Tag: evening

Meet the Working Professional and Executive MBA Admissions Team

Every year, the Texas McCombs Working Professional and Executive  MBA Admissions Team meets with hundreds of people interested in pursuing their MBA. Our Admissions Officers are experts in helping people navigate the application process and cultivating a class of diverse ideas and talents.

Get to know more about them, below. 🤘

Rodrigo Malta HeadshotRodrigo Malta
Managing Director of MBA Recruiting and Admissions

Rodrigo Malta, also known as Digo, is originally from Brazil and immigrated to the United States during high school. He earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business, and his bachelor’s degree in management from Missouri State University. Before and after his MBA, Digo worked for Fortune 100 companies in internal audit and marketing in the telecom and technology industries. 

One of Rodrigo’s proudest moments was becoming a United States citizen in 2008, which was the same year Rodrigo joined Texas McCombs as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions, Lead Diversity Recruiter for the Full-Time MBA program.

“I was a McCombs Ambassador Committee co-chair as an MBA student and that experience ignited my passion for admissions and higher education. In 2008, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to transition from tech to higher education and never looked back.”

He now serves as Managing Director of MBA Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions over Texas McCombs’ Full Time, Evening, Weekend – Dallas, Weekend – Houston, and Executive MBA programs. His most rewarding experience is working with his team and representing the Longhorn Community all over the world. Digo is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is passionate about building a collaborative work environment where individuals can be their authentic selves. 

“We bring together students from all corners of the world with unique personal stories and varied professional backgrounds. Add in our award-winning faculty members and this is the perfect recipe for lively class discussions and an amazing learning environment.”

Digo says the best thing you can do when applying to Texas McCombs is to be authentic and ensure your application highlights who you are personally and professionally.

Focus on the things you can control and be yourself. Engage with us in a purposeful manner, but do not over do it.”

When Digo is not reading applications, you can find him at the movies, enjoying tacos and margaritas, or spending time with his husband and two dogs.

Connect with Rodrigo on LinkedIn.

Sharon Barrett HeadshotSharon Barrett
Director of Working Professional and Executive MBA Recruiting and Admissions

Sharon Barrett grew up in Houston but has called Austin home for over 30 years. She is a University of Texas alumna and has worked on the McCombs MBA Admissions Team for 13 years. Before McCombs, she spent time in marketing and program management at various financial institutions and professional associations. 

“I love our team. Everyone is very dedicated and mission-driven. We are energized by our students who bring the UT slogan ‘What Starts Here Changes the World’ to life!”

Sharon enjoys getting to know the students and seeing all the different paths the MBAs take when they graduate.

“I’m constantly rewarded by seeing the career trajectory of our alumni over the years. Every week my LinkedIn account announces numerous promotions and career advancement stories. Our students and alumni are truly amazing!”

When applying to McCombs, Sharon says it’s important to remain professional and understand the application components.

“Keep in mind that every interaction you have with a university is part of your candidacy. Take care to keep emails and inquiries professional. Our application process is also a bit different from most other universities. It’s always refreshing when applicants have read through and understand our process before getting started.”

If you’ve been thinking about getting about getting an MBA, Sharon says to just go for it.

“Speaking from a personal perspective, getting your MBA never gets easier or cheaper. Just do it!”

Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn.

Christie Jenkins HeadshotChristie Jenkins
Evening MBA Recruiting and Admissions Officer

Christie Jenkins is from Vernon, Texas, a 10-ish stoplight town near the Texas Panhandle. She attended the University of Oklahoma for undergrad and earned her MBA from the Working Professional program at The University of Illinois. 

Christie discovered her love for admissions when she was a campus tour guide during her undergrad.

“…it turns out, I love talking about why you should get an education. There weren’t a lot of opportunities around me growing up in rural Texas, and higher education has opened doors for me that I would’ve never dreamed of as a kid. I love being able to help others accomplish more than they ever imagined too.”

Christie encourages applicants to set themselves up for success by taking their time with their applications, attending events, and reaching out to admissions or current students.

“Stepping outside of your comfort zone to apply for something – especially when you’re not sure if it will work out – is scary. I encourage you to go for it and give it your best effort anyway. Attend an application overview workshop to hear all of our tips. Give yourself plenty of time and commit genuine effort into studying for the GMAT, GRE, or EA. Ask a friend to review your essays and resume. Prepare for your admissions interview in the same way you would a job interview. Don’t sell yourself short by sandbagging it and not giving it your best effort. Doing these things will not only help you earn admission, but they will also help you prepare for the program and get the most out of it.”

Christie joined the Admissions and Recruiting team in April 2020. She says she chose McCombs because she likes working with the best and brightest.

“Texas McCombs is the best MBA program in Texas, and the Evening MBA program is ranked #7 in the country. It’s inspiring to be in an environment around faculty and staff who are the best at what they do, and students who are the future business leaders of the world.”

If you are still on the fence about applying, Christie has some advice.

“Don’t count yourself out. Looking at our rankings and class profile can be intimidating; and while I am proud of the prestige of our program and the accomplishments of our students and faculty, it may make our programs seem out of reach to some applicants. We are looking for students from all walks of life and we understand that you can bring more to the program than what is on your resume and transcripts. Research shows that having a diversity of backgrounds in the room leads to better outcomes in business and creates a richer experience for everyone in the classroom.”

Christie says that earning her MBA was one of the best decisions she has ever made.

“Getting my MBA was challenging in the best way, personally and professionally rewarding, and exposed me to new skills and ways of thinking that I may not have encountered otherwise. But beyond all the tangible benefits, it gave me the confidence to speak up when I have an idea to share, ask questions when something doesn’t make sense to me, and know I can get through any paper, no matter how dense or boring it is.”

Connect with Christie on LinkedIn.

Emily Le HeadshotEmily Le
MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth Recruiting and Admissions Officer

Emily Le is a UT alumna who grew up in Plano, Texas. After completing her undergrad at the McCombs School of Business, she earned her Master’s in Accounting at the University of Southern California and started her career in Big 4 Public Accounting. After several years in finance then switching to recruiting, she realized her passion for relationships and helping people. 

“After having a front-row seat to my husband going through the MBA program and the impact the experience had on his professional and personal development, I knew I wanted to be involved in helping future MBA students attain their goals while maintaining the McCombs culture.” 

Emily advises all MBAs to “go all-in” when it comes to networking and building relationships within the MBA program through the various opportunities provided early on such as Austin Intensives, residency, and cohorts.

“Even though this is a part-time program, our MBA program is deliberately designed to foster community. It’s conducive for developing camaraderie for student organizations, identifying teammates for micro-consulting projects, networking for future business contacts, and also to build deep friendships that will last beyond the MBA program. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to the alumni network, especially if you identify someone who is on a similar career track to what you’re interested in.”

Emily says the applicants that stand out can clearly articulate how their background ties to their career goals, and how they will leverage the resources in the McCombs MBA to achieve these goals.

Getting your MBA should not be an impulsive decision or just another degree to add to your resume. We want to see you have been thoughtful in exploring your options and done your research. Likewise, be prepared in your interview to clearly communicate your experiences and why McCombs is right for you. Interviewers can tell when you are holding back or giving cliché answers. We want to actually know YOU and your journey, your goals, and your passions. At the same time, it’s important to still maintain professionalism during an interview.” 

Connect with Emily on LinkedIn.

Melanie's headshotMelanie Krugel
MBA at Houston Recruiting and Admissions Officer

Melanie Krugel grew up in Dallas, Texas, and earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in Communications and Leadership from Gonzaga University.

Melanie was inspired to work in admissions by her previous admissions counselor at the University of Kansas.  She said her counselor was integral in helping her throughout her admissions process, helping her convince her parents to let her go to school out of state, and helping her feel a part of the community.

Melanie joined the Admissions and Recruiting team in September 2021, bringing her diverse recruitment and admissions experience to McCombs.

“I absolutely love my job and being in MBA Recruitment! I have the honor and privilege to be part of my student’s MBA journeys from the beginning, graduation, and beyond. These relationships that I have built with my students over time have been incredibly rewarding and I love that I have gotten to be with them every step of the way. To me, there is nothing better than being able to personally deliver the great news that they have been admitted to our program and be a support system for them the rest of the process. I love getting to hear about job and internship offers, being someone that they can come to if things don’t go to plan, and being part of other milestones and life events along the way.”

Melanie chose McCombs for our reputation and world-class education.

“Growing up in Texas I was always aware of UT and the amazing programs offered. I had always heard about how incredible our MBA curriculum was, the expansive alumni network, the dedication to diversity and inclusion, and how phenomenal our students, staff, and faculty are. Before joining McCombs I spent several years in Student Affairs and went on to start my MBA Admissions career at the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business as their Assistant Director of Admissions and Diversity Recruiter. After relocating to Texas and a brief time working in Law School admissions, I realized that I missed working in MBA admissions and there was no better place to be in Texas than at McCombs! I love having the opportunity to recruit new, diverse, and talented Longhorns in the Houston area while still being connected to the UT Campus in Austin.”

For applicants looking to apply to McCombs, Melanie advises you to do your research and take the time to truly build a comprehensive and thoughtful set of essays.

“Getting your MBA is not only a commitment to being in school for two years of your life; it is also a commitment to bettering your personal and professional life. It is so important to really get to know the schools that you are looking at and the people that make up their community. By attending information sessions, visiting campus, and spending time with their students, faculty, and staff you can get a better idea of if you are a good fit for them, and most importantly, if they are a good fit for you.”

Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn.


Talk with our MBA Admissions Team at an upcoming admissions chat, info session, or any other MBA event. 

Meet the Evening MBA Class of 2021!

A new class of Evening MBA students have joined us at Rowling Hall in Austin this spring to kick off their MBA journey! During their January orientation, our first group of ’21s  prepared for their classes, got to know each other, met MBA faculty & staff, and had a great week of networking and fun. Evening MBA students start their program annually every January, with classes held Monday and Tuesday evenings in Austin. With their weekends more flexible and their careers un-interrupted by their class schedule, our Evening MBA students are truly unique.

We had a very strong and enthusiastic pool of applications to pull from when putting together our Working Professional MBA classes this year, and the numbers certainly reflect that. The Evening MBA welcomed a larger class than last year, with 65 new Texas McCombs students. Texas McCombs Evening MBA Class of 2021 has 65 students; 25% women; 9% international; 27-34 middle 80% age; 3-10.5 work exp middle 80%; 3.34 GPA average; 661 GMAT average; are Q:155 & V:156

35% of the Evening MBA Class of 2021 submitted a GRE score either exclusively or with a GMAT score

8 different nationalities and citizenships are represented, including India, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Spain, Syria, Italy and the U.S.

This is also one of the most diverse classes in terms of job functions and industries, that the MBA program has ever seen.

Industries represented in the Class of 2021-- tech; financial services; consumer products/retail; manufacturing; energy

In addition, over half of the Class of 2021 earned their undergraduate degree outside of Texas. After entering the workforce, these students earned an average of 5.8 years of work experience before applying to the MBA with notable companies like Apple, Tesla, Whole Foods, Facebook, IBM and Yeti.

The class has 25% women, holding steady within the overall growth in the number of women in our Working Professional programs. The number of underrepresented minorities in the class doubled this year, marking another success as we continue to advocate for the inclusion of individual perspectives and diverse backgrounds in our classes.

Our Evening students come from a wide range of companies and some of the most exciting and innovative employers in the U.S.

Where our students work

18 members of C/O 2021 already spent their undergraduate years at UT Austin… Welcome back Longhorns! 🤘


We feel humbled and privileged by the amazing experiences and perspectives making up the Texas McCombs MBA Class  and cannot wait to see what they accomplish during their time in the program. If you’d like to join them as part of Texas McCombs MBA network, our 2019-2020 application is open!

Hook ’em!

Where In The World Are The Texas MBAs?

As a Texas MBA, you gain access to endless opportunities to travel across the United States and around the world. The Texas MBA Program and the McCombs School of Business strives to expose its students to new cultures and ideas to better prepare them to be effective business leaders who act ethically and responsibility within a global context and think strategically at an international level.

This summer, students from our Full-Time, Evening, Executive, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth programs traveled across the country to participate in internships, explored foreign countries while gaining new world perspectives, and made some amazing memories along the way.

Check our their adventures and see for yourself #WhyMcCombs, or learn more about the hands-on learning opportunities available at McCombs here.

Texas Evening MBA Global Trips: 
Morocco, Peru/Columbia, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam/Thailand, Romania/Moldova, Shanghai

TEMBA 2017 Moldova

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs at Orheiul Venchi in Moldova

TEMBA 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs at SuperSport in Johannesburg, South Africa

TEMBA 2017 in Lisbon

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs at Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portgual

Texas Evening MBAs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Evening 2017s in Ko Phi Phi Thailand (Ban Thai)

Class of 2017 Evening MBAs in Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand

Texas MBA at Dallas/Fort Worth Global Trips:
Morocco, Peru/Columbia, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam/Thailand, Romania/Moldova, Shanghai

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at The Bund in Shanghai, China

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at The Bund in Shanghai, China

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Lisbon, Portugal

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Lisbon, Portugal

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Madrid, Spain

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs in Madrid, Spain

Class of 2017 Dallas/Fort Worth MBAs Prasanth Bathae and Kelsey Leigh on the The Great Wall of China

Texas Executive MBA International Seminar:
Beijing, China

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Class of 2016 Executive MBAs in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China

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Class of 2016 Executive MBAs Attending a Business in China Seminar at Beijing University

Class of 2017 Executive MBAs at the Shanghai Hongqiao Rail Station

Class of 2016 Executive MBAs at the Shanghai Hongqiao Rail Station

Class of 2017 Executive MBA Nathaniel Mayfield at The Great Wall of China

Class of 2016 Executive MBA Nathaniel Mayfield at The Great Wall of China

Class of 2017 Executive MBAs at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China

Class of 2016 Executive MBAs at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China

Texas MBA at Houston Global Trips:
Morocco, Peru/Columbia, Portugal, South Africa, Vietnam/Thailand, Romania/Moldova, Shanghai

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Class of 2017 Houston MBAs Making New Friends in Morrocco

Houston MBAs at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa

Class of 2017 Houston MBAs at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa

Houston MBAs at Muay Thai Live in Bangkok, Thailand

Class of 2017 Houston MBAs at Muay Thai Live in Bangkok, Thailand

Houston MBAs in front of the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal

Class of 2017 Houston MBAs in front of the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal

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Class of 2017 Houston MBAs at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco

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Class of 2017 Houston MBAs in Shanghai, China

Texas Full-Time MBA MAPS Trips:
Galapagos Islands, Tanzania & Austin Day Trips

Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs

Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program Wine Tasting Day Trip in Fredericksburg, TX

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Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program River Tubing Day Trip in New Braunfels, TX

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Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program BB& & Brewery Day Trip in Taylor, TX

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Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program in Tanzania where they partnered with Building Bridges Worldwide to construct a new complex for a local school

Tanzania School Photo

Class of 2018 Texas Full-Time MBAs on the McCombs Adventure Program in Tanzania where they partnered with Building Bridges Worldwide to construct a new complex for a local school

Texas Full-Time MBA Summer Internships

Texas Full-Time MBAs Apple Interns

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Apple Interns

Texas Full-Time MBA Delta Air Lines Interns

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Delta Air Lines Interns

Texas Full-Time MBA Taylor O'Brien Interning at EA (Electronic Arts)

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Taylor O’Brien Interning at EA (Electronic Arts)

Texas Full-Time MBA Microsoft Interns

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Microsoft Interns

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBAs Nicole Smith, Snehin Arambhan & Andrew Hodge Interning at Salesforce

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Patrick Swelgin Interning at Google

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Karen Madera Interning at IBM

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Deloitte Interns at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium

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Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Aaron Huffman Interning at Boeing

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Dell Interns

Texas Full-Time MBAs Moni Jane and Kevin Chen Interning at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBAs Moni Jane & Kevin Chen Interning at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Class of 2017 Full-Time MBA Amazon Interns

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