#MBALife

As we all know, February is the month of love, and I was genuinely excited to attend the OUAB Valentine’s Day Ball at The Ohio State University. The theme was Casino Royale, and for one night, the usual winter grad-school uniform of backpacks, heavy jackets, and sweaters was replaced with tuxedos, gowns, and everyone fully leaning into the theme.

I came into my MBA program with a clear intention: to grow from being technically strong in accounting and finance into someone who can think more broadly about strategy, value creation, and long-term business impact. I wanted transformation not just in what I know, but in how I make decisions. The first semester provided a shared foundation across core disciplines and gradually trained me to see everyday problems through a business lens.

The MBA program is full of a variety of courses, and each offering unique perspective of business. Some of the courses are elective, meaning one has the option to pick and choose those courses, and while others are core courses designed to build a strong foundation. One of the core courses in the second semester of the Full-Time MBA program is Strategy Formulation and Implementation.

One thing business school keeps teaching me is that the most meaningful lessons often appear in places you do not expect. When I signed up for LeadX: Unplugged with Stuart Weitzman, I was simply curious. I thought it would be a fun break, a couple of hours of fashion talk, maybe a glimpse into shoe design, and a chance to see a few iconic pieces up close. And I did. Seeing the diamond-encrusted sandals once valued at nearly a million dollars and the famous six-inch heels felt like stepping into a small piece of fashion history.

October 31, 2025, could easily be crowned Columbus’ Most Social Day. There seemed to be something happening at every corner of the city. After a long, exhausting week of midterm tests and a few final exams, I decided it was time to close the books and enjoy some well-deserved fun.

When I started my MBA journey at Fisher, I arrived in Columbus full of academic expectations and, honestly, a lot of curiosity. Coming from Peru—a country where sports are pure emotion but move to a different rhythm—I did not expect to find a community whose heartbeat seemed to sync with one single sport: football.

Starting my MBA at Fisher College of Business is the greatest academic and professional challenge of my life. My name is Sergio León, a first-year international student from Peru, and this is my first academic experience outside of my country. A year ago, while researching opportunities to study abroad, I discovered Fisher—a place that offered exactly what I was looking for: academic excellence, strong professional connections across industries, and most importantly, a community that truly supports one another.

Before coming to business school, I had worked at an organization for almost seven years. Every time someone asked why I stayed that long—a rare trait in my generation—my answer was always the same: I enjoyed the people I worked with. For me, community (network) has always been a critical determinant of how far you can go in life.

Author: Ezichi Adanna Anokwuru, Full-Time MBALast week, I attended the acclaimed musical Jersey Boys by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. While the show featured unforgettable music, it also offered surprising lessons that connect to concepts I’ve learned in business school at Fisher College of Business.