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Kelley School of Business Indiana University Bloomington
Full-Time +Flex MBA Program

Finding my MBA path

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Rohit Raman, MBA/MSIS Candidate Class of 2022

“I want to be a Product Manager in Fintech Industry”- Source unknown.

Disclaimer: This is not my dream and frankly, when I was starting my MBA, I had no idea what either Product Manager or Fintech meant.

Before joining the Kelley family, I served in the Indian Navy for 10 years. I am second-generation Military personnel and military life is all I had experienced before. I had no idea what happened in the Corporate world, or what I wanted to do post completing my graduation. I thought two years was a long time to figure out what I enjoyed doing and then find a job that let me do that. During Me, Inc, the Cohort was split into smaller groups and then asked by a career coach what we wanted to do with our MBA. Everyone in the group except me was so sure what they wanted. Some wanted to be product managers in Fintech, others wanted to be consultants in technology or investment bankers. I freaked out and started to wonder what I had gotten myself into.

 

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Alumni Spotlight: Udit Joshi, MBA’19

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Udit Joshi, MBA’19 shares how his experience as a Kelley full-time MBA student enabled him to build momentum in his career and take him all the way to Google as a Global Product Lead. From gaining coaching experience with 1Kelley Consulting to building his confidence and giving him an edge in his career with Me, Inc, hear from Udit on his time at Kelley:

Kelley MBA Alumni Spotlight Udit Joshi, MBA’2019 from Kelley School of Business on Vimeo.

Ready to create the future you want like Udit? Learn more about why the Kelley MBA is right for you.

Alumni Spotlight Alejandro Guerrero Canal, Class of 2015

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Where are you from, and where were you living before you came to Kelley?

I’m from Bogota, Colombia, and was living there before beginning my MBA at Kelley.

You had worked in several different corporate financial roles before you joined the MBA program. What motivated you to return to graduate school for your MBA?

I spent a significant amount of time working in my family’s business right before Kelley. When I started thinking about continuing my career elsewhere, I realized I was missing something in my background and an MBA seemed to be the right next step.

I wasn’t really sure about what I wanted to do after graduation but I knew an MBA would open doors in different directions, so for me, it was also about learning about what drives me and understanding where my skills can be a differentiating factor. Two years at Kelley helped me gain perspective to be able to make better career choices. (more…)

Alumni Spotlight Catalina Silva, Class of 2017

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You had worked in several different engineering and supply chain roles before you joined the MBA program. What motivated you to return to graduate school—and to come to the United States—for your MBA?

Part of me always wanted to attend graduate school as I think it is important to never stop learning. My brother had gotten his MBA in the US and through some discussions with him thought this would be a good move for me in order to take my career to the next level. I knew there were many excellent universities in the US that I could look into and I also wanted to have the experience of living here.

What factors led you to choose Kelley over other MBA programs?

I attended “The Grad School”, an institute in Bogota that helps with training for the GMAT and school application counseling, and they gave me a list of potential schools that fit my interests and Kelley was one of them. I did some research on the school and the MBA program and it captured my interest, as I was looking for a school in a small to mid-sized city, with a strong supply chain MBA concentration, and a medium-sized class. After meeting in Bogota with Regina Lee, associate director of admissions, at an MBA conference and with current students during a winter break coffee chat, I decided to apply to the Kelley along with two other business schools that also met my criteria. I was accepted into all three but ultimately made my decision after I traveled and toured each of the campuses and met with people in each school. There is a magic to Bloomington and the culture that Kelley has that is undeniable and made me feel at home as soon as I got there. It is truly a collaborative, fun environment.

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Alumni Spotlight: Seann Kim, MBA 2018

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Seann Kim, MBA’18, joined the Kelley full-time MBA program after a decade of military service. Seann is now an investment banking associate-Global Industrials Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Chicago, IL

Where are you from, and where were you living before you came to Kelley?
I’m originally from Palatine, IL. Pre-Kelley, I was stationed at Joint-Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. While there, my family lived in beautiful Tacoma, WA, where we fell in love with the Pacific Northwest.

Before coming to Kelley, you graduated from West Point and served as an Army Special Forces Detachment Commander. What motivated you to return to graduate school for an MBA?
After a decade of rigorous military training and deployments around the world, my wife and I decided that we needed to transition to a different lifestyle. At the time, I wasn’t confident or fully prepared to pursue a specific and new career directly from the military, especially with a wife and three young kids. I believed that a full-time MBA experience would be the perfect transition for a vet back to the civilian sector. That said, I had an amazing experience as a Green Beret and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

What led you to choose Kelley over other MBA programs?
When I was exploring different programs, my sister’s boyfriend was in his 2nd year at Kelley. During his time in Bloomington, he routinely kept me up to date with his MBA experience. I eventually attended Experience Weekend. That validated a lot of the views he shared with me about Kelley’s culture, academic experience, network, and potential to maneuver my way into sought-after careers. That weekend, I officially committed to Kelley and since I did it in person, I got some cool Kelley swag! (more…)

The Power of the Kelley Alumni Network

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When Daniel de Moura Bernardes lost a job offer after graduating from the Kelley full-time MBA program due to the global pandemic, he could have never known that a tennis lesson would lead to an offer for his dream job. Listen in as Daniel discusses his last semester as a Kelley MBA in unprecedented times and how the power of the Kelley alumni network connected him to the perfect opportunity.
Ready to create the future you want like Daniel? Learn more about why the Kelley MBA is right for you.

Finding a new family at Kelley

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Siafa Hage
MBA Candidate | Class of 2021 | CGSM

The Kelley Consortium

Attending the Kelley School of Business Full-Time MBA Program is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Being taught by eager and world-class faculty and having the support of Graduate Career Services are two reasons why. But nothing has been more enriching than my membership into the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM) family. There are definite admission awards specific to being a Kelley School CGSM member: merit scholarship, free health care during your two years of study, and dedicated faculty-led study sessions during the Core semester, to name a few. The admissions package is the outcome of not only gaining admission to Kelley but also successfully completing an independent Consortium admissions process. It represents Kelley’s commitment to eliminating the barriers that prevent many underrepresented minorities from seeking an MBA degree.

We are Family
But there is an even greater benefit that I gained through Kelley Consortium membership – family. Even before my CGSM ’21 cohort started our first class, we had bonded. We spent the summer before school preparing for and attending the Consortium Orientation Program, which gave us early recruiting access to some of the most sought-after companies. When we finally arrived on campus, we were welcomed by the CGSM class of ’20, who hosted small group dinners for us at their homes. They also planned community service activities, a Thanksgiving potluck to show off our culinary skills (or lack thereof), and a white elephant Christmas party (can you believe someone gift wrapped bacon?!). But most of all, it’s the marathon study sessions in the Kelley MBA Lounge and impromptu get-togethers at each other’s homes that I cherish the most. These were the moments where we fretted, struggled, and laughed until we cried. These were the moments when we strengthened already unbreakable bonds.

Leadership at Kelley

While we are a close-knit group, we are equally proud to be members of the overall Kelley community. This is demonstrated by our collective leadership. Of the 31 official clubs for MBA students, a third are led by Consortium members: Innovators Club, Food Club, Beer Club, Marketing Club, Luxury Marketing Club, Out@Kelley, Diversity Champions, Latino MBA Association, and Black MBA Association. The student body president is also a CGSM member and the president of the Partners Club is the spouse of a Consortium student. Additionally, we serve as graduate assistants in many areas, including two of us serving on the Admissions Committee. Proudly, we are integrated into the fabric of the Kelley community in diverse ways.

Join Us!
The 2021 and 2022 Consortium cohorts self-identify as Black, white, Latino, and Asian. We are citizens of 3 different countries. Our professional experiences, reasons for attending business school, and post-Kelley career goals vary widely. But what we have in common is a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Specifically, we are committed to the mission of the Consortium, which is to increase the representation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in business schools, corporate America, the non-profit sector, government, and entrepreneurship. All U.S. citizens and permanent residents committed to this mission are encouraged to apply to Kelley through the Consortium. As a Consortium Liaison for the 2020-2021 academic year, I look forward to welcoming you into the Kelley Consortium family.

Summer in Bloom

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By Cait Hickey, MBA’21

When the Class of 2021 kicked off our business school experience last fall, we knew that we would be pursuing internships that would disperse us all over the country the following summer. With that said, we made the most of every fall tailgate, Bluebird concert, and opportunity to Sink the Biz. We rented the 10th and College clubhouse for game nights, bussed to Columbus for a beer festival, and threw every themed party. In case Eric Johnson or Kyle Cattani is reading this, we also found time to network and study diligently!

But as the spring semester came to a close and the world went virtual, we found ourselves in the one place we never thought we would be this summer: Bloomington, IN. And we fell in love with Bloomington all-new (physically distant) ways.

I bought a bike and explored the B-Line. We went camping and introduced some of our international classmates to smores. We played pickleball at Switchyard Park and tennis at Bryant Park. The veterans led a virtual workout that we started doing every Monday and Wednesday morning outside of City Hall (try it here). We ordered BBQ nachos from Big Woods, picked up coffee from Hopscotch and too many pastries from Two Sticks, and have tested our share of DaVinci pizzas.

Whenever I am asked how my summer was, I always say it was a summer in Bloom! We got to experience a quiet Bloomington summer and spend more time with our classmates. We are so excited that the first-years are making their way to campus and already look forward to the first time we get to come back to Bloomington to recruit the next generation of Kelleys!

What I Love About Bloomington

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By Danielle VeZolles

As you’re exploring business schools and determining where to apply, I encourage you to take a closer look at Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Sure, I could tell you about the Core curriculum, our amazing professors, or experiential learning through our Academies. But I’d like to provide you with a perspective on another aspect of the Kelley School of Business experience: living in Bloomington, Indiana. Bloomington is a quintessential college town. It’s full of eclectic restaurants, classic college bars, and independent boutiques. But what I’ve found most compelling about the B-town experience has been the beautiful campus, the recreational areas, and the slower pace of life.

Beautiful Campus Indiana University was founded in 1820 and just celebrated its 200th birthday this year. The nearly 2,000-acre campus is full of historic buildings, including some that date back to the late 19th century. Most of the buildings are constructed of beautiful locally quarried Indiana Limestone. You’ll also find ample greenspace throughout campus where students can be found stretched out in hammocks or catching up with friends and catching some rays. While you’re trekking through campus, you’re bound to encounter some of the most famed residents – the countless friendly squirrels that call our campus home. It’s easy to spend your entire day at Kelley, but there’s no better way to end a long day of class than with a leisurely stroll through campus.

Recreational Areas If you love being active, you’ll find plenty of outdoor venues to enjoy in Bloomington and the surrounding areas. Lake Monroe and Griffy Lake are two favorites that are just a short drive away where you can hike or rent watercraft like pontoons, canoes, or kayaks. Beyond Bloomington, there is Nashville, Indiana, an artist colony nestled among the wooded rolling hills. It’s also home to Brown County State Park where there are numerous hiking trails and scenic views – especially during the fall months. My favorite locale for walking, running, and biking in Bloomington is the B-Line Trail. This paved multi-use trail stretches 3.1 miles and is the perfect place to unwind solo or with a friend.

Slower Pace of Life It’s no secret that Bloomington is not located in a major city. Many students who pursue their MBA come from bustling metropolitan areas and the contrast of a college town can be quite stark. However, if you are looking to slow down and truly immerse yourself in your MBA program, you’ll find Bloomington to be an ideal fit. Living in Bloomington provides the grounds to immediately feel a deep sense of community, fostered by the connections made in Me, Inc. and in the Core. In Bloomington, you’ll have access to everything you need – without the distraction or cost of living of a major city. However, if you’re itching for city amenities or a change of scenery, Indianapolis is a quick one-hour drive away.

Bloomington is a wonderful place to call home for two years and enjoying life outside of Kelley makes the MBA experience even richer.

MBA Momentum Podcast: How to build a recession-proof career in supply chain management and decision science

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Join us for our second episode of the MBA Momentum Podcast – a new offering that enables listeners to hear from Kelley professors and alums on various topics of interest. In this episode, IU Kelley MBA Professor of Operations Management Kyle Cattani discusses how companies are eager to hire supply chain-focused MBA students and what industries are hot versus not for decision science and supply chain management careers.

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