Alumni of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School know the value of the Goizueta experience and network first hand. A true testament of the quality of students Goizueta attracts was evident in the school’s recent recruiting event, Inside Goizueta, a three day opportunity for perspective Full-Time MBA students to engage in and experience what makes Goizueta stand apart. Distinguished alumni attending the event spoke candidly to participants, through personal stories exemplifying the unique culture found at Goizueta. During an alumni panel, graduates of the program emphasized the impact of their time spent at Goizueta on their current and future success not only in business but in life.
Anthony Phillips 06MBA, Global Brand Marketer at The Coca-Cola Company, related to perspectives by recounting how daunting it felt to be in their shoes years earlier. He spoke about feeling “small,” despite having achieved so much at the time he initiated his search for the right place to further his education and goals. “This is a place where you can achieve that dream,” he encouraged the perspectives, stating that attending Goizueta provides the “opportunity to take your life to another level.”
At Goizueta, experience goes beyond the classroom. A dedication to excellent academics is matched with a strong desire to create an atmosphere of quality interactions between students, faculty, administrators, and alumni. “This is like my second family. This place is real … from Admissions to the Program Office, community is real at this place,” said Daniel Graham 10MBA, Senior Product Marketing Manager at AT&T. Graham spoke about the impact of the community on his success in the program, during and after he encountered a family emergency and thought at one point that he would not be able to complete the program.
LaShonda Fuselier, CPA, CFA, 06MBA, Vice President – Corporate Banking Associate Relationship Manger at Wells Fargo Bank, also emphasized the wiliness of Goizueta to help individuals achieve an experience that resonates throughout their professional careers. She credits Goizueta’s Career Management Center (CMC) for assisting her in securing a position before she left for a semester abroad in France during the fall semester of her second year. “Goizueta has so many programs for people with international interests … They will help you find a program anywhere,” emphasized Fuselier, who focused on Finance and was able to not only study abroad but complete an internship in her host country as well.
Career switcher Coleman Oglesbee, 05MBA, Director of Business Intelligence at Comcast, and One-Year MBA Program graduate Ericka Estrada, CPA, 11MBA, Finance and Performance Management Consultant at Accenture both expounded on Goizueta providing access to valuable resources such as working closely with the CMC and networking with alumni of the program. Estrada joked about meeting with more alumni than she could list, but stated that “taking advantage of what the CMC offers outside of courses was almost as helpful as the courses themselves.” Likewise, Oglesbee not only stressed being able to reach out to a number of alums, but he also stated that “Alumni are so willing to give back.”
Each year at Inside Goizueta, a distinguished alumnus serves as the keynote speaker. This year, Kirsten Suarez, 08MBA, Clearblue Delivery Brand Manager at P&G performed the honors and spoke to perspective students about the benefits of choosing Goizueta. “Employers are looking for more than a person with an MBA. Here I learned about the importance of a personal brand, image and exposure,” noted Suarez. She went on to identify what she called “key drivers” in her success as the lessons she learned while participating on teams and the Goizueta Marketing Strategy Consultancy. She also credited Goizueta with affording her the ability to feel “extremely comfortable presenting in front of leadership.”
In concluding her speech, Suarez encouraged the perspective students to choose wisely. Reflecting on her decision to attend Goizueta she stated with confidence “, I was impressed with the world-class faulty but also the quality of people.”
View the 2012 Full-Time MBA Employment Report to learn more about how students at Goizueta benefit from working with the Career Management Center.
