Emerging from the Ranks

Good evening, world!

I will understand if you thought your girl fell off of the planet, but fortunately, I did not. I have missed you world-wide-webbers, but please know that I have been keeping myself busy (as I promised you that I would).

Things are going very well for me in the Wake Forest Schools of Business community. Please allow me to debrief you on some highlights:

• I was elected as the first-year representative of our Women in Business club (we have since been renamed as Wake Graduate Women In Business)
• My good friend and classmate Sandie Taylor is also a co-chair in our club, and just this past Wednesday she helped to bring Dr. Kathy Korman Frey of George Washington University’s Hot Mommas project to come talk to us about Building Effecting Mentorship Networks Close to the Gender Leadership Gap. Sandie has her own blog and she’ll be posting about the event soon, so please be sure to visit her. The event was so inspiring!
• In September I attended the National Black MBA career fair in New Orleans and was actually able to land some interviews for summer internships. I will humbly admit that I did not land any of them, but I was honored to have the opportunity (competition was fierce) and I left feeling well-prepared for my interviews to come.
• Wake has placed in Howard University’s MBA Exclusive case competition for the past three years, taking 1st place in 2007. I have been lucky enough to be selected to compete on our team this year and the competition is just a week away (Nov. 5)! It is my hope that we will bring the trophy back home this year (wish me luck).
• We are currently in the thick of it with classes right now. Exams are dispersed over the next few weeks between now and Thanksgiving break, so everyone is feeling the pressure, but we have made it this far and I feel confident that we will all come out ok.

There is so much more to say, but I have to run to another presentation. Renowned author Marc Cosentino is here to talk with us about mastering the case interview – it just keeps on going and I love it!

~ Ahkesha Murray is a first-year full-time MBA Candidate.

Reflecting on Fall Break

We wrapped up our "fall break" a few days back. A whole one day class free.

I spent my day off sleeping; went to bed at 2 am, woke up at 1 pm. You read that correctly. It was amazing. A perfect use of my free time! Now it's back to business and getting some work done. Since a lot of people were headed out of town for the weekend, it proved to be relatively quiet here in Winston-Salem.

I also had time to reflect on my first exam. Three hours of accounting was pretty rough. More exams are coming up in the weeks to follow, as we end the first mini and begin the second.

Most classes carry over between minis, so it's not like we have a fresh slate of professors. Just a new seating chart (I move from the cushy confines in the back row to the first row off to the side) and new material.

I've talked a lot about balance in business school, as have several other student bloggers. What is the right balance between class work, activities, and personal time? Honestly, I don't think there is one. I don't think I'll ever reach a point where everything fits into my schedule. Some weeks the coursework is light, so I focus on myself or other obligations. Other times, I have tons of work for classes and everything else falls by the wayside. Mostly, it's a mix of stuff and it's impossible to fit everything in.

~ Justin Bertholot is a 2011 full-time MBA candidate

Probability and Me

2011 Full-time MBA candidate Rahul Goyal carved out a few minutes before Halloween to present an interesting take on playing the odds in life and academics at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business.

Exam-related
What's the probability that even after studying hard for an exam, I'll score an A? Hmm. Almost .0001%.
What's the probability that I would remember what I studied last night in exam?
Thinking 0.00001%.

My Experiences with Doors
What is the probability that I would be able to open the door with the first key randomly selected from a set of six keys? 0.0000001%. From the second one - 0.00001%, From the third key - 0.0001%, Fourth key - 0.001%, fifth 0.01% and the last key - 10%. Wondering where's the rest? Depends on the kind of the door.

And When it Rains…
The probability that I'd forget my umbrella when it's pouring outside? Definitely 75%. And the probability that I'd get drenched even after carrying an umbrella? 80%. (Why? At times, umbrellas just get jammed up on me … and don’t forget the issue with finding the right key on the first try.)

Ok Ok! I’m not writing anymore about the probability of my failure in so many trivial activities. I've even stopped wondering, “why me?” because it has become natural to me. Now, while opening doors, I wait until the the last key comes in my hand. While writing exams, I give myself a scope of error from "forgetting concept" and expect no more than a B+.

Why am I documenting the trivial and stupid things? Believe it or not these things have started affecting me and my surroundings enough that I've found same folks saying "Pass on the keys, let me open the door." Consistently these people unlock the doors in seconds. Unlike me, who may first struggle with the keys for a good 10 minutes and then look helplessly at people who offer a helping (key) hand. Sometimes in spite of the probability, happenstance prevails!

State of the Schools of Business

Steve Reinemund and Gordon McCray detailed their visions for the business schools at a meeting held Oct. 26. Topics included: purpose behind integration of the schools and its benefits to students, our progress against current goals, and future goals.

Your student ID and password will be required to access video through this link:
http://media.mba.wfu.edu/mediasite/Viewer?peid=b7fb3fa0-7bd0-4ce5-8d0b-d4fa55584dcb

My Unbelievable Opportunity ~ Corporate Fellowship

~Lauren Collins ~ MA in Management Candidate 2010, Corporate Fellow

When I was making preparations about post-graduation plans last May, I was hesitant about my next move. Although applying to jobs and graduate programs, I honestly wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my career. I knew that I didn’t want to settle for a job just because it was offered, and I didn’t want to take out loans for a graduate program I wasn’t truly interested in.

“FREE MASTERS PROGRAM AT WAKE FOREST FOR MINORITY STUDENTS!” I remember receiving this e-mail thinking this must be a hoax. A free masters program? In my personal research, that was simply unheard of, as most masters programs give minimal scholarships.

After receiving the e-mail, I began researching the MA in Management program and the Corporate Fellowship at Wake Forest. First, I read about the Wake Forest Schools of Business through its web site and other sites discussing business schools. I wanted to make sure that if I decided to pursue this opportunity, I would be entering a welcoming learning environment and have access to resources needed to make me a better candidate by the time I graduated.

Once I was convinced by Dean Reinemund’s (left) vision for the business schools and his commitment to a diverse learning environment, I reached out to Debra Jessup, who was the diversity coordinator at that time. I emailed Debra expecting her to briefly answer my questions and re-direct me to some non-human communication tool as do most “busy” administrators. Needless to say, I was surprised when she asked for my phone number and a convenient time to chat. We talked for more than an hour about Wake Forest, the Corporate Fellowship, and the application process to the MA program. I was even more surprised at her honesty about the small number of minority faculty and students at Wake. But she confidently expressed that the Dean, who had been recognized for the diversity initiatives he implemented while serving as the CEO of PepsiCo, was actively working hard to recruit and retain the best minority talent.

Immediately after our conversation, I submitted an electronic application to the MA in Management program because I knew I wanted to be a part of the program and attend business school at Wake Forest. As a part of my application, I did a 30-minute phone interview with Stacy Poindexter Owen, who was also very personable and made me feel even more secure. After submitting all my materials, I was invited to an MA Open House to learn more about the program. Though the admissions event was geared toward students who planned to enter the program in 2010, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit the school and meet the faculty and staff to whom I would potentially commit the next year of my life. The morning of my visit, I received an acceptance letter via email stating I was admitted to the MA in Management program. I was thrilled and waited anxiously until the end of the Open House to find out if I would receive the Corporate Fellowship. By the end of the afternoon Stacy and I were sharing a box of Kleenex over tears because I was so expressively happy when she told me I indeed had received the Corporate Fellowship, which includes full tuition and a living stipend.

Six months later, I’m in the second module of the MA in Management program and still quite content with my decision to accept the scholarship. I’ve become close friends with the other Fellows, who have degrees from Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Brown, Davidson, Emory and Wake Forest. We meet bi-monthly over breakfast with our program director, Hansford Johnson, to discuss our experiences with our sponsor companies and the various challenges and opportunities that come along with being a graduate student.

My sponsor company, Flow Automotive, has provided me a unique mentorship with its Vice President of Organizational Development Dennis Chriss, as well as direct guidance from the CEO Don Flow. In the spring, I’ll complete an educational project covering four of the functional areas of business using Flow Auto as the subject. Don and Dennis have done a great job of providing me career coaching and leadership development. All of the Corporate Fellows (right) are having an amazing experience and gaining marketable skills from our sponsor companies.

Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dean Reinemund to discuss how we could help add more value to our sponsors. We want to make sure that we are doing everything possible to maintain ongoing relationships with these admirable companies on behalf of Wake Forest, so next year’s Corporate Fellows will have an even greater experience than we are currently enjoying.

The other corporate partners for 2010 are: Alex Lee Inc., BB&T Corp., Frito-Lay, Hanesbrands Inc., Primo Direct, Reynolds American, and VF Corp.

BWIB: Out with the Old … In with the New

Good morning!

We would like to thank the students who submitted suggestions to re-name the Babcock Women In Business. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the majority of the suggestions came from men – thanks guys!

In the end, we decided on a name that reflects the fact that we interact with many different groups and are ourselves a very diverse group. We also wanted to keep it simple. However, we liked the mission statement from one of the suggestions because it reflects what the club does now and what we hope to do in the future.

Wake Graduate Women in Business is committed to empowering female students through mentorship and social support, as well as helping female students gain the skills and training needed to successfully position themselves in the highly competitive workplace.

Congratulations to Carmesha Scott, MA 2010, (right) for helping us define who we are regardless of what program we are in. The $75 gift certificate will be placed in her box in the next few days.

The name change is effective immediately and will be reflected in all materials as quickly as possible.

Thank you,

Wake Graduate Women in Business

Dean Reinemund announces Robertson appearance

http://business.wfu.edu/apps/videos/BBDOinvite/

Special Message from the Dean regarding Andrew Robertson’s visit on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 4 pm in Worrell 1312