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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
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Why an MBA now? Because it’s MBA

Posted on by Kelley School

By Mani Selvaraj, MBA’23

“Why an MBA now?” This was the question I got every time I told people that I wanted to do an MBA. The people who asked me that question would always remind me “You’re married with two kids”, “You’re 34”, ‘You’re already at JPMorgan with a well-paying job”, “You have 10 years of leadership experience from the military”, “Why not a part-time or Executive MBA”… and so on. But I was very determined to pursue my MBA dream.

A Kelley MBA, it is… I would say that my MBA dream would have not come true without my best friend Rohit Raman’s (MBA ’22) push and motivation. Back in our Indian Navy times, we both started MBA applications together. I applied for a couple of one-year MBA programs in the US and secured admission from USC Marshall. Meanwhile, Rohit joined Kelley; through him, I got to know about the Kelley full-time MBA program. The more we discussed his first-year experience at Kelley, the more I started liking the program. While I was in the Indian Navy, we were driven by the motto “Sail together or Sink together”. I found everyone from the Kelley community very supportive and I valued the collaborative culture. Kelley was the only two-year MBA program I applied to, and I am happy that I am here now.

Kelley MBA – A once in a lifetime learning experience. Having spent almost 10 years in the military, I had to unlearn some things and re-learn new things while I transitioned from the military to the corporate world. My MBA made that process smooth, easy, and efficient. I really love the multicultural environment at Kelley, where I have fellow classmates from more than 30 different countries. GLOBASE is another opportunity for me to learn about multicultural experiences and doing business in different parts of the world. I am astonished at how my diverse classmates come up with different unique solutions for the same business problem during a case discussion in class. I am part of Supply Chain Academy and Digital Enterprise (SCADE), which is one of the best decisions I made at Kelley. I learned a lot of practical aspects of Supply Chain & Operations through expert speaker sessions, and industry visits to companies such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Subaru of Indiana, GE, and Whirlpool manufacturing facilities, etc. Once you add the academy experience with core classes, case competitions, and club activities, learning from each one of my classmates will enable me to succeed in the years to come.

Striking the balance. Kelley alumni often told me that an MBA is all about prioritizing. There are so many things going on around the campus and the town. However, one must prioritize what you want out of the MBA program, and what your long-term and post-MBA goals are. Networking was very new, and I wanted to improve at it. I spent a lot of time networking with alumni and corporate recruiters to help me hone my skills and comfort level. Since most of my experience was from the military, following hierarchy and chain of command was engrained in me. It was a challenge to leave my comfort zone and feel comfortable with networking. While academics and recruiting kept me busy throughout business hours, my family and friends did their part to keep me on my toes during the off hours. “Halloween Party at Bluebird. Come on let’s go” says my friends; whereas my wife says, “Kids want to go Trick or Treating”. ‘Whom should I say no to?’ Of course, I went Trick or Treating. I have the same dilemma (friends or family) for Christmas, Diwali, other celebrations, and weekend parties. Balancing an MBA and a personal life for a student like me with a family requires meticulous planning. But I think I tried to strike the balance between the two although my wife disagrees with me on this.

Pathways to my career. I wholeheartedly thank Kelley MBA alumni and Graduate Career Services for helping me be successful during both my internship and full-time career search. The Kelley staff and alumni have helped me with numerous mock interviews, casings, and networking sessions. Their support has been the stepping stone to my success. Last summer I interned with Mercury Marine, in their Corporate Strategy Leadership Development Program. Those 10 weeks have taught me a lot about what I need to excel in Corporate America. That transformative experience along with the support of Kelley has given me the opportunity to realize my potential and succeed with a full-time offer from Amazon. While my first year was full of academics, networking, and recruiting, by contrast, my second year is more contributing to the Kelley community. As VP of the Data & Operations Club and the Veterans Club, I enjoy giving back to the community from which I received a lot. As I am enjoying the last few months of my MBA, I am looking forward to joining Amazon in Seattle as a Senior Product Manager upon graduation and continuing my journey as a Kelley MBA alum.

Kelley has not just helped me in achieving my post-MBA goal but has also given me lifelong experiences and made my moments go to momentum.

The Gratitude Jar

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By Tanushree Mitra, MBA’23

Sometimes I wake up and my first thought is “I didn’t get enough sleep.” Then, I look at my to-do list and realize I don’t have enough time to get halfway through it. I go to the bus stop and discover that I missed the bus. Later, I come home to realize that I had missed an assignment submission.

You get the picture: It’s easy to go through days feeling like you’re never wealthy enough, thin enough, or successful enough. When we compare what we have with what everyone else has, it becomes a draining cycle that always ends in the same conclusion: “Wish I did something more.”

For the moments when this self-doubting mentality crops up, I’ve found one simple tool to be helpful: The gratitude jar. A gratitude jar is a fun way to create reminders of all the blessings in our lives. Essentially, it’s a place to record and store everything you’re thankful for.

Over the last 27 years, I have had a lot of moments in my life that I have felt thankful for, but the Kelley MBA journey is easily the top 3. Not only will I leave with a degree from one of the most well-known schools in the country but also with a sense of belonging, lifelong friends, a strong community, and just a feeling of settlement. So, here is a list of my Kelley gratitude jar!

KELLEY FUN
I am thankful for gaining such a rich holistic experience that made me grow in all spheres of life. The Kelley program not only has academic advancement opportunities but also opportunities to just have fun. Coming from India, I had never experienced a Tailgate. Frankly, I didn’t even know what it was. Only to find out that in American football you actually don’t use your foot, I was ecstatic to experience a big part of the American culture. Tailgates are my favorite as you get to giggle and mingle with all your classmates in a fun open space. Even though I thought I knew what I was expecting out of an MBA program, I never thought the people and the events would become a significant part of my memory.


KELLEY ACHIEVEMENTS
I am thankful for the success that I was able to achieve because of the Kelley MBA. I had a great summer internship at Amazon in Seattle, and I am grateful to get the opportunity to go back there full-time. This gives me a sense of security and a feeling of settlement. The Amazon experience was something that would cherish for a lifetime. Due to COVID, it had been a while since I had physically been to work and experienced the complete corporate life. Yes, ZOOM meetings are fine, but nothing beats the experience of getting ready in the morning to leave for work, packing your lunch, working in your assigned office space, chit-chatting with your colleagues, turning around, and knowing you have your manager to answer your questions, going out on team outings, taking coffee/lunch breaks and coming back feeling content and fulfilled. The cherry on the top of the cake was having my Kelley family with me in Seattle. I didn’t even once feel alone in a new city. We explored Seattle together, went out on lunches/dinners, heard everyone’s internship stories, and just had fun together.

KELLEY PRIDE
I am thankful for the achievements that make my parents, family, and friends proud of me. Born and brought up in India, it was never easy for me to leave my people and move to another part of the world. I miss them every day, all day. But what makes me sleep peacefully at night is knowing that they are proud of me. They have seen me grow, they have seen my challenges and successes and they are the most important part of my journey. I would have not been the person I am without their love, support, and trust. The Kelley journey would have been incomplete without them being by my side always. The structure of the MBA program is such that you find time to go and meet your family during summer, spring, or winter break. I grabbed all possible chances and took a 16-hour flight back to India only to see my people. Spending 2-3 weeks at home, helped me recharge and get back to the grind with newfound energy.

KELLEY FAMILY
I am thankful to the Kelley network that helped me advance professionally. I have been part of the Cornell case competition, where we secured 3rd position. It was a dream come true as Kelley sponsored our teams’ trip to New York, where we could present in person to the judges, who were renowned professionals from big companies. We also competed against top universities from across the country. Further through my Business Marketing Academy, I was part of the MBA consulting team for Ecolab. We created a Go-to-market strategy for their hand care division. I felt the value of our insights when leaders from Ecolab came personally to Bloomington to listen to our recommendations for their business. The professors, the alumni, the MBA office, and of course your classmates are the biggest asset that comes with the Kelley MBA program. I am grateful and thankful for the journey I have embarked upon. It’s a lifetime of beautiful memories.

A summer of growth and balance

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By Charishma Myneni, MBA’23

This summer was a summer of learning. I spent most of my summer in Austin working with Dell Technologies as a product management intern. After my internship, I was able to explore some parts of the U.S. and visited Nashville, Washington DC, Tampa, LA, and Madison for the first time.

The Dell University Relations team provided a holistic experience by putting together a super structured internship program and organizing tons of social events for the intern class. My project was to identify monetizable opportunities and devise a go-to-market strategy for open-source software related to the Dell storage portfolio. Though the first two weeks were all about getting up to speed with the features of the product, I spent the next few weeks surveying customers, researching the market, and gathering insights from internal stakeholders. Using all the information, I devised a monetization strategy that made a significant impact on the team and the business unit.

The best part about my internship was that I got to connect with 50+ people working across five cross-functional teams. I loved Dell’s flexible work culture with no restrictions on where and when I work. The work environment was fast-paced and challenging, but everyone respected each other’s time and work-life balance. Being part of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), attending external conferences with my team, and volunteering for local NGOs helped me build a strong network within Dell.

Looking back on my internship experience, some things that worked well for me:

  • Meeting with my manager and mentor regularly (at least once a week) to keep them up to date on my project progress and seek continuous feedback
  • Being part of employee resource groups and attending ERG events to understand the organization’s culture beyond work.
  • Having a draft presentation deck from week 3 helped drive the conversations and receive early feedback on my project approach
  • Making sure that all the stakeholders are on board with my recommendations before my final presentation.
  • Using different Kelley resources such as professors, IU library, and Graduate Career Services during the internship. A huge shout out to GCS for making me reflect on my internship journey through “finishing strong” and “opening move” sessions.

 

I finished my internship with great feedback from my manager and all stakeholders. I am more confident now that I can make impactful decisions in a high-stakes environment. I left Austin with a lot of swag from Dell and an amazing feeling that I made a positive impact on the team and the organization.

My learning did not end at Austin. I went straight to Washington DC for the Washington Campus program. The best thing about it was regrouping with my Kelley friends after 3 months. The week was filled with many informative sessions on public policy and touring beautiful monuments and memorials in Washington. Then came the most awaited part of my summer – Florida!  I loved the beaches in St. Petersburg and Clearwater. The roller coaster rides in Universal and Falcon’s fury in Busch Gardens helped me relive my childhood. I can’t think of any better way to end my summer. I am super excited to be back in Bloomington for my second year and to reunite with my amazing classmates at Kelley.

 

The Kelley Network

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By Jacob Shinoff, MBA’23

As I began my internship at Kellogg’s as a Brand Marketing Intern, I quickly realized that the frameworks and concepts learned in the Consumer Marketing Academy directly applied to the project I was working on. Before the start of my internship, I was able to work on projects with companies to solve their business problems. This experience and understanding had a profound impact that set me up for success in my internship. While the concepts and knowledge you learn in the classroom are the best in the nation, it is the Kelley Network that helps to round out your skillsets.

Leading up to this point in my career, I knew I always wanted to be in a culture that embodies collaboration. The Kelley culture only further illustrated what led to this true spirit. Coming into my internship at Kellogg’s, I had to prepare by knowing about its current long-term strategies and how it hopes to position itself. I knew the best way to learn more was to utilize the Kelley Network. When working in an internship, you have multiple stakeholders; thankfully, with the Kelley Network’s solid footprint, you will have the chance to speak with other Kelleys at the organization you’re interning at. With such an extensive network, you can talk with people at various stages of their careers, all the way from c-suite executives to recent MBA Graduates. Still, the one consistency across every individual is the genuine feeling of wanting to see you succeed continues to be carried by all Kelley alumni.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is that how you succeed is all about how you set yourself up for success. No matter the industry you go into, either in your internship or in your full-time role, it comes with great comfort that the Kelley Network is cheering you on as you continue your journey. I can comfortably say that this spirit will continue going forward as I can already see this occurring with the relationships I’m building with my current classmates, who will be the Kelley network’s future generation. Here’s to the next generation of Kelley alumni that I look forward to being a part of.

Celebrating Independence

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Bhavyaa Sanghvi Full time MBA, Class of 2023 | Forté FellowBy Bhavyaa Sanghvi, MBA’23 | Forté Fellow

Enjoying a summer break tops the list of all the unexpected benefits of returning to school. While I relish the grind and the constant need to be chasing a goal, winding down and relaxing for just a bit has afforded me some time to introspect and truly decipher what independence has meant to me.

I grew up in Mumbai, India in a cross-generational family. Having spent most of my adulthood living with my parents, as is the norm back home, independence meant getting to set my own rules. Moving out and building a home in a new country, continents apart, helped me realize it was so much more.

Independence to “figure it out”

Starting afresh is tough. Having left the comfort of my home and the silent support of my family, I now had to adopt the role of cook, cleaner, and housekeeper as efficiently as I could from the get-go. I wish I could say I figured it all out by myself – but it sure does take a village and some Kelleys to help you along the way. The Woodbridge crew* (MBA’23 pictured left) played partners-in-crime/guinea pigs for this MasterChef-in-the-making while Ashwin Vadalkar, Manish Jha, Rohit Raman (MBA’22) doubled up as grocery-guides and furniture-haulers as I figured out how to set up a home. Being an accountant at heart (shout out to our amazing Prof. Brian Miller for reigniting my love for the subject), crafting the budget life was easy, but Bloomington International Student Ministries (BISM) and Asian MBAA club helped provide crucial tips and tricks I needed, to implement the same. I was also lucky enough to find not one but three safety nets in Rob Hendrickson, Zach Herge, and Parth Goradia (MBA’23) who were there when I didn’t have it all figured out. And in all honesty, I am still learning to enjoy this independence – but knowing I will find my way with the help of my classmates and mentors, makes it all worth it.

Independence of Choice

With over 100 different classes available, my Spring semester schedule was but a matter of choice. This, for me, was a unique experience since the collegiate structure in India is relatively uniform. The subjects I would be required to take and the schedule I would follow to earn a Bachelor of Commerce degree in India might look identical to that of my classmate’s. However, at Kelley, your MBA is one of your own makings. Carving my path was an empowering experience and thanks to the guidance of my coach, Emily Stern, I am set to earn a Major in Business Analytics and Management along with a Minor in Marketing.

I would be remiss if I do not mention one of my earliest and probably easiest choice—my first year Academy: Consulting Academy. This experiential learning course led by J. Scott Laughner and GCS Coach Suzanne Stuebe not only helped me build the right skill set but also the right mindset to succeed in my chosen career path. Thanks to the support of this amazing group and the CA-GAs (Consulting Academy Graduate Assistants) – Farrah Bhimani and Rebecca Shanker (MBA ’22), I am currently interning at EY, a Big four consulting firm, in Chicago.

Independence to Grow

It’s only human to gloss over memories of busy periods in your life; the times you stuck your head down and hustled. Year 1 of my MBA feels like a reel of all the core homework sessions, hangouts with my core team (shout out to Green 4!), recruiting, casing, networking sessions, and Kelley club socials, in fast forward. But it is to these experiences that I owe thanks – for affording me the independence to grow professionally, socially, and personally. I never believed alumni when they said they made friends for life, here at school. After all, how do you forge close friendships over just two years? Well, Year 1 is just about done, and I can not-so-grudgingly admit that they were right. For those saying “Pics or it didn’t happen” – here is a picture of Kelleys in Chicago, hanging out together on a sunny day, sharing and growing together as Kelleys do.

In celebration, here’s to another year of figuring it out, some more choices, and growth. I am grateful for this opportunity and am excited for everyone who accepted not only an offer to the Kelley MBA program but also an offer to find their own versions of independence! Go Hoosiers!

MBA Internship: Day 1 at Amazon

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By Natalia Corredor, MBA’23

Today was my Day 1 at Amazon, and though it went virtually without hiccups, I want to share some details that helped me feel prepared for the big day.

Become comfortable with ambiguity. Quickly.

I learned at a Graduate Career Services meeting that very few people, myself included, knew the details of their internship project. Picture a Mean Girls (2004) “raise your hand if you’ve been personally victimized by Regina George” moment. Some people had yet to meet their manager, receive a start date, or confirm an internship location. I pinged Amazon’s Student Program’s team to get timeline expectations for when I could expect to connect with my manager, connected with former interns and learned about their onboarding experience, and reminded myself that they hired me as an intern because I am capable and gritty. I received my project’s title late last week and my manager walked me through the high-level details this afternoon. I’m happy that I didn’t add any unnecessary stress leading up to today! (more…)

Freezing Time

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By Angelica Pastrana, MBA’23

I have tried to freeze time over the last few weeks. I told one of my mentors that I am in a strange place between quickly wanting to get to my internship and holding onto my first year for as long as possible. I lean towards being a forward-thinking individual, but transitional periods call for nostalgia, so please bear with me as I reflect on the first year of my MBA program.

The beginning of the school year was quite the change for me. Going from pandemic isolation to being back in the classroom was challenging. As someone who does not come from a quantitative background pre-MBA, the coursework would have been much harder if it were not for my core team. Many people will tell you that they had the best core team, but the only ones who would be correct in saying that would be my teammates. They helped break down the material for me to grasp the fundamental concepts. Thank you, Mauricio, Charishma, Chad, and Yoon for being the best support system. I also want to call out that if you are going through anything, CAPS is an excellent resource.

Amid academics, I had to remind myself why I came back to school in the first place: to get a job. My Graduate Career Services coach, Christina Schmidt, helped to connect me with alumni at companies I was interested in and companies that I had not considered in the first place. My Business Marketing Academy director, Josh Gildea, also helped me realize that sales was the function I wanted to stay in. The alumni and second years helped me to see which companies would be the best overall fit for me. Because of these conversations, I pinned down my target list, and I am proud to say that I will be going to my top choice this summer.

Finally, classes and recruiting can easily fill up your whole schedule. I have learned that it is not about having time, but about making time, and you must make time for the incredible friendships here. Our class is comprised of diverse perspectives, and it is inspiring to be around such driven individuals every day. I feel so lucky to have a cohort that supported my idea of throwing a pink-themed birthday party. Moreover, the tailgates, Gala, and many more events made even the biggest homebody get out of her shell. I would be remiss if I also did not mention that the city of Bloomington itself has given me resources to further unwind – a special thank you to Eyebrow Style and Hopscotch Coffee for keeping me sane.

What would an MBA post be without key takeaways? I wish my first-years a fabulous summer. I hope we all come back with a myriad of stories to continue having rich conversations. I also hope we live in the moment more intentionally. I am looking forward to tighter hugs, harder laughs, and bigger smiles when we all get back to town and make the best of our final year.

 

Life at Kelley: Being a part of Kelley MBA clubs

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By Grady T Trela, MBA’23

When I was applying to business school, I found it difficult to picture what life as an MBA student would be like. You can read a thousand articles and talk to as many students, but there’s something to be said for experiencing business school firsthand. One thing I didn’t fully grasp was how clubs in an MBA program would work. I could remember my club experiences from undergrad, but for some reason, I imagined clubs in business school would be less fun, maybe even stodgy. Luckily for me, I was wrong. 

One of my most vivid memories from the fall of my first year was the club fair. Staff had erected a large white tent behind the business school, and the second-year leaders of the various Kelley MBA clubs sat at banquet tables underneath it signing up first-years to their club lists. Kelley divides its clubs into three types: professional clubs, affinity clubs, and interest clubs. Some of the clubs under these umbrellas include Consulting Club, Investment Club, Net Impact, Asian MBA Association, Black MBA Association, Out@Kelley, Food Club, Soccer Club, and the Adam Smith Society among several others. Having spent a year in the program, I’ve come to see the wide range of club offerings at Kelley as a direct reflection of the great diversity of backgrounds and thought within the student body.  

As a Marketing major at Kelley, I joined the Marketing Club, a professional club. The professional clubs at Kelley are a great way to network with other students interested in your career focus area and to meet second years who can share their experiences about the internship recruiting process and knowledge about different companies. The Marketing Club hosts several events throughout the year, along with casing workshops that provide tips for cracking marketing cases. It also had great guest speakers this year, some highlights for me are the CEO of Aldi, Jason Hart, and the former CMO of 3M, Paul Acito. Before business school, I couldn’t imagine that I would have access to this level of industry leadership during my MBA experience.  

In my first year, I also joined the golf club, an interest club of which I am now the VP, and the Food Club. One of the great Golf Club traditions is the Ryder Cup event that the Golf Club puts on in the fall. The event was held at Eagle Valley golf course this year and pits the first years against the second years. The cool fall weather started out overcast but warmed up in time for the second years to pull off a clear win. (If only my short game had warmed by then!)  In addition to being a fun way to spend the afternoon, the Ryder Cup is a great way for Kelleys from different class years to get to know one another. Food Club is another interest club and hosts several events throughout the year. This year, it hosted a Korean hot pot night, a Chinese buffet, a BBQ night, and organized an NCAA watch party over beer and wings. 

While I signed up for several club email lists during my first year, I did not end up attending events for all of those clubs. Still, I would advise incoming Kelley MBA students to sign up for every club they’re interested in so they can be on the email list and see which events are coming up. There are no strict attendance requirements for any clubs at Kelley, so you can attend as many or as few events as you like. My only regret so far at Kelley is that I missed some events I really wanted to attend. The good news, though, is that I have another whole year to dive deeper into the clubs I love. 

The MBA Journey as a Kelley Woman

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By Marisa Moran, MBA’23

Happy Women’s History Month! This month in the Kelley MBA program, we celebrate the many accomplishments of women in business and the Women of Kelley. This sparked my desire to share the MBA experience through the lens of one woman pursuing their MBA.

Many start their MBA journey with a clear vision of their path ahead, but I didn’t know where to start. I started my research by attending a Forté MBA Fair, where I found a program designed to solve that problem. The Forté MBA Launch program was an 8-month road map to walk you along the path through the GMAT, application, and interview process. Going through that program in 2020 helped me hold on to my sanity by surrounding me with other women who had aligned goals and visions for the future. That community followed me all the way to Kelley.

I first met Kelley through a Forté virtual conference where I connected with the Kelley Women of Business president. From the onset, they set the tone that the women of Kelley support each other for success. I don’t think it’s a shock to anyone that women are underrepresented in the MBA, and only 6.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, but that is changing. It changes through supporting each other and encouraging the next class of women to pursue their career goals.

Bound together

There is something magnetic about having commonalities. During Jump Start, our one-week skills primer, we meet a hundred new people before another hundred people arrive the following week. Even at 29, something is intimidating about going in cold and making new friends. But the women at Kelley made it easy. We could talk about our goals and fears uninhibited; it helped wash away that new on-campus imposter syndrome. The ambition and vulnerability were real. During coffee chats for prospective students, someone will inevitably say, “I know this all seems fake, but we do genuinely care about each other.” We mocked interviews together, danced on top of booths, and held an iconic Galentine’s Day. The people you meet in your MBA are not just your network for life; they are friends for life.

Diverse POV

In our core semester, we are in teams of 4 or 5 that challenge us to think and contribute in new ways. As the only woman on my team, I was not just able to add a women’s voice to the conversation, but I thought differently than my teammates. I came from a marketing and creative background and had the opportunity to work with a group of men with experience in operations and finance. We each had something unique to contribute from different industries, nationalities, and backgrounds. We valued each other’s thoughts and opinions. The men of my cohort are some of my biggest supporters and friends

Job Search

I don’t think it’s ever been a better time for a woman in their career. Yes, there are still a lot of uphill battles, but the conversations are happening. Companies are seeking to balance their workforce and challenge the status quo. This has created a lot of opportunities for women during recruiting. The misconception is that the measuring stick moves; it does not. It just opens some doors. I worked incredibly hard to prepare for recruiting season with weekly meetings with my career coach and mass volumes of networking calls. My coach told me ten plus times to have confidence in my abilities and expertise. But I didn’t believe it. The upside of being afraid was that I put in the work. I honed my interviewing style with rounds of feedback from all of my peers, and the message eventually sunk in that I did deserve these incredible jobs. I walked away with my pick of internships and confidence that my actions would define my career.

I am blown away when I look at the woman around me from where we started eight months ago. We have an impressive roster of internships from P&G, Deloitte, Nestle, PWC, Danone, Amazon, General Mills, and more. We are leading clubs, curriculum councils, and sporting events. I could not be more impressed with my class and excited to see the second years successfully forge on into their careers. If you have any questions about the Kelley MBA, please feel free to reach out to the Hoosier Hosts or a Kelley Woman in Business!

Intimidating yet irresistible

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By Bhaskar Mishra, MBA’23

The Kelley Full-Time MBA has been one of the best experiences in my life. It was a dream come true for me as I had a long-time wish to formally learn business in the company of talented and humble people. I was blown away by the talent as well as the humility of people around me at Kelley. Being an engineer by education and profession, I wanted to learn business, holistically, to grow in my career. I decided to study in the US, away from my home country, India, to gain international experience to build a global perspective of doing business.

India to Indiana: When I arrived in Bloomington, Indiana, in the summer of 2021, the transition wasn’t easy. The way of life in the US is very different from that in India. There is no auto-rickshaw in every street to take me to faraway places for a couple of dollars. There is no grocery shop in front of my house that can home deliver at a phone call. There is no affordable domestic help that can take care of my household chores. But, I was surprised by the frequent Indian faces on the campus of Indiana University and Bloomington, in general. I often joke that before applying to IU, Indians probably didn’t read the address of the University close enough to effectively distinguish between Indiana and India. There is a common experience among international students coming to Bloomington—we get extraordinary support from the second years, MBA staff and faculty, and alumni. They are available to help in any way they can. Obviously, they cannot do the household chores for me 😊. So, I learned to do them on my own to become a self-dependent person. Gradually, I figured out the way of life here. Bloomington is a lovely global college town where I feel perfectly at home now. I have yet to try the wide array of global cuisines available in the restaurants of Bloomington. As a vegetarian, I feel proud of the restaurants that often have lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, and vegan options.

Intimidating yet irresistible: While the change of location was challenging, the academics at Kelley are rigorous, especially the Core semester (the first semester in MBA). You will hear several anecdotes of Core semester from current students and alumni. There are many things that students try to achieve simultaneously—mandatory courses, career development, networking events, club events, and much more. For several weeks, I felt that I was always on the run and felt down for not being able to be perfect at anything. But, the support of peers, faculty, and staff was amazing. I never felt alone in the journey. My Core team members were always there to help me be successful. The quality of the academic experience is extraordinary at Kelley. Even when I am tired and have many other things to do, I make it a point to attend classes as they energize me, and hence, I learn a lot from them. The professors are amazing at facilitating discussions on complex cases and theoretical topics. Peers from around the world with diverse professional backgrounds enrich the experience of every activity. I am always awed by the talent and enthusiasm of anyone I come across at Kelley. As a part of our final Core semester consulting project, everyone came up with innovative recommendations for Sacred Serve, a plant-based gelato brand created by a Kelley MBA alum, Kailey Donewald.

If you are someone like me who is constantly on the search for more varied experiences, there are organizations and departments in IU, outside Kelley, that you can get involved with. In the beginning of fall semester, when everyone arrives on the campus, IU-wide organizations come together at Student Involvement Fair to create awareness about opportunities to get involved in activities. Clubs and organizations from all dimensions of activities—arts, sciences, culture, activism, athletics, recreation, and many more—set up kiosks at the fair to help us decide whether to join them. Subsequently, I found that The Media School allows students from any school at IU to be a part of animation work done by the animation students as a part of their coursework. I applied for this opportunity and was fortunate to assist animation students as an actor for facial capture and motion capture. I acted even though I am not a trained actor because experiences like these help me be comfortable in the uncomfortable and ambiguous situations in life. I met with new people and heard their interesting stories that I may have never heard otherwise. Also, they help me broaden my perception of this world, invoking a sense of respect for everyone’s unique qualities and work.

Since the time I have arrived in Bloomington, I am in love with the beauty of this place. Whatever time is left after doing everything I explained above (which means almost no spare time), I try to slow down to observe the natural and architectural beauty of the campus and other places in B-Town (another name for Bloomington). The views are breathtakingly beautiful during rain, fall, and snow. I have yet to experience spring in Bloomington. But, I have been told that the flower blooms on the campus look lovely. And yes, no one can miss the iconic Sample Gates, the adjacent Dunn’s Woods, Eskenazi Museum, and Showalter Fountain.

Life at Kelley and in Bloomington is full of learning, fun, and invaluable connections. Do reach out to a Hoosier Host to know more about the Kelley MBA program and life in Bloomington. Go Hoosiers!

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