Travels – My Fisher Grad Life

Global Applied Projects

As a full-time MBA student at the Fisher College of Business, you will have the opportunity to take part in the Global Applied Projects (GAP) program. On Friday, Feb 1, our class finally found out where we would be going, the projects we would be working on, and the organizations we would be working for. As potential MBA students yourselves, I want to give you some idea of what this process is and what it entails.

The GAP program is designed to allow MBA students to participate in a global consulting workshop where, rather than just classes and simulations where students are using theory and the outcomes are no more than a letter grade, this is an opportunity to work for a real company with a real problem and who are paying real money for a real solution. The fact that these problems exist in an international setting is definitely a perk. For example, projects this year are in areas as diverse as Ethiopia, France, Brazil, China, and Malaysia.

For a timeline on how the GAP program works:

In the middle of the fall semester, students will be given the opportunity to apply to the GAP program. As this is a program that provides for free international travel and a stipend for living in country, it is extremely popular and thus it is very important students have their applications in on time.
At the beginning of spring semester, students will be sent a list of international projects. Upon receiving the list of projects, students will then rank these in order of preference and ability. At this time, students will not know the companies or organizations they are working for or where the projects will be placed.
At the beginning of February, Fisher holds an event to announce the makeup of the students groups for each project, the organizations they will be working for, and where they will be working.
In the second half of spring semester, students will begin working on their projects at weekly meetings and alongside faculty advisers to come up with realistic and actionable solutions for their target companies.
For most of May, students live onsite and in-country working on their projects, and preparing to present their solution to their clients. Each student is provided with a budget that covers airfare, and a stipend for room and board that they may spend however they see fit.

The GAP program provides a wonderful opportunity for Fisher MBA students to work in a true international setting and understand all of the challenges and opportunities that exist in a global business environment. That said, free travel to new places to work on interesting projects and gain experiences outside of our comfort zones is definitely a perk.

Red Carpet Weekend 2019

In just a few weeks (March 1–3), we will be welcoming Full-Time MBA admitted students to Red Carpet Weekend 2019! This gives them the chance to visit Columbus and the Fisher College of Business, meet some of their future classmates, as well as learn about the opportunities available at Fisher.

To me, this was a very special and significant experience, as I knew that Fisher was the right place to earn my MBA. As a current student ambassador, I look forward to this event since I get to share the Fisher spirit and show others who we really are. If you are still considering whether to apply to Fisher, I encourage you to apply and be eligible to attend Red Carpet Weekend! Here are some upcoming events that one can experience at this VIP event:

Columbus Bus Tour

Last year, I hosted this tour where we got to visit several popular neighborhoods in Columbus! The Short North, Victorian village, German village…etc. Just to name a few. If you are able to make it to this tour, which happens before the welcome reception, you should definitely check it out!

Welcome Reception and Tour at Ohio Stadium

I was most excited for this portion of the weekend as I got to meet faculty, other admitted students, and their significant others. You also get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Ohio Stadium!

Welcome to Fisher Faculty Lunch at Faculty Club

These are two important sessions where you get to know more about our newly redesigned MBA curriculum, as well as learn more about our global programs.

Breakfast for Significant Others

My husband, who attended Red Carpet 2017 with me, met others who were going through the same feelings and experiences as he was. Going to business school affects not just you, but the people who dearly support and love you as you go through this important change in your life.

Social Event at Du Amici

What a great way to end a Saturday night! My husband and I continued the evening by ourselves where we managed to catch the last part of the Arnold Sports Festival.

Women’s Breakfast (Optional)

Since I am on the leadership team for the Fisher Graduate Women In Business, I highly encourage all women to attend this breakfast. I will see you there! 🙂

Winter Break Road Trip Adventure

Hello, everyone! I hope you all had great, relaxing and recharging holidays!

One of the great things about being in Ohio is how close we are to many cities that are easy to visit in a road trip. After I was done with my exams, a couple of friends from the program and I decided to take a three-day road trip to Nashville, Tennessee. I have heard great things from several people about that city so I was excited. I had the chance to visit Nashville very briefly when I was for a tennis tournament around three years ago but we did not get to explore much of the city.

My friend and I planned the road trip and we decided to stop at different cities along the way:

Yellow Springs, OH
Louisville, KY
Bowling Green, KY
Nashville, TN
Cincinnati,OH

The whole road trip was a blast, strongly recommended if you have three free days and a group of friends you want to have a good time with.

Part of the Road Trip – Parthenon in Nashville, a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens

Our fun little trip started by visiting Yellow Springs, which is a very colorful, chill and cute small town close to Dayton. We ate breakfast there and walked around the streets exploring different shops. The town had such a happy vibe (see below picture of the colorful trash cans) that we stayed exploring for around two hours. Unfortunately, it was getting dark and we needed to make it to Louisville on time if we also wanted to explore the city there.

We left Yellow Springs around 3 p.m. and arrived at Louisville around 7 p.m. We were starving at that point so we stopped by a Vietnamese pho place to grad dinner. It was delicious! After dinner, we headed back to our Airbnb, which, by the way, had the best hosts we could imagine!

For day two of our trip, our hosts had some coffee and cookies available for breakfast before we took the road to head out to Bowling Green. One of our friends who was initially coming with us is a big car lover, why is why we decided to include the National Corvette Museum as one of our stops. Once we arrived, the place was not too fabulous thus we were a little bored and one man at the museum suggested us to go visit the Mammoth Cave.

The Mammoth Cave turned out to be a blast!

Mammoth Cave – part of the longest cave system known in the world

After our tour at the Mammoth Cave, we headed over to Nashville! We arrived quite late that day around 6 p.m. and were exhausted and almost decided to go back to our Airbnb and go to bed. But we were at Nashville, and Nashville is known besides its food for its fabulous nightlife so we pushed through it and ended up having the best time.

On our way back from Nashville, we stopped by Cincinnati, which is less than two hours from Columbus, and we regretted not having planned more time to visit. The city was so beautiful, especially at night. Cincinnati was our last stop before we returned home.

I came back to Columbus, Ohio recharged for this last semester of studies.

O-H!

Traveling Back in Time to Cuba

Fresh off the excitement of finishing my first semester of graduate school, I decided to take a break from the books, cold weather, and CPA prep courses and travel to Cuba with my brother.

Wait – that Cuba? Yes, that Cuba. Visiting Cuba has always been a dream of mine. My grandmother immigrated to the United States from Cuba before the Castro regime took over in the early 1950s. Due to obvious political conflicts between the U.S. and Cuba, the U.S. government restricts U.S. citizens from traveling to Cuba unless they meet one of 12 OFAC requirements. No one in my family has ever been there, and my grandmother has not visited since she left 65+ years ago. When the opportunity to travel to Cuba arose for my brother and me in November, we jumped right on it.

To get to Cuba, we took a small cruise ship that left from Miami. Cuba is only about 330 miles off the coast of Miami. Upon arrival, I felt as if I stepped back time time. The first thing you notice is the old cars. They are everywhere! Due to economic sanctions, it is nearly impossible for Cubans to get new cars or new car parts. Because of this, they make sure to keep their cars from the 1950s in top shape and even make their own parts for repairs.

My brother and I rented a gorgeous 1955 Eldorado for three hours and drove all over Havana (we had a driver) to see the sights before deciding which ones we would explore more. Driving around, you will not see anything that you would in America: no fast food chains, major billboards, bright lights, or department stores. Communist propaganda is everywhere around the city. Even the U.S. embassy was closed. The only American reference we saw was the capital building in Havana, El Capitolio, which was modeled after the White House.

Day-to-day life is drastically different too. Many Cubans do not have cell phones or internet access. One Cuban we talked to said they got access to Google the week before we arrived (early December). For example, Cubans have to go to the “Black Market” to watch American TV shows we see every day, such as South Park or Game of Thrones. The vast majority of people in Cuba make $10 a month, with doctors being the highest paid at $50 a month. Education and healthcare are free for all and you can take advantage of these services as much as you want. A tour guide we had showed us her “Ration Book” that she has to take to get her bread and rice from the government.

My trip to Cuba was eye opening and made me feel very blessed to have been born in the United States. Everyone we talked to was extremely friendly. I’m very grateful to be able to visit and share my experience!

Chicago, Snow, and Final

I’m finally back and done with my finals. Hooray!

With no intention of bothering you with grueling details of assignments, projects and exams, here are some important updates on the bright side of my life:

Snow

Columbus welcomed bona fide snow that successfully accumulated overnight at the end of November. It was something like this… isn’t it beautiful?

Chicago

Over Thanksgiving break, my friend Rizvi (who is also from the SMF program) and I took an awesome road trip to Chicago. We visited the famous Millenium Park, strolled alongside Lake Michigan and experienced Black Friday vibes at Macy’s.

While wind chill was real in the Windy City, we managed to stay warm by eating a lot! We slept in and gobbled down cheesy deep dish pizza in our Airbnb, enjoyed all-you-can-eat hot pot in Chinatown on Thanksgiving and wrapped up our last night in the city with some warm pho soup. Trying new food is the best part of traveling, don’t you all agree?

Oh and before we hit the road on Saturday, November 24, 2018, we witnessed Ohio State’s seventh consecutive victory over Michigan in our car. What a life!

Thanksgiving Break Activities

Thanksgiving break allows Ohio State University students to take a break from the stresses of college life and enjoy time with friends and family. At Ohio State, we get the Wednesday through Friday of Thanksgiving week off. I was very excited to have the opportunity to go back to my hometown of Buffalo, New York for break.

After saying hi my family, I hit the ice! Hockey has always been a huge part of my life, and so having the opportunity to skate around for a couple hours and play the sport I love felt great. Hockey is a very popular sport in Buffalo, while it is just starting to grow in popularity in Columbus. I participate in intramural hockey at Ohio State, which I find to be a great way to exercise after classes.

After playing hockey, I decided to go watch an NHL game! My hometown team is the Buffalo Sabres, and they won their seventh straight game when I was there! Columbus has an NHL team called the Blue Jackets, which is popular around campus. The Blue Jackets offer discounted tickets to students, and I go to their games occasionally too!

I caught up with some friends from Buffalo, ate a massive Thanksgiving dinner, and then went back to Columbus for “The Game,” which refers to the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game, which happens every year on the day after Thanksgiving. Our two schools are well known to be the biggest rivals in all of sports. This game was especially important because the loser would essentially be knocked out of the college football playoff race. Ohio State won 62- 39 and everyone stormed the field to celebrate during the final seconds.

As I have said before, school spirit runs high at Ohio State. Students here are proud to be Buckeyes both inside and outside of the classroom! Thanks for reading and as always, please let me know if you have any questions!

The Tail of Autumn… and a Husky

To enjoy the good weather while it lasts, my friend Ben and I visited the village Yellow Springs last weekend. We first went to Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve, where pets were not allowed, and then turned to John Bryan State Park to make it up to Coke the Husky.

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve was located in a quiet small town with little sign of human habitation. The pity was that almost all trees there had already shed their leaves (if only we had come earlier!). Nonetheless, I enjoyed the serenity there.

John Bryan State Park warmly welcomed Coke with a red-and-yellow carpet of autumn leaves. I want to say that we took Coke for a nice stroll, but it was actually the other way around since he was super excited about nature and kept pulling on the leash, so we were basically dragged in whichever direction he decided to take. But it was OK because he’s cute!

Along the way, Ben picked Coke up in his arms so I could take a close-up. Coke, who is two years old, apparently thought he was already too old for this and gave us an awkward look (OK we get it, you’re a big boy now), which was still SO CUTE in my eyes LOL.

After our trip, we treated ourselves to some hot food at Jiu Thai Asian Cafe. Yummy! : )

At last, just a photo of banana, nuts and Greek yogurt I recently made slipped in (Ohh and it might snow next week. Literally can’t wait).

Buckeye Road Trip

School spirit runs high at Ohio State, especially during football season. On September 28, my friends and I made the trek to State College, PA, to watch our undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes play Penn State. We sat in the Ohio State student section and cheered as loudly as we could as Ohio State fans were vastly outnumbered in the stadium. Penn State set an attendance record with 110,800 people, and of those only about 5,000 were dawning the scarlet and gray.

This was one of the most stressful athletic events I have ever watched in my

life. This game, between #4 Ohio State and #9 Penn State, had massive implications on who would advance to the college football playoff in December. I have always wanted to experience a National Championship at some point during my Ohio State career, so this was a crucial game to win.

Ohio State was down 12 points with 8 minutes left, and scored 13 points to win the game in what became the highest rated college football game of the year. Chants of “OH-“ followed by “-IO” rang throughout Beaver Stadium just before we celebrated our win by singing “Carmen Ohio” with the players. Hanging out with Ohio State students and alumni before, during, and after the game showed me how passionate Buckeyes are about our school.

This game was a memory I’ll never forget. I am glad to have the opportunity to go to a school with such a plethora of athletic, academic, and social activities!

Trip to Seattle for Microsoft Interview

In early September, I flew out to Redmond, Washington for a final round interview with Microsoft for a finance position. Even though I am in the Master of Accounting Program, I decided to explore other career paths besides public accounting when deciding where I wanted to apply.

When I first stepped foot on the Microsoft campus, I was instantly reminded of Ohio State. The campus is very green and large yet easy to navigate. People were outside running and enjoying their time on the basketball, soccer, and volleyball courts that are scattered throughout the Microsoft campus. Microsoft also has a bus service that takes employees around campus, similar to Ohio State’s CABS system. I enjoyed being able to see technology of the past, present, and future at Microsoft’s Visitor Center.

Microsoft’s Campus in Redmond, Washington

After walking around campus to get the nerves out, I went into my “Super Day” where I had lunch, four interviews, and dinner with Microsoft finance professionals. I had an awesome experience talking with employees from the company and decided to accept a full time position with them the following week.

No visit to Seattle would have been complete without visiting the Space

My view from the Space Needle in Seattle

Needle! I was stunned by the amazing views from the top deck of the 605 foot tower. There is also a deck a level below that has a rotating see-through glass floor. Having never been to the Pacific Northwest, I was amazed at how beautiful the natural environment was.

Signing my name on my offer of employment was a huge stress reliever. After having interviewed with dozens of companies throughout my college career, my best advice to someone in the job hunt is to just be yourself! By landing an interview, you have already demonstrated to employers that you have the background of someone who is a potential fit for their company. Now, it is time to make sure you are a cultural fit for them and they are a cultural fit for you! Most people do not realize that interviews are meant to find a mutual fit. It is important to do your research and have a strong list of questions prepared to learn more about employees at the company you are evaluating.

A fun fact about the MAcc program is that all students receive a career consultant to work with as we are searching for jobs. I utilized mine to help with evaluating and negotiating my various offers. There are so many different career paths that you can take after the MAcc and I am glad Ohio State provides us with the resources to figure out which path is best for us.

My GAP Experience: Italy and Germany

Fisher MBA students often talk about GAP. What exactly is GAP and why is it such a focal point of our program?

Global Applied Projects (GAP) is an opportunity for MBA students to gain international consulting experience by working on a business challenge in a global location (non-US). It is a three-credit, graded, elective course that allows students to lead, plan, and execute global consulting engagements across multiple functional areas for a wide variety of corporations, not-for-profits, and governments in locations outside of the US. A typical GAP project timeline looks like this:

January: Project client and Office of Global Business work to define the business problem and formulate a high-level scope.

Late February: Student participation begins with the section of MBA team members chosen to meet the needs of the project.

Next 10 weeks: Team is directed by a second-year MBA team coach and a faculty functional expert. Students attend weekly classes that teach best practices in project management and global consulting, and develop cultural awareness. They also meet regularly with teams, advisors, coaches, and clients, and submit class assignments that support the development and execution of the projects.

May: Three-week, in-country, primary research phase with a presentation of findings, an in-depth analysis, and specific, actionable recommendations to the client.

As a second-year MBA student, I would love to share with you my most recent GAP experience, where I had the opportunity to work with Technical Rubber Company, based in Johnstown, OH, as well as Salvadori, based in Rovereto, Italy.

Client: Technical Rubber Company

Team members: Luke Barousse, Abhishek Chakrabarti, Adam Kanter, Andris Koh, Vaibhav Meharwade, Carl Shapiro, Sangyoun Shin, Kristen Stubbs

Cities/Countries we visited: Rovereto, Italy, and Munich, Germany

Activities: Visited TRC’s corporate headquarters, Salvadori’s headquarters, as well as attended the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Waste and Raw Materials Management.

At the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Water, Sewage, Waste and Raw Materials Management

World’s Largest Tire at Salvadori’s Headquarters

Project Title: Rubber Molded Products Business Plan

Objective: To define a pathway for TRC to forward integrate from the equipment business to manufacturing and selling products made from recycled rubber.

Submitted Deliverables: A 100-page business plan that contained our industry analysis, strategic recommendations, as well as financial, operational, and marketing plans. We also delivered a final presentation to TRC’s and Salvadori’s executives.

What were some takeaways from this GAP experience?

1. Even though I had no experience in the manufacturing or recycled rubber industry, I was extremely fascinated by it. By keeping an open mind, as well as the willingness to learn, changed my perspective of recycled rubber and the manufacturing industry.

2. Italians absolutely love good food, wine, and espresso.

3. Working in a team of eight within close parameters is not easy. There were many memorable moments, but there were also moments of tension. It is important to talk through these issues, instead of letting emotions breed over time.

4. Take some down time for yourself. I decided to stroll along the river one evening in Rovereto, where I enjoyed the perfect sunset with a glass of wine.

Rovereto, Italy

5. Communication is key. One of our team members was unable to travel internationally, so we had to find a way to deal with different time zones, interact and engage with our teammate, as well as communicate in a way that made him feel as part of the team even though we were not physically together.

6. Take time on the weekends to explore nearby cities, take a break from work, and enjoy the beautiful scenery. I visited Rome, Venice, and spent the last weekend in Munich visiting the Neuschwanstein castle.

7. Rely on each other’s strengths to get things done efficiently. For example, when we were working on the business plan, we had Carl work on designing our logos, Sangyoun/myself on market research, Adam/Abhi on financials, Luke/Vaibhav on technical viability, and Kristen in putting things together. We each had our own strengths and we used them to maximize our output.

8. Having the opportunity to work as a consultant for a global client is something really unique and special. I know that having these relationships with clients and colleagues will carry into the future as I embark on more global projects in my career.