Name: Morgan Simental
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
Undergrad Institution/Major: University of California, Santa Barbara/ Business Economics
Pre-MBA Job: Network Operations Manager
MBA Concentration: Brand Management and High-Tech Marketing
My name is Morgan Simental, and I’m a second year MBA student at McCombs. Before coming to Texas I went to the University of California, Santa Barbara and studied Business Economics. I was lucky enough to find a job in Santa Barbara and worked in IT management for 6 years. While this was a great job in a great geographic area, I found myself enjoying working and understanding customers and decided to come by to get my MBA in Marketing.
When I was looking at schools, I was really looking for the entire package. I didn’t just want academics or rankings; I wanted a school that had it all and McCombs was the school for me. The first thing I looked at was geography. I think this is a big deal for people; if you’re not happy where you are, why be there? I personally need warmth (what can I say, I’m a Cali boy). McCombs…check! Next I wanted a school that had a great marketing program (last I checked we were top 10). McCombs …check! I wanted to be in a cool city that had a lot of things to do. I had been living in a small town for 8 years, so the last thing I wanted was another small town experience. McCombs …check! Last but not least, I wanted to be part of a program that prides itself on diversity and cooperation. After visiting the campus I knew the program had the right mix and attitude I needed to make a successful career switch. McCombs…check! I could get into football too, but we already know Texas is the best! Hook em’!
Outside of school and work, I’m an avid photographer, traveler, and snowboarder. Be sure to follow my blog if you want to see some pics of McCombs and events around Austin. If you have any questions regarding McCombs, the transition from Cali, marketing or any other school topic, feel free to contact me at morgan.simental@mba12.mccombs.utexas.edu.
