The MBA Student Voice

UCLA Anderson Students: Leaders in Sustainability

UCLA Graduate students have the option to take an interdisciplinary view in the Leaders in Sustainability (LIS) program.

Still relatively new, the program has grown from 20 some students to more than 100 in a year.  I'm currently participating in the core class requirement with a handful of business students along with other graduate students pursuing degrees in Urban Planning, Public Policy, Engineering, Law, and more.

Initiated originally with in UCLA's Anderson School of Management, the LIS program encourages students from all graduate programs to participate, bringing together an important interdisciplinary perspective under a common umbrella of sustainability.

Heading-up the program, Professor Charles Corbett at UCLA Anderson is in the process of turning the LIS program into an official certificate program within graduate studies. 

Anderson in Whistler

It's unbelievable how fast 10 weeks goes buy when you're getting used to the quarter system as a first year full-time MBA Student and UCLA Anderson.  Luckily nearly 100 of us had an escape, joined by a handful of second years to the annual Anderson Ski Trip but together by their chapter of Challenge 4 Charity (C4C). 

Surrounded by smiling faces, no less than 24 hours following our last final, we gathered in the airport in Vancouver, Canada, waited for the bus, and made our way to the mountain.

Snowboards and skis in hand, we managed to make the most of the unseasonably cold and dry weather, which included a mere 16cm base.  Warmed by nights in the hot tub and planned events out on the town, it didn't take long for the Anderson crew to find their footing around the small Whistler Mountain. 

The experience was great fun despite being exhausted, somewhat bruised (but none luckily injured enough for any hospital visits), and in desperate need for weather where the wind chill was not -20 degrees - not to mention a great fundraiser.  Talk about multitasking.  Can't wait until next year.

UCLA Anderson at Tesla

Two years in the making, the Anderson Automotive Association (AAA) held its opening for the 2008-09 school year at the brand new Tesla Automotive showroom in Santa Monica, CA.  A new club to the Anderson Student Association (ASA) in 2008, the AAA is currently under provisional watch – but with the number of 1st years showing-up at Tesla, it looks like the club’s future has been ensured.  While it is still up in the air whether or not I’ll be joining the AAA enthusiasts (although I’m looking forward to taking on my fellow peers in a go-kart race on a slick track… on one of the club’s socials), I have to admit it was pretty interesting walking-up to a showroom that has a huge floor to ceiling window looking in on the fume free shop.

UCLA Anderson Recruiting in Full Swing

Three weeks in and my calendar is already filling with presentations from companies looking for potential summer interns and full time employees for 2nd year MBA students.  Most will come back a second time around for the summer interns, but for those of us still trying to figure out what we want to do following our years at Anderson, it gives us an opportunity to get a brief (all be it an hour) view into a company you have any interest in learning more about.  The hardest part is deciding which ones you cannot go to, due to scheduling conflicts with other presentations, but the Parker Career Management Center on campus makes it easy to get your calendar in order.  So far I’ve been pretty consistent sticking to both Marketing and Consulting presentations.  We’ll see if my decision sways one way or another.

Where do you want to lead? Submissions due for Leadership Positions at Anderson Week 2

Prior to Orientation, the Parker Career Management Center had all the incoming class of 2010 submit their resumes in the standard UCLA Anderson format.  Under the heading for UCLA Anderson there were three categories Honors, Leadership, and Membership which were all created a bulk of unwanted white space gleaming a top the first few inches of my new Business Resum.  Little did I know I would be able to fill two of the three headings by the end of week 2, which is a bit overwhelming and comforting all at the same time, - because the consulting firms are already making their way onto campus for summer recruiting.  That’s right, be ready to start dawning your "business formal" wear the second week of school if you’re interested in a consulting career. 

Picking which professional clubs you want to serve in leadership positions in is a bit of a crap shot, partly because several deadlines can fall on the same day and not entirely knowing your chances, a student can easily find themselves overwhelmed with too many positions or come out completely empty handed.  As it turned out, lady luck was on my side (or perhaps it was the insatiable writing skills that really sold the current 2nd year leadership on my abilities), I’ve been dubbed a first year director for the Management Consulting Association’s Career Night as well as a first year director for the Marketing Association Day’s on the Job for Northern California.  Not only am I happy that I have some robust fodder for the top of my resume, I’m excited about the opportunities both can bring me as I begin the hunt for a summer internship only two weeks into school.  Here’s to summer, if I make it through the rest of the quarter.

What type of professional are you? Professional Clubs Kick-off Week 1 at Anderson

Following the two weeks of orientation and the conclusion of Leadership Foundations, I was somewhat looking forward to not having 14 hours of each day of my week pre-scheduled.  Little did I know how fast my calendar would fill come Monday.  After picking-up the weekly edition of Anderson’s newsletter, the Exchange, and checking out the scheduled events.  I found my what I thought was free time filling with a number of professional clubs' kick-off events.  The great thing about these informative sessions into each of the numerous Anderson Student Association (ASA) clubs is the extremely early jump you can get on networking, the additional social aspect, and of course the free food (although I was tiring of Pizza by the end of the week). 

It also marks the occasion where you finally have to pick and choose which clubs you will commit to, and whether or not you would like to join for one or two years.  I admittedly went a bit overboard and committed to no less than four professional clubs including the Entrepreneurial Association, the Management Consulting Association, the Marketing Association, and NetImpact.  All of this while recently getting appointed to the C4C Board to be the new web-techie (look for a new page soon).  One of the biggest opportunities anyone receives by joining a club is an ability to attend their events which are a mixture of recruiting, education, and socializing – my general thought was to be as inclusive as possible leaving many more doors open to the future.  We’ll see how it all works out in the end.

Anderson Orientation Week 2: Fun’n Games, Full Steam Ahead

Whether or not you fancy dressing-up in high socks and short shorts with headband and wristband accessories or you like to dawn drag every once in a while and improvise your rendition of Chicago (boys???), you just might find yourself smack dab in the middle of Orientation Week 2 at Anderson.  Gone are the days of Week 1 and the somewhat more structured lecturers of Leadership Foundations, your current mission is to dive headfirst into Section Spirit in attempt to make your bid for the Section Cup.  Bonding with your fellow classmates is not an option; it’s the consequential reaction to spending too much time together while working out the dance routine for the section skit.

If you’re at all confused with my first paragraph, no worries - rest assured I’m still trying to wrap my head around the events of the week but that’s just what made it so much fun.  These are the type of experiences that leave lasting impressions (some bad, most good), and open the doors to all of those lifelong friends I hear alums talking about regarding their experience at B-School.  It’s cheeky, I know – but did I also mention ihow much fun it all was?

Coming Together, UCLA Anderson Orientation Week 1

Week one of orientation taught me that the b-school experience at Anderson is filled with normal people who have an uncanny ability to act crazy if given the opportunity, goodies, food and more food, and events full of amazing fun.

I arrived the first day, and immediately gathered round my fellow San Franciscans who I met previously at a variety of happy hours up in the Bay Area a mere month before. While we only knew enough of one another to have briefly exchanged phone numbers or business cards, there was an instant kinship comparable to the other 300+ students that we had yet to meet. We all gathered in three rows in Korn Hall and passed whispers of our pre-formed opinions of our new classmates based on their responses to the 2010 Anderson Yahoo Groups. There was a nominal agreement that the need to reply to all with a few sentences was generally annoying – do these people know email etiquette?

All thoughts were quickly shattered and our group was scattered as we were divided-up into five sections from A to E. *** This is obviously where I have to give a shout-out to my Ultra Super Cool section leader and fellow student blogger Shianne Park – oh yes, and I probably should throw in Josh Horwitz for good measure as well.  These two 2009 candidates dubbed my Section - Section B - the Blues Brothers - and took the lead for more than 70 unsuspecting classmates in the class of 2010.

The remainder of the week was a whirlwind of different events. I vaguely remember jumping off of tall telephone poles, spending more than half the day with an improv group, something involving loud cheering (including the aptly renamed b-side cheerleaders - GOOO SECTION B) and nearly turning over a bounce house at the end of the week. It leaves me wondering what’s in store next week.

New Career, New School, Insta Network

When I was in 4th grade I decided I want to be an architect.  Now with two architecture degrees under my belt and enough credentials to be licensed as an architect in more than 40 states, I find myself in search of a new answer to an old childhood question.  "What do you want to be when you grow-up?"  Having some direction, but seeking the education to understand a new language outside of archi-speak I turned to business school.

Subsequent to many long conversations with UCLA Anderson Alumni, making the decision to commit to the acceptance following my 2nd round applications was far from extraneous. I was anxious to make a move back to Los Angeles, and looked forward to being completely immersed into the student culture on campus.

It took a little less than a week before I was indoctrinated into an online community with fellow 2010 class members, and a little less than a month to coordinate a San Francisco meeting of new 2010ers.

One consistent response I have heard from every MBA graduate, no matter what their alma mater, regarding their experience while in school is: “It’s definitely one of the best and one of the most memorable year(s) of my life. You will make lifelong friends, and will have an amazing time.”

Gathered on the small second floor of a local brew pub, meeting for the first time with my future classmates in San Francisco – I was already ecstatic looking forward to my next two years at Anderson.

Moving Back to Los Angeles

I first declared myself a resident of Los Angeles in 2002, moving straight into the heart of downtown to get my Masters in Architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCIArc). I quickly learned that it's not safe to walk the streets after seven, the nearest decent grocery store was 7 miles away, and that the already congested one way streets were frequently tied-up due to filming. When I moved out a year later, I made a promise that I would never live back in downtown LA again.

Now, recenlty re-located following a year in San Francisco, I have moved myself straight into downtown on one of the busiest bi-secting streets, Broadway. Why you ask? Well, because I've done a little growing and learned that I should never say "never," BUT I've also been watching the tremendous change taking place in the area and soon realized that I was missing my old haunts.

It just goes to show how much a city can transform over the course of six years, and how vibrant and ever-changing Los Angeles continues to be. Always on the cutting edge of architecture and design, while remaining reminiscent to it's historical roots. One thing is for sure, it's known as a city of opportunity filled with those seeking out their dreams. I'm glad that UCLA Anderson has brought me back to my beloved City of Angels, and look forward to the next two years while being reflective of the past lessons I have learned.