Category Archives: Student Orgs

Sprint to the Finish

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I asked several classmates what the topic of my next blog post should be and there was no real consensus. Actually several of them said I should write about the 2nd years leaving and how much we will all miss them. I decided that topic was too sad so instead picked to write about some random events from the past few weeks.

Preview Weekend

I missed Preview Weekend (open house for admitted students) last year and really regretted it as my classmates raved about it all year. And now I see why. Preview was so much fun even as a current student. I was able to connect with many admits and am really excited that several of them are coming to McCombs next year! It was also really cool to show off Austin for the weekend. From Rainey Street to local eateries – it was fun to see people’s reactions to Austin.

Visitors

The past few weekends I had friends in town. I love having visitors because it makes me venture out and do things in Austin that I would otherwise claim to not have the time to do. I run around and ride the bus past the Texas State Capitol all the time but visitors gave me the excuse to go inside and check it out. The Texas State Capitol is the biggest state capitol and is also larger than the US Capitol. Another stop on my tour is Whole Foods. You may be saying to yourself “That’s not an attraction, I’ve been to a Whole Foods.” The flagship Austin store is an attraction. There is a bar and several cafes inside the store and during the winter there is an ice skating rink on the roof. Everyone I’ve taken there has been impressed. These are just a few of the many things to check out here in Austin.

More Food Events

Epicurean Club at Uchiko!

The Epicurean Club took advantage of Restaurant Week in Austin and arranged for a special meal at Uchiko - one of Austin’s most famous restaurants. 30 of us dined in the private room and feasted on a 7 course tasting menu.

The highlights for me were the yellowtail and multi-use corn dessert. I’m also looking forward to another culinary tour this weekend. Austin Eats does food tours in the Downtown and South Congress Area. My college roommate (who coincidently now lives in Austin!) and I snagged a deal on Groupon and are looking forward to sampling our way through Downtown!

A Quick Recap

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It has been way too long since my last post. It’s scary to think that my second semester is almost halfway done. Let me try to quickly catch you up on what I’ve been doing.

The second half of last semester was a blur of case assignments, company information sessions, and then final exams. It’s a strange time of year because you have to strike a delicate balance between focusing on your coursework and dedicating time to learning about and making connections at companies so you’re better prepared for the formal internship recruitment process in the spring.

Winter break was a nice time to go home and see family, but it was also filled with countless cover letter rewrites for interview applications. Going through the application and interview process has been a strange experience. When you start business school it seems like there are so many possibilities and that you could do anything. The application process sobers you up to the fact that you’re only going to go through one of those doors, at least as far as an internship is concerned. Ultimately, you find the internship opportunity that is right for you. My advice to others who will be going through this same process next fall and winter is to keep that perspective in mind.

So far this semester has picked up where the last one left off.  In addition to a full course load, I’ve started an internship through Venture Fellows and have worked with the MBA Healthcare Association to put together a speaker panel for an upcoming healthcare symposium the school hosts. The internship keeps me busy and I’ve learned how to better manage my time as a result. The other big thing I have going on this semester is a Global Connections class. I just got back from a two week trip to India where our group visited several companies over there. Life as an MBA is never dull!

I’m going to sign off for now, but be on the lookout for a post about the India trip, and some pictures from the Taj Mahal and other famous Indian sites.

McCombs takes home the win in the UNC National Real Estate Development Challenge!

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This past week has been kind of a blur. After late nights at McCombs, early flights, and endless preparation for the UNC Real Estate Development Challenge, all of our hard work came together and really paid off. Out of 16 teams from Top 20 MBA programs in the US and Europe, we won first place in the challenge, and it was a blast.

Winning Texas MBA Team

With my teammates right after our win!

This year, the case was based in Houston and we were presented with the challenge of preparing a development presentation with a plan of how we would use the space. Our team focused on a 10 year project with four major phases. Our main focuses were on affordable residential development, an HEB grocery store, outdoor park space along the bayou, and some mid-rise offices in the long term.

Our team was comprised of Richard Long, Ziad Haddad, Mason Gilmore, and myself. The four of us brought in our background experiences in finance, real estate lending, architecture, and construction management. We were able to divide up the work and everyone had a crucial contribution the the plan. In the end, we knew we had a great development, and we were excited to present.

Once we found out we were going to the finals, we were thrilled. We rehearsed a few more times, and presented to a room full of judges and students with our highest hopes. We waited for the judges to deliberate, and finally, we were given our first prize winnings of $10,000.

I literally cannot put the excitement we felt into words. This was easily the most rewarding moment of my entire MBA experience. The opportunity to compete in such a challenging competition is a learning experience I will never forget.

I’m still so excited about all of this and can’t wait to light the UT Tower burnt orange with my teammates in honor of our national victory!

Food, Food and Food

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This post focuses on events with a common theme: food. They all also happen to be a good representation of typical events in my life and the MBA experience!

International Night

International Night

Sylvia representing Taiwan!

As Erin’s earlier post discussed, international night was filled with wonderful cuisine and culture. The international students really sparkled throughout the night showing off traditional dress, dance and entertainment. I made the rookie mistake of eating before attending (I was hungry and there was free food at a prior meeting!) but definitely tried to fit in second, third and fourth dinner. For me the highlights were samplings from the Korea, Africa and Taiwan booths. And of course there’s the local favorite Amy’s Ice Cream for dessert! The night was definitely a highlight of the fall semester as enthusiasm was in the air.

Lunch with Gold Medalist Sanya Richards-Ross

The Graduate Women in Business (GWiB) club arranged for a lunch with gold medalist Sanya Richards Ross after her appearance at the Sports Entertainment and Marketing Forum. Lunch with a gold medalist!! How could I say no?! She was incredibly inspiring, down-to-earth and able to talk about her experience as a woman in the sports industry. As I left the lunch I realized the awesome experiences I have available before me just for being a student.

Thanksgiving in Austin

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Dinner with New Friends!

I decided not to fight the holiday traffic at the airport and stayed in Austin for the long weekend. I had an action-packed weekend filled with a football game, shopping, a day-trip to Fredericksburg and catching up on sleep. The best part of the weekend however was our cohort Thanksgiving. Thanks to the generosity (and mad cooking skills) of Mellissa, we were able to hold a traditional Thanksgiving dinner – the first for several or our international students. Being able to share one of my favorite holidays with new friends was something that I will never forget!

Studying the Triple Bottom Line at McCombs

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Ever since I was introduced to the concept of the triple bottom line, which encompasses the traditional bottom line (profits) as well as people and planet, I knew that my life’s work would somehow have to incorporate this principle. Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether attending business school would help me in that endeavor, since its teachings and applications are thought by many to be purely capitalistic and money-centric. However, because of the existence of organizations like Net Impact (a national non-profit whose mission is to enable business students to do good in the world with their skills), I took a chance that an MBA would empower me to achieve my vision of doing good and doing well. Fortunately, that chance I took panned out, and I have been provided with so many opportunities to study and gain experience in this area.

First, I became involved with McCombs’ Net Impact chapter and now serve as the organization’s VP of Communications. Through Net Impact, I have attended two inspirational national conferences in Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD where I had the chance to meet hundreds of MBAs and professionals from around the country who are actively involved with or interested in pursuing this type of work. We’ve also held many similar events right here in Austin including a tour we recently organized of the LEED certified LIVESTRONG facility, which included a conversation with its CEO. At the annual Sustainable Business Summit our chapter organized, I got to hear from speakers ranging from the head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Dell to a local Austin farmer who’s keeping our city healthy by supplying it with his delicious, organic produce. And through it all, I’ve had a chance to gain experience in a functional role I am very interested in obtaining after school: marketing/communications. Continue reading →

OH right, I’m in school…

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Based on my earlier posts, it’s clear that I’ve been having a great time since moving to Austin and begun business school. However, after the past two weeks, I believe I have finally learned what it is like to actually be back in school. School as in classes, homework, tests, commitments. As the quarter began, the true components of school seemed somewhat distant, but definitely manageable. I can remember several members of the MBA Program Office telling our class that, “we are going to be stressed” and “this first quarter is going to be very difficult.” My reaction? Bring it.

Well, it’s been brought’en. You win, McCombs.

In the past two weeks I have experienced an extreme range of emotions due to the impact of now actually being in school and having to behave as a ‘student.’ Stress has been overshadowed by feelings of helplessness, desperation, exhaustion and even fear (see UT Bomb Threat). Apparently, this is what the MBA Program Office was talking about when they said this quarter was going to be difficult.

Learning to multi-task: Statistics homework while watching Texas Football!

We now have homework consistently in every class, finished mid-terms last week and are now prepping for our group projects and finals in three weeks.

In addition, student organizations are in full swing, so I have also been spreading my time over organization applications/interviews and opening events. I generally look at the student organizations as a break from homework and as a way to interact with my classmates, however, I wish I had more time (less homework) to really give them the attention that I would like to!

One thing I have realized in the past week is that while I may feel unfocused and not completely sure of my future path, it is clear that business school is going to force me to decide where to hone my efforts as my time is only limited to 24 hours in a day. I am having to make decisions as how to spend those 24 hours and schedule the work and activities in front of me appropriately.

My right-hand man…

Naturally the things that begin to be prioritized lower are the things I assume I am actually not that interested in (unless they count for a grade!) I think this is business school’s way of helping me find my true path.

I finally feel that 5 weeks into the semester, I am acclimated to being a student again. I now know that I should never again take lightly what the Program Office tells us and am becoming better at choosing how to spend each hour of my day. If nothing else, I at least feel as though I am really a student again in that I go almost no where without my trusty Texas MBA backpack!