbus, working as a brand manager for a world-class CPG firm, and being the best dad I can to my son (plus hopefully two or three more kiddos!).

Sai Chandra Pujita Vazrala

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“A global citizen and humanitarian entrepreneur at heart!”

Hometown: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India

Fun Fact About Yourself: Avid multi-linguist raised in Uganda; I learned Hindi by watching Bollywood movies as a child.

Undergraduate School and Major: Milwaukee School of Engineering, BS Industrial Engineering.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Tekra, A Division of EIS Inc – Process Engineer.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The troubleshooting time reduction project that I led at Tekra tops my list of professional achievements. Initially, the other team members were convinced that this project was a completely futile one. It turned out that the low morale was a manifestation of the failure of a similar project in the past. The previous project failed primarily because the operators were not on board during the implementation phase. To combat the team’s bleak mindset, I performed a comprehensive, current state analysis to uncover the root causes of major downtime categories. As I shared my findings with my team members, they were all alarmed by the resource wastage in the current state. The fear of failure waned off, marking the pivotal point at which the members showed full commitment to the project. Realizing the urgency for a lasting solution, I steered my team to develop a real-time parameter troubleshooting model using Statistical Process Control tools that would allow operators to remediate downtime causes swiftly. To drive the task to closure, the team ensured impeccable quality control checks and gained feedback from operators before implementing this model across the board. Within four months, we realized a 65% decrease in the time spent on the most common troubleshooting incidents and over a 100% increase in the adjustment precision; a goal deemed unachievable!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Collaborative. The synergy that my classmates bring to the program is refreshing and invigorating. We are passionate about working towards not just our individual goals but also driving our peers towards their goals.

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? One of my primary deciding factors for the MBA programs was the level of personalized attention I could receive from and give to others. While the MBA program is typically about connecting within the larger network, I also wanted to be able to make more profound, impactful connections in a smaller class. On the other hand, I wanted to be part of a large, bustling university that had an abundance of resources for its students. The combination of intimate connections within the program clubbed with the “big school prowess” was what led me to pick the Fisher MBA.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am most enthusiastic about Fisher Board Fellows. This club provides students with the opportunity to serve as board members on the boards of Non-Profit organizations while leveraging their prior experience. The opportunity to channel my humanitarian entrepreneurial spirit and interact with top-level management to understand the intricacies of strategic decision making is what drew me to Fisher Board Fellows.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Prior to the MBA program, I found myself craving more diversity – diversity in projects, diversity in industry, diversity in challenges. As a result, I hope to leverage my background in manufacturing operations while transitioning in the consulting sector. To make my transition into consulting effective, I need to chisel my skills effectively through a well-rounded MBA program in the three areas listed:

• Global business acumen (I strive to understand global business cultures and conditions to propose optimal solutions)
• Multi-dimensional managerial sense (I need a comprehensive understanding of the cohesiveness of business units)
• Agile leadership (I hope to sharpen my ability to think on my toes and lead diverse teams)

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Over the years, my understanding of key manufacturing constraints has been enhanced, and my capacity to work around them to create value for the organization has been refined. However, in order to take my passion for continuous improvement to a macroscopic organizational level, I knew that I needed an MBA. I needed to broaden my scope by understanding the connectivity of various business functions. I believed that the broader business knowledge and diverse interactions from the MBA program would groom me to become the global business leader that I aim to be.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

Indiana University (Kelley)

Washington University (Olin)

Notre Dame (Mendoza)

Georgetown (McDonough)

Emory (Goizueta)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The three factors that I prioritized when picking an MBA program were the class intimacy, the suite of international experiential features offered, and the job search facilitation services provided by the program. Fortunately, I was able to visit a few campuses which enabled me to understand what attributed to the “school culture”. I was able to experience, first-hand, the approachability, intellectual stimulation and comfort that these programs build around.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? One of my most uplifting community endeavors was the Cameroon project with Digital Bridge, formerly known as Project Community Computers (PCC). My team’s primary goal was to install a need-sensitive computer lab for visually impaired high school students in Bafut village, Cameroon. My team and I had to plan on-ground logistics with the officials of the Cameroonian high school well in advance. After a year of strategizing, fundraising and networking, we were finally in Cameroon, and it was time to hand over the newly-installed computer lab to its enthusiastic end users. Within minutes of powering up the new lab, the students were excitedly typing away on their first word documents. That moment – watching the students indulge with such an eagerness to learn – I will never forget. It was a wonderful feeling to be the bearer of opportunity and education. It took me back to my childhood in Uganda as it reminded of an important lesson that my parents taught me, “Be relentless even when opportunity is scarce. Once you find an opportunity that is worth it, be grateful and maximize its positive impact.” I consider this experience with PCC to be a seminal event in helping me reinforce my core belief that it is paramount to recognize the resources at our disposal and how we can use them to enhance the conditions of our local and global communities.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Post-MBA, I would like to transition to the consulting industry. As an operations consultant at a top consulting firm, I hope to lead multiple projects – collaborating with diverse teams to implement lasting solutions that would sustainably boost the operational efficiencies and profitability of my clients.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself being a senior manager at a global consulting firm. I aspire to use my global business exposure, progressive leadership, and strong work experience to shape the future of global manufacturing with the teams with whom I work.

Isaac Reynolds

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once backpacked around Europe wearing the same pair of jeans every day for a month!

Undergraduate School and Major: Miami University of Ohio, Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: The Oman Oil Company-Takatuf Human Capital, Business Development Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a recent university graduate, I was appointed as the youngest officer in the MENA region for a US Department of State public diplomacy program. I led a team of four American instructors as we engaged over 320 secondary school students across the Sultanate of Oman in vocational and English literacy development in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the US Embassy. I deeply appreciated the experience of representing my country through such meaningful work and will never forget my students!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I have loved moving home to Ohio and finding Midwestern “nice” alive and well in my classmates and the greater Fisher community. Despite being students in a friendly, yet competitive MBA environment, our small community fosters camaraderie and kindness that extends beyond the classroom.

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? Fisher sits in Columbus, a growing national epicenter of young professionals and home to four of the 25 Fortune 500 companies in Ohio. I saw Columbus’ globally-focused economy and Fisher’s role in the region’s advancement as incredible assets for an MBA program, full of opportunities for collaboration and partnership. As an MBA candidate, I have already connected to Columbus’ community within the Council of World Affairs, Metropolitan Club and Sister Cities International.

 What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am most excited about the newly formed Global Business Association and our work in fostering a Fisher community that is well-informed about international business issues and the greater global community.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After a number of years in diplomacy and international education, I wanted to explore beyond my skill set and pursue opportunities with a stronger business component. At Oman Oil and Takatuf Human Capital, I found a path in marketing, communications, and business development that exposed me to the inner workings of a start-up firm centered on regional growth. I loved the experience but realized I needed an MBA to strengthen my profile and ability to contribute at higher levels of the organization.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? An MBA is so versatile that it is hard to measure its worth and the overall value of a transformative educational experience. In my pursuit, I never questioned my investment of time and resources because I feel the opportunity has already unlocked many doors and set the foundation for a solid post-MBA career.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Simon, McDonough

How did you determine your fit at various schools? In my search for an MBA program, I dedicated time to visiting a wide spectrum of schools and focused on three questions: 1) Do I enjoy the students, staff, and faculty I meet? Culture is a real thing, so I looked for how a school perpetuates its program’s culture inside and outside the classroom. 2) Does the program’s curriculum timeline fit my needs? Internship recruiting starts nearly at the same time school starts, and as someone who recently shifted careers, I considered the theoretical foundations I would have during my first semester and how I could fare well in internship interviews. 3) How early could I make an impact? I wanted to hit the ground running and contribute to my MBA community, so I looked for student organizations with missions I could help advance early on as a first-year student.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? In high school, I was chosen by the American Legion Post to deliver my hometown’s official Memorial Day speech. As a young student working with a military veteran to write my remarks and then standing among city leadership as I spoke, the experience evoked an adult realization of the importance of community and servant leadership. I ended up dedicating my time to Youth Philanthropy and Service with the City of Cleveland and being elected high school class president.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I aspire to contribute to a leadership development program, gaining greater insight into marketing, sales, and human capital.

Where do you see yourself in five years? By 2023 I hope to have advanced quickly to become an international director for a Fortune 1000 company seeking a greater global presence.

Christopher Scott

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I believe that compounding actions empower us to monumentally change the world each day.”

Hometown: Worcester, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: As an RIT Alumnus, I coached the 2016 RIT Poetry Slam Team to Nationals in Austin, Texas.

Undergraduate School and Major: BS in Chemical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Honda R&D Americas, Materials Research Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In 2015, I spent a year as one of the youngest engineers developing and launching the new Acura NSX Supercar at Honda’s brand-new Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. I got to work with some of the best associates Honda employs; and yes, we got to take the cars out for a track day!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Uniquely compassionate. Fisher’s tight-knit, familiar MBA program has a unique tendency of creating more than just “cohorts,” but families of students who care deeply for one another and for the community around them. They spend the majority of their days finding ways to improve and lift up the students to the left and right of them. The atmosphere is best described as constructively competitive.

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? Fisher is at the turning point for a significant program redesign that leads the way in how the MBA experience develops future leaders. A favorite facet of Fisher’s MBA program is the Global Applied Projects program, which sends first-year MBA students on international consulting engagements in teams of 4-5 students every year in May to deliver real results to overseas organizations. With my desire to move into consulting post-graduation, this program is a unique primer that will prepare me for my first internship and is something that few programs in the world offered to the caliber that Fisher does.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Besides Fisher Consulting and Strategy Club (FGFA), the one organization I am most looking forward to being a part of is Fisher Board Fellows (FBF). This organization places current second-year MBA students on the boards of local non-profit organizations in a mutual effort to provide strategic business assistance and give Fellows the opportunity to experience what it means to hold a seat on an organization’s board for a year. Students undergo a rigorous interview and selection process to ensure they’re paired with the right board.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Simply put, it was time for a change and a new learning opportunity. I had spent nearly five years in engineering roles and had become more and more attracted to the consulting industry as the next step in my career. An MBA is the best possible way to fill the gaps in my business acumen that my engineering degree had left and to make the transition into consulting. Stagnation only leads to mental starvation, and I was hungry to learn more and take on bigger projects.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? If you ask my fiancée, she’ll tell you I have a spreadsheet for everything. Being the quant that I am, I sat down one day and compared my current salary and salary prospects to what I felt I could earn with an MBA, and then justified my decision with a quick Net Present Value calculation. However, I don’t think you can put a price-tag on surrounding yourself with one hundred highly intelligent and competitively-wired future leaders in Fisher’s MBA program for two years. The experience is unparalleled.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Along with Fisher, I also applied to NYU, Columbia, and Harvard.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I spent an unhealthy amount of time on Poets & Quants. As an engineer and a poet, I’m a firm believer in the power of storytelling, both through statistics and through anecdote. I read blog posts, compared rankings, spoke with current students, and spent time researching which companies recruited at various schools. Most importantly, I visited campuses and met with students and faculty members. A key feature to Fisher’s recruiting process is the Fall Preview Day, which allows prospective students to come on campus for a day in order to shadow a class, meet with the admissions team, have a closed-door discussion with a current student panel (to ask the nitty-gritty questions), and finally wrap up with a happy hour. A few things became major priorities during my visits. One was the ability to craft my path and decide for myself which gaps needed filling in my resume. Whereas some programs will try to put students into a box and require them to declare one major or another, Fisher guides us to handcraft a curriculum path that can incorporate one or multiple specialties. The second priority was a focus on student-centric development and interaction. All of my applications went to schools that focused uniquely on this characteristic, but Fisher certainly knocks it out of the park in regards to personalized growth.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Mine was less of a moment and more of a memory or timeframe. My brother and I grew up in a single-parent household, raised by a mother who defines what it means to be hard-working and relentless. I watched her shift mid-career from technology to teaching middle school Spanish to pursue something that fulfilled her purpose. Because of that shift, she frequently worked multiple bartending jobs on nights and weekends to make sure my brother and I never knew need, and attended night school to get her Master’s in Education. I am the person I am today because of her grit and absolute refusal to let external factors define her. On days when my schedule seems too stressful, my path too ambiguous, or my brain too tired, I remember what she went through and realized that nothing I’m doing could be more difficult than what she overcame. She is my light. 

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduation (and during my upcoming summer internship), I plan to join a leading consulting firm and apply my knowledge of manufacturing, operations and product development to projects in the automotive, energy, and CPG industries. Having done a bit of freelance consulting in the Columbus area before starting an MBA, I’d like to bring my skill set to a major firm and continue helping great companies produce and deliver amazing products worldwide.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Five years from now I’ll be three years out of my MBA, so I see myself as a consulting manager or engagement manager leading high-impact projects and pursuing a track to make partner. More importantly, I’ll be continuing to work with Fisher to recruit and develop the next generation of business leaders. I’m a huge proponent of remembering where I came from and giving back.

Rabia Usmani

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“People-person, driven by creativity and out-of-the-box thinking with a passion for making a difference.”

Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a citizen of the United States, Canada, and Pakistan, however, was born in the United Kingdom.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Cincinnati, Marketing with Minor in International Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Fifth Third Bank, Global Financial Institutions Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In June 2015, I was appointed an Officer at Fifth Third Bank, where I had been employed for seven years at the time. An officer title allows you to sign documents on behalf of the bank, which is evident of the responsibility the bank entrusts in you.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I believe the drive that I have seen in each of my MBA classmates is their best quality. Coming from various career and cultural backgrounds, I see a similar drive in each classmate to achieve their goals. Whether an advancement in their current field or pursuing a new industry, complacency is not an option for them and the drive to conquer any obstacles is strong.

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 to attend Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business for my MBA due to its smaller class size, and opportunities offered by being a part of a large nationally-renowned university. With a class of around one hundred students, I knew I would have the opportunity to know and learn from them closely, which also establishing great relationships with professors and my career counselor.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am most excited about the Global Applied Projects (GAP) program during which you and a team of your classmates travel abroad to complete a real consultation project for a firm. This opportunity teaches the importance of culture in business practices and the successful implementation of real-world solutions.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I pursued my MBA to pivot my career from international banking into marketing, with a focus on brand management for a consumer product goods company.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I evaluated the MBA program by reviewing statistics related to career advancements, average salary increases, and opportunities for those changing industries. I also spoke with alumni who had a similar career path as my own before and after their MBA to ask about their successes and failures throughout the program and if they believed the MBA program to have been impactful.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? University of Michigan and Duke University

How did you determine your fit at various schools? When determining the schools I wanted to apply to, the placement rates were extremely important. Leaving my previous role at Fifth Third Bank, I wanted to attend a school with strong career counseling and opportunities for internships and post-graduate employment. I also spoke with current students and alumni to ask about their involvement in student organizations and the competitive spirit of the school. It was important for me to attend a school where classmates were encouraging of one another’s successes. Another determinant for me was the school’s ranking since some companies base their hiring decisions on the rank of the MBA program.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was when I received a rejection from a company after a second interview for a marketing analyst position. I had applied for several positions in marketing but was having trouble with pivoting my careers towards my passion for consumer goods. I was informed by the recruiter that I needed to enhance my Microsoft Excel skills, which I had previously believed to be proficient. The constructive feedback led me to realize that not only can I expand my knowledge of Excel, but also in other areas that can allow me to be a true asset in a role and industry. The rejection from the position gave me the push I needed to submit my application to Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business in December of 2017, in pursuit of knowledge, skills and leadership experience that I needed to pivot industries and achieve my career goals.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to pursue a career in brand management and join a CPG company as an assistant brand manager.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself as a brand manager of a global consumer brand, leading a successful team and traveling to various countries for business needs. My goal is to speak to consumers through a brand, invoking emotions and encouraging positive conversations.

 

 

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