After 9 years in the professional workplace, Erikah Abdu (McCombs, ’21) decided to pursue an MBA and selected the University of Texas-Austin (McCombs) as a result of the people and learning opportunities. During this interview, Abdu shared why she chose McCombs, how various members of the McCombs community have helped her navigate the MBA experience, and her advice for selecting the right MBA program.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to come to business school?
Prior to business school I worked as an Analyst developing Digital Dashboards and Capital Replacement Strategies for Transportation Assets. I decided to pursue my MBA once it became increasingly clear there was a market demand shift for analysts to double as statisticians and/or programmers. Additionally, the market was moving to cloud based solutions and I knew working in industry I would always be behind that curve. So, I decided to pivot into consulting, focusing specifically on Strategy and Analytics.
MBASchooled: What were your big questions coming into making your decision on which school to attend?
My biggest concern was determining which program would best equip me to recruit in my home-town of Houston. I knew I would live in Houston long-term and one of the issues I had leaving undergrad was recruiting in Houston from Pittsburgh. So, this was paramount. Additionally, I knew I wanted to study abroad and McCombs had a partnership with one of the international schools that had a Leadership curriculum I was keen on. Lastly, I wanted to know if I would be exposed to technical curriculum in SAP S4Hana and SQL as these were the skills that I wanted to refine during my time in the program.
MBASchooled: Why did you choose to attend McCombs?
The students, the curriculum and the experiential learning opportunities. I realized through the recruiting process that some of the most beneficial insights I received while deciding on a program came from the students at McCombs. I wouldn’t have applied for MLT PD if it weren’t for 2Ys, Edgar and Priscilla telling me about the curriculum, access to top internships and networking opps with other MBAs. Additionally, I sat in on the class New Venture Creation during my visit and the discussions resonated with me until I made my decision and vowed to take that course when I got to campus. Lastly, the MBA+ program is unparalleled, the opportunity to work with Fortune 500 companies on micro-consulting projects was incomparable.
MBASchooled: What about the culture and classmates stood out to you about McCombs?
I had been out of school for nearly 10 years before starting my MBA program, thus transitioning back into an academic environment was a bit more difficult for me than some of my younger classmates. Additionally, a lot of the core curriculum is rooted in Statistics and I don’t recall ever taking Stats in high school and opted into Calculus in college. Thus, my learning curve was exceptionally steep, however, with the help of classmates like; Jo Newell and Whitney Rose, I was able to get through my Stats without exploding. This is not a unique event, McCombs is truly a collaborative environment.
MBASchooled: What resources, programs or information were helpful to you in making your decision?
The students were my most touted resource. Many of them I talked to before making my decision; Jon, Chin, Edgar, Korey, Priscilla and Jascity were such amazing resources. If I had a question about financial aid, pre-MBA programs, classes, housing, OP, you name it, they were always responsive and thorough. I can’t thank them enough for their insights.
MBASchooled: How has McCombs helped you work toward your own career goals and aspirations?
I would not have pursued consulting if it weren’t for my interviewer, Jon Tenorio, he told me in my interview that I should look into consulting because of my background. After doing extensive research and speaking with other students, I determined this industry would position me better for my long-term projects. This is just another example of how the culture at McCombs won me over, Jon didn’t know me, but he thought I would be successful in a particular field based on our conversations and provided me with unadulterated advice that evolved into an internship with Kearney this Summer.
MBASchooled: What parts or aspects of the academic experience attracted you to McCombs?
I mentioned the New Venture Creation course that I sat in during my visit. I also mentioned I hadn’t been in a classroom since I graduated nearly 10 years ago and the classroom discussion and interaction at McCombs was unlike any I had experienced. The students were deeply engaged and the topics were trending and future-focused. I was inspired by the dialogue and impressed by the depth the students had achieved.
MBASchooled: What were some of the best aspects of McCombs, outside of the classroom?
I really enjoy hanging out with my classmates outside of Rowling Hall, we have such a cool assortment of students from all over the world with such unique backgrounds. I find myself randomly walking to Torchy’s Tacos or riding scooters to downtown with a new classmate every other week. Additionally, there are so many live music events in Austin and there is always a collective attending. The Graduate Business Adventure Team curates some really cool outdoor activities that keep you active and assist with managing stress.
MBASchooled: What has been your favorite moment or experience during your first year of business school?
It’s hard to narrow it down, this year was quite the journey. I’ll mention four events, I thoroughly enjoyed the Consortium Boat Party, this was one of the first solely McCombs events that we had and I had a great time getting to know my classmates outside of the MBA school facade. Next was hosting the McCombs Got Talent, which is a showcase of our amazingly talented students, we got to see our classmates in their element and the team that orchestrated the event, really outdid themselves. Next is our International Night, this was an opportunity for our international classmates to exhibit their culture, food and the often the most entertaining aspect, their dances.
The food is amazing, the apparel is breathtaking and the different talents showcased are unreal. Last but not least was the Ski Trip, this was such a blast, I had only been on the slopes once before and myself and one of my classmates scored a personal ski lesson, which transformed us to ski bunnies. I had some epic falls and some hearty laughs, probably one of the best weekends since being on campus.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for those who are evaluating where they want to attend business school?
Get to know the students, now that we have so much free time, it is worth your while to build those relationships before getting to campus in the Fall. Normally it would be difficult to squeeze in 30 minute conversations in our days, but now we have excess capacity and can give you greater attention and time. Additionally, you can gain insights into recruiting processes and opportunities that you may not have been privy to otherwise. The more people you have to get advice from when you get to campus, the better.
Secondly, be pensive about your post-MBA goals, identify your dream companies or roles and look at the Alumni from the schools’ you are vetting. Lastly, take the time to assess who is contacting you from the respective programs, make sure the people contacting you are individuals that share some facet of the process with you, this lets you know that the program is intentional about recruiting.
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For more interviews with UT-McCombs MBA Students, check out the links below