2016 Best MBAs: Rahul Sharma, USC Marshall
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
“Focus on depth rather than breadth in what you involve yourself in. I made the rookie mistake of taking on too many channels of involvement my first few weeks as an MBA. Everything will sound enticing to you, but it’s critical that you buckle down and decide what will likely hold the greatest meaning for you down the line. As time continued, I found myself investing my time in activities and positions I knew had the greatest capacity for me to leave a legacy in my community and make an impact on my growth as a leader.”
Age: 29
Hometown: Fremont, California
Education:
University of California, San Diego – Dual B.A. Urban Studies & Planning, Political Science
Hunter College – Master of Science, Education
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice – Data/Analytics Coach and Teacher
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Starbucks – Seattle, Washington
Where will you be working after graduation? Starbucks – Product Manager
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Student Body President
Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management, Fellow
Marshall Ambassadors, Board Member
Marshall Youth Outreach Mentor
Junior Achievement Classroom Volunteer
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? While anyone’s business school career is no doubt defined by personal achievements, no accomplishment can eclipse the immense pride I shared with my classmates in bringing home the Challenge for Charity (C4C) “Golden Briefcase” for the 7th year in a row. C4C is a year-long competition, fiercely fought between eight of the West Coast’s top MBA programs with the goal of infusing philanthropy, community service ,and social responsibility within the MBA experience. Each program shares a focus on supporting the Special Olympics along with an array of local charities through fund raising and volunteer hours. The year’s efforts across each program culminates in a fiercely contested sports weekend that spans over 18 sports and is tabulated alongside money raised and hours volunteered to bestow one winning program with the Golden Briefcase (which literally is exactly what it sounds like).
USC Marshall earned the title once again this year by raising $284,000 and volunteering over 6,400 hours. It’s rare to find a program so deeply invested in bettering not only the lives of its students but also in having a profound impact in the community we share beyond our campus. C4C reminds me of the importance of being a balanced business leader cognizant of the responsibility that comes with earning an education.
Seeing the intensity and compassion that comes through the relentless work of my classmates towards a shared and worthy cause is so immensely special. The camaraderie and support felt throughout the year is what develops us as holistic leaders and brings me the utmost pride as a graduate of the program.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Leaving a legacy is always a defining part of how I assess my impact on anything I’m involved with. As a Data Coach for a public school in the South Bronx, I was tasked with the ambiguous challenge of leveraging big data in the world of education. My role required me to consult with members of my faculty to develop frameworks by which data and analytics could not only inform, but improve the quality of instruction for our students.
While the process was tedious and required constant feedback and redevelopment, I was proud of the array of tools I developed for my school across subject areas and grades. The knowledge that these structures were helping my faculty better reach the needs of our students make this an achievement I’m deeply proud of.
Favorite MBA Courses? Branding Strategy, Strategy and Operation Through a CFO Lens, Corporate Strategy and Competitive Dynamics
Why did you choose this business school? Put simply, the people. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of programs I was accepted to and took the time to attend admit events for each of them. By and far, there was an intangible difference at the USC Marshall campus that set it apart from the rest. The camaraderie between classmates, faculty, and staff was clear from my earliest interactions and did not take long to win me over. Mentorship was very real both within the program and beyond with alumni. As a career changer, I was looking for a truly transformational experience as an MBA. I quickly came to understand how vital community is in the process of molding you into a true business leader. After all your community is what should challenge you and push you to grow as an individual.
The intimate size of the Marshall community, combined with the access, resources, and prestige of the University of Southern California, made the decision a no brainer. In a world where the rhetoric of business school programs can almost become monotonous, Marshall was a pleasant breath of fresh air. I saw myself flourishing here. It didn’t take long for me to accept my place in the Trojan Family.
What did you enjoy most about business school? It is one thing to say your program values diversity, but it is another to proclaim your program embraces it. The intimate size and dynamic of the Marshall community served as a platform for me to truly learn from my classmates and their experiences. The diversity of experiences and backgrounds played a critical role in team structures, opinions, and contributions both within the classroom and beyond it. Marshall does an amazing job of ensuring we are exposed to a balance of perspectives across all aspects of the program. It’s helped me to never stop learning from those around me.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? How collaborative and supportive your fellow classmates can be was a huge surprise. While MBA’s are no doubt an outwardly competitive bunch, I was amazed by the patience, compassion, and warmth of my classmates. It was commonplace to see open tutoring sessions hosted by students and formally organized interview prep sessions being held at all hours of the day. The dynamic between first and second year MBA’s was also a huge surprise. These second year veterans of the MBA experience spent endless hours grooming us to be prepared for all the challenges of being an MBA. We truly want to see each other succeed and that compassion is embedded in you the day you arrive.
What was the hardest part of business school? Balancing the 3 “C’s” (as we call them at Marshall) of Career, Curriculum and Community can be a challenge. Finding your groove across the demands of academics, the importance of recruitment, and the dynamics of being social can be a process. I found the close mentorship between first and second year MBA students to be a vital source in developing the best ways to find my balance.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Understand the meaning of being a Trojan and becoming a part of the Trojan Family. We truly are a community here at USC Marshall and it is critical that you not only understand this concept but that you take the time to experience it. Whether it’s through a campus visit or by interacting with an alum, you’ll understand what sets our program apart and how you can frame your place in the community as a future student. No website, publication or anecdote can serve the same impact of taking the time to reach out and understand what makes this place so very special.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I came to realize the far greater impact I could have with the proper tools and skills of a real business leader.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…the host of my own talk show. That isn’t to say it doesn’t still remain a possibility.”
What are your long-term professional goals? I want to become the CMO of a Fortune 500 Company and to transform the way we reach and speak to consumers. I would want to guide my company towards embracing more conscientious practices in developing sustainable and symbiotic relationships between ourselves and our consumer. As the dynamic between companies and their consumers continues to evolve, I see there being a huge space for further developing the impact services and products can have on the world.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would want to thank my parents and several of the teachers and professor I’ve had growing up. My family has been a guiding and supportive presence throughout my life and no doubt are the main reason I’m in the position I now find myself in. They certainly challenged me when necessary and offered the care and compassion necessary to push me along to where I now stand. The influential educators I’ve had did just the same for me but through their own unique ways. Offering me the perspective of their fields while simultaneously developing my skills, they played a critical role in ensuring my development was holistic yet progressive.
Fun fact about yourself: My senior year of high school I was falsely crowned Homecoming King. I had the opportunity to wear the crown for about a minute until the mistake was discovered. Though short lived, had it not occurred, I might never have known the glory of attaining such an illustrious title.
Favorite book: The Bell Jar
Favorite movie: Persepolis
Favorite musical performer: J. Cole
Favorite television show: Daria
Favorite vacation spot: Tokyo, Japan
Hobbies? Film editing, trampolining, and USC Football
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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The Wharton School
“Be proactive and fearless in pursuing opportunities you are passionate about. If there’s one place where it’s completely ok to fail spectacularly, it’s business school.”
Age: 30
Hometown: Los Altos Hills, California
Education:
BA in International Relations, Stanford University MS in Management Science & Engineering, Stanford UniversityWhere did you work before enrolling in business school? From 2008 to 2012, I was the founder and CEO of The Brainplex, an edtech startup in India. I followed that with a stint as a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company in San Francisco from 2012 to 2014.
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? I worked for CAA Ventures in Los Angeles, which is the venture capital arm of the Creative Artists Agency — one of Hollywood’s leading talent agencies.
Where will you be working after graduation? I will be returning to McKinsey & Company as a Senior Associate in the New York office and I’m also working on starting an online charitable giving platform in India called dhana.
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Dean’s Graduate Student Advisory Committee (a select group of MBA students who advise Dean Geoffrey Garrett on issues of strategic importance to The Wharton School) Co-chair of 20th Wharton India Economic Forum First Year Academic Honors Fantasy football league commissioner!Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of the work I have done over the past year as a co-chair of the 20th Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF). Given that it was a landmark year for the conference, my co-chairs and I organized two incredible conferences this year — one in India in January and one in Philadelphia in March. As part of the India event, we also organized the 3rd annual Wharton India Startup Competition, and received nearly 750 applications from India-focused startups.
The process of organizing both conferences was a massive undertaking for my team and me, and often required the commitment of a full-time job. We recruited a team of nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate students across the University of Pennsylvania at the start of the school year to help us put together the events; raised and managed a budget of over $120,000; identified and invited dozens of speakers; collaborated with numerous stakeholders, including sponsors, Wharton administrators and professors, University of Pennsylvania and Wharton alumni, and the media; and hosted over 600 attendees across the two events.
Until the controversy in 2013 regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in WIEF, the conference was the premier India business conference in the United States. After that unfortunate event, the prestige of the conference took a bit of a hit, but the amazing feedback on this year’s conferences from attendees, speakers, Wharton administrators and alumni, and the media make me extremely proud to say that WIEF has returned to its previous stature. I am elated that my team and I have been able to help Wharton restore and deepen its ties with India, which is such an important country for the school and its students.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of founding and running a startup in India between 2008 and 2012. After graduating from Stanford in 2008, I decided to forego opportunities in investment banking in the U.S. to start an edtech company called The Brainplex. Although I had visited India frequently while growing up, I had never lived there until my move in 2008. The four years I spent running my startup in India as a solo founder were some of the toughest but also most edifying times of my life.
The Brainplex never quite experienced the success or reached the heights I had hoped for when I started the company, but the learnings I took away from my four years in India are invaluable, and I have found myself applying lessons from that experience in leadership and professional roles ever since. When I visit India and speak to friends in the entrepreneurial and investing communities, it is extremely gratifying to hear them speak of other edtech companies who have tried to build upon some of the things my startup did. The Brainplex might have been a little early to the market, but it did make an impact on the Indian education industry.
Favorite MBA Courses? Enabling Technologies, Strategy and Competitive Advantage, Experiments for Business Decision Making
Why did you choose this business school? I have a deep interest in India and the incredible opportunities the country holds for aspiring entrepreneurs like me. Of all the top business schools, Wharton has the strongest ties to India, is making the strongest commitments to furthering these ties, and many of its professors have been at the forefront of thought leadership regarding the Indian economy. This made Wharton an extremely appealing business school option for me.
What did you enjoy most about business school?
The opportunity to further pursue my interests in entrepreneurship and Indian business Forming amazing new friendships and learning from incredible classmates Taking part in an extremely unique summer internship opportunity at CAAWhat is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? Be proactive and fearless in pursuing opportunities you are passionate about. If there’s one place where it’s completely ok to fail spectacularly, it’s business school.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? The incredibly diverse backgrounds of my classmates. I thought I would be surrounded by people from finance and consulting, but my closest group of friends worked in the tech (startup and big tech), healthcare, media and entertainment, impact investing, non-profit, oil and gas, and biotech industries before school, to name a few. The opportunity to interact with students with such diverse backgrounds has been one of the most rewarding business school experiences.
What was the hardest part of business school? Trying to understand the correct balance between breadth and depth in the three key aspects of the business school experience — academics, extracurriculars, and social life. Wharton spoils us because there are so many opportunities available to students, and this initially overwhelmed me, as I feared I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of everything I could or should be taking advantage of. I eventually realized that I needed to narrow my focus down to the 2-3 things in each bucket I truly care the most about, and this helped me enjoy my experience far more.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? The two years of business school go by really fast, so if you come into the program with a solid understanding of what you want to get out of the experience, it becomes much easier to take advantage of the countless resources available to students.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I truly understood the scope of educational, professional, and social opportunities such an experience provides.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…pursuing the entrepreneurial dream for a second time.”
What are your long-term professional goals? I would love to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities that allow me to live and work in both the United States and India. I also want to further develop the startup ecosystem in India by building the Andreessen Horowitz of India — a firm that doesn’t just make venture capital investments, but is also a full-fledged support ecosystem for entrepreneurs.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? Unlike many Indian parents, my parents have never interfered with my extracurricular, academic, or career choices and have always provided me with whatever resources and support I have needed to pursue my passions. The one piece of advice they have always provided is that anything I choose to do should be done to the best of my abilities and with the aim of being the best at it. This advice has always stuck with me and is what drives me to constantly learn, improve, and grow. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents’ support.
Fun fact about yourself: I skipped kindergarten since I had already mastered the art of the nap.
Favorite book: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
Favorite movie: The Prestige
Favorite musical performer: Kygo
Favorite television show: Veep
Favorite vacation spot: Croatia
Hobbies? Travel, photography, and following my favorite sports teams — Stanford Football, San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and the Indian cricket team
What made Vikram such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“What’s it like to balance a full-time MBA while managing two international economic conferences with VIP attendees and media coverage from CNBC? Vikram Arumilli will tell you it’s a lot like running your own business.
Operating an ed-tech startup for four years in Hyderabad, India, he developed the grace under pressure that made him a successful business analyst at McKinsey in San Francisco and set him apart as an exemplary leader and organizer at Wharton. It’s no surprise he immediately gravitated toward the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF), one of the largest and most prestigious India-focused economic and business conferences in the world.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the conference, student organizers decided to hold not one but two events this year — one in Mumbai and one in Philadelphia. As co-chair of the forum, Vikram helped to recruit and manage an impressive roster of renowned keynote speakers and panelists in both countries. His marketing efforts garnered an unprecedented response to the 3rd Annual Wharton India Startup Competition, hosted at the sold-out conference in Mumbai.
Vikram’s tremendous entrepreneurial energy, passion for India’s thriving startup ecosystem, and calm, collected composure undoubtedly played a key role in the success of both events.”
Howard Kaufold
Vice Dean of the MBA Program
The Wharton School
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Winners of the Columbia Business School’s 2016 Pershing Square Challenge are pictured with Bill Ackman. From left to right are Thais Fernandes, Joanna Vu, Ackerman and Melody Li. Photo courtesy of Columbia Business School
Can MBAs deftly pick stocks? Is it a better plan to invest in an established American bank or a massive Canadian convenience store chain? And are men or women better at evaluating and picking stocks? Some answers to all of these questions were answered at Columbia Business School’s Pershing Square Challenge. The short answers are certainly, the latter and women.
Each year since 2008, around 40 teams of first and second year MBAs enrolled in Applied Security Analysis have competed for $100,000 divvied three ways and the street cred that comes with winning an investing competition at the home of value investing. This year more than 30 teams and over 100 MBAs were whittled down to five teams to pitch Pershing Square Founder and CEO, Bill Ackman, and a panel of judges. But when Ackman introduced this year’s finals, he was armed with a curveball. This year it would be all or nothing.
“Usually it’s $60,000 for first, $30,000 for second and $10,000 for third. But beforehand, Bill said, ‘I think we’re actually going to do winner takes all,'” recalls first year MBA and member of the second-place team, Daniel Rudyak.
SHATTERING THE PERSHING SQUARE CHALLENGE GLASS CEILING
The winning team came out slinging a curveball of their own: Invest in a Canadian convenience store chain. Forget banks, energy, pharmaceuticals or even the petroleum companies that supply oil to convenience store chains. Couche-Tard, one of the world’s largest chain of convenience stores, was the stock option to woo the panel with multiple billionaires and Ackman himself and claim the $100,000.
“We talked to a team member from a previous winning team and he said they practiced 53 times,” first year MBA and winning team member Joanna Vu says on a phone call with Poets&Quants. “So we decided to practice ours 53 times.”
It certainly paid off. Vu, alongside teammates Thais Fernandes and Melody Li shattered the Pershing Square Challenge glass ceiling by becoming the first entirely woman-led team to make the finals and win. “When we put together this team we wanted to prove that women can play just as hard with the guys in this industry,” Vu says. Mission accomplished. And this year, the women played harder.
‘CIGARETTES, BEER AND SLIM JIM BEEF JERKY’ FOR THE WIN?
After the team was formed, they each brought stock options for companies with more than $10 billion market capitalization, per the challenge’s rules. Fernandes, who has a background in investment management in her native Brazil, presented Couche-Tard. In Brazil, Fernandes says, the convenience store market is very consolidated compared to the United States and Canada.
During the pitch, which was replicated on CNBC’s Fast Money, Vu explained their investment thesis is “three-fold.” First, the team claimed Couche-Tard has proven to be recession resilient. Next, the company flied under the radar. Finally, Vu explained, and perhaps most importantly, the founder still runs the company and has a proven successful track record in mergers and acquisitions–thus driving home the whole consolidating a fragmented market theory.
Fast Money’s Karen Finerman, who also was a judge at the challenge, said on Fast Money the last point was what pushed this team over the edge and to the top. “The evolution of the business from mom and pops to big chain stores is very attractive,” Finerman said. Still, the attraction to convenience store market in general also proved viable. “People wonder, when gas prices go down, are you going to make less money? And in fact, they showed that hasn’t happened and the margins are great on the convenience store business with cigarettes, beer and Slim Jim beef jerky,” Finerman said, garnering laughs from her Fast Money co-hosts.
CHARLES SCHWAB: THE ‘PERPETUAL GROWTH MACHINE’
But the curveballs didn’t stop there. Two teams were so close, for the first time ever, the second place team was awarded an additional $50,000. Rudyak joined forces with second year MBAs, Brandon Cohen and Chris Andreola and pitched banking behemoth, Charles Schwab.
“A lot of people think it’s an interest rate play, but in fact, it was the only one of the finalists, in Bruce Greenwald’s opinion, that essentially was not dependent on future uncertain growth opportunities and rather an investment just looking at the core business and value in the core business,” Rudyak claims, referring to the Director of Columbia’s Heilbrunn Center for Graham and Dodd Investing.
According to Rudyak, Cohen came across Charles Schwab while researching investment options for his own family fund. No doubt the threesome did some deep investigation. After a second place finish in 2015’s challenge, Cohen came into this year’s competition with a chip on his shoulder and business to settle. The team devised a 80-page thesis, interviewed employees at Charles Schwab and its main competitors, Etrade and TD Ameritrade and even looked at investment gurus, Lou Simpson and Glenn Greenberg’s 13F filings. “We realized in the short-term, this is a perpetual growth machine,” Rudyak says. Indeed, Rudyak sent Poets&Quants an incredibly well researched two-pager outlining why Charles Schwab is poised to steamroll nearly anything in its path.
AT LEAST HALF OF WINNINGS GO TO ‘PHILANTHROPIC’ CAUSE
Looking back, Rudyak believes what set his team and Couche-Tard apart from the rest was looking at the less “sexier” stocks. “I think the youth don’t really look at financials or investing in financial institutions as something sexy or something that could actually yield high returns,” he says. Indeed, the millennial stereotype–still gun-shy from Great Recession residue–doesn’t bode well for trust in the financial types that thrust them into an underwhelming market. Yet, Rudyak and his seasoned teammates were able to capitalize on the hesitancy from others.
With the winning money, the teams are encouraged to give philanthropically with at least half the winnings. For the Couche-Tard team, the plan is to create a scholarship for women interested in investing. The Schwab team plans to give back to the Heilbrunn Center.
DON’T MISS: MY STORY: FROM KENTUCKY TO COLUMBIA or WALL STREET’S STUNNING COLLAPSE AT COLUMBIA
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Stanford Graduate School of Business
Age: 27
“The question that the GSB asks us to ask ourselves first quarter is, why would someone follow you? I didn’t know how to answer that for the 25 years prior to business school, but over the last five quarters, I’ve developed the confidence to lead and to answer this question with a keen awareness of both my strengths and flaws as a leader.”
Hometown: Lake Bluff, IL
Undergraduate School and Degree: Harvard, Economics
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? The Boston Consulting Group, Consultant in the San Francisco office
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? DCM Ventures, Menlo Park
Where will you be working after graduation? To Be Decided
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School
2016 Siebel Scholar
Co-President Women in Management
Co-President Venture Capital Club
Co-President Epicureans at the GSB (E@T) Club
Arbuckle Leadership Fellow
Financial Women of San Francisco Scholarship Winner
Teaching Assistant for Leadership in Entertainment
Impact Labs Investing Associate
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Planning the 160-women Women in Management (WIM) Retreat this past fall. The first quarter of business school can be incredibly daunting – you feel like you don’t fit in socially, academically, and even professionally. When I was an MBA1, the WIM Retreat changed everything for me. It was the first place that I realized I truly belonged to a community and could be myself at the GSB because there were people rooting for me and feeling the same way. Being one of the leaders of the Retreat this year gave me the opportunity to help build this community for the new MBA1s and also start to lay the groundwork for managing difficult conversations around gender, community and professional development. It was a powerful weekend and an unparalleled hands-on lesson in leadership.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At BCG, I had the opportunity to work on a bioinformatics computing case in which our team, comprised primarily of PhDs and MDs, were tasked with creating project and funding roadmaps to help achieve the moonshot of using computing power to improve human health. What made me proud of this work was that we successfully found incredible partners for our client, developed an exciting and ambitious roadmap, and created a path to funding (which has since been achieved) while cultivating the best internal team culture and relationship with the main client. Despite the steep learning curve, I also personally discovered my passion for the intersection of health care, data and technology. The manager that I worked for is still a friend to this day, and I will always strive to achieve the culture that we fostered during that intense and fast-paced yet fun project on future teams.
Favorite MBA Courses? I have loved my academic experience at the GSB. A few of my favorite courses include: Investment Management and Entrepreneurial Finance, Interpersonal Dynamics, Innovation and Non-Founder CEOs, The Industrialist’s Dilemma, Formation of New Ventures, Leadership Perspectives, Rethinking Purpose, Food Innovation, Global Operations, Global Financial Reporting, and HR For Start-Ups.
Why did you choose this business school? I came to business school not only to learn about particular subjects, but also to develop my personal leadership skills. I felt that Stanford GSB uniquely emphasized both and the last five quarter have confirmed this for me. In addition, I grew up in Chicago, went to school in Boston, and worked in New York before moving to San Francisco. The Bay area, with its diversity of people, ideas and possibilities, is the place that I feel most at home and Stanford is an institution that lies at the heart of what makes the Bay so amazing.
What did you enjoy most about business school? The people. I love that you can sit down with any classmate or professor on campus and have an interesting conversation and find both commonalities and differences that help each other learn more. The openness and willingness to help anyone affiliated with the GSB is also incredible. Many of my closest friends are now people that I met during business school.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? I’m surprised by how much I’ve loved the experience and why. Before starting, I was really nervous that I wouldn’t fit in. However, business school is one of the most diverse environments I’ve ever been in—there is no such thing as “fitting in.” Classmates come from so many different countries, professions and stages of life. In spite of all these differences, the GSB community is cohesive and welcoming. Friendships go beyond surface-level similarities and are more values-based, which I believe makes them stronger.
What was the hardest part of business school? The hardest part of business school has been finding the right balance of social, academic, professional and health-related priorities. One of my personal goals has been to better determine what is essential and to focus my time and energy on that rather than everything at once.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Before you start, create a list of what is important to you. Then cross out every item except one. You can change your priority as time goes on, but make sure you don’t lose sight of what you believe is most important. And it’s okay to say no sometimes so that you have room for spontaneity.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized that many of the investors that I admired had gone to business school and they discussed the network and education being pivotal to their careers. My parents have always emphasized the doors that education opens, so my initial interest started even earlier.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…trying my best to gain the experience and skills to be the best investor I could be.”
What are your long-term professional goals? I’d like to start my own investment fund focused on healthy and sustainable living one day.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents and my brother Brian are the reason for any success I’ve ever achieved. My parents never pushed me, but instead provided examples for the type of person I want to be: disciplined, kind and humble. They came to this country in the 1980s with $50 they borrowed and no English, but they are living proof of what they’ve always told me and my brother: we can achieve anything we put our minds to if we work hard and are kind to the people around us. To this day, they are the people I go to with any problem, big or small. My brother is my best friend and keeps me grounded.
Fun fact about yourself: I am addicted to self-improvement books and Korean dramas.
Favorite book: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow and Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Favorite movie: Whiplash, Lord of the Rings III
Favorite musical performer: Beyonce
Favorite television show: House of Cards (currently)
Favorite vacation spot: Carmel/Big Sur
Hobbies? Photography, running, event planning, virtual reality
What made Sarah such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of working with and advising Sarah through the various leadership roles she has taken on during her time at the GSB. As co-president of Women in Management (WIM), the Venture Capital Club, and Epicureans at the GSB, Sarah has demonstrated her commitment and dedication to the GSB, her peers, and her own values and interests. I have been most impressed by the impact Sarah has made through her leadership role with WIM. From seamlessly executing a retreat for over 150 women last fall to compiling a weekly club newsletter highlighting relevant articles and events on campus, Sarah has been essential in making WIM one of the most vibrant and influential student organizations at the GSB. In addition, she has organized numerous opportunities for her classmates to hear and learn from top female and male executives as they have discussed issues around gender equality and women’s advocacy in the workplace. By facilitating these discussions, Sarah has created a safe-space for her classmates to engage openly in these topics and, in turn, has promoted a more open and inclusive GSB culture.
Outside of her extracurricular accomplishments, I admire Sarah’s intellectual curiosity and determination to make the GSB not only the best and most rewarding experience for herself, but for her classmates as well. Well-respected by her peers, Sarah continuously leads with empathy, compassion, and drive. Her humble approach to leadership and her caring nature are hallmarks of her character and have allowed her to influence others to achieve greatness and treat each other with respect and grace. Sarah is truly a one-of-a-kind individual, and while her impact at the GSB has been undeniably remarkable, I know she will continue to inspire and lead for many years to come.”
Laura Hobson
Assistant Director, Student Activities
Stanford Graduate School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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