Thunderbird Student Voices

By Matt Gottesman, Thunderbird MBA 2011

I’m a first trimester student here at Thunderbird and this will be my first blog for Student Voices.

Let me start out by saying that my grad school experience is by far the busiest I have ever had to endure. The schedule and the curriculum call for you to think, talk and act fast, and it is my theory that if you can organize all this chaos, you can manage anything. With that being said, I have determined that my time between classes, studying, student government, numerous clubs and my private life, can all be efficiently run from one device; my iPhone. This prompted me with a thought; can we all really run the world from our phone?
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By Kelly Sheridan, Thunderbird MBA 2011

Kelly was nominated as a Thunderbird Exchange Student to study at HEC for the Fall Trimester. She is bringing her passion to Paris through her MBA studies in organizational development and her love for French cheese, bread, and wine.

My interest in France and Europe began in pre-school at the French-American School, continued with summer courses at the Sorbonne in high school, and matured with my double major in French and Political Science at Wellesley College. Thus, when I had the prospect to study at HEC in Paris as a Thunderbird Exchange Student, I quickly seized the opportunity.

I have been in Paris for nearly a month and I am in my second week of classes. HEC, which is known for its Grande Ecole and extensive alumni network, does not cease to amaze me. Although surrounded by pastures – cows and organic farms – it is laden with students from all around the world, each person committed to learning about international business.

Similar to Thunderbird, these students hail from different industries and functions, socio-economic backgrounds and religions. From the bus station at the small French town of Jouy-en-Josas one can hear anything from Cantonese to Spanish; it is a testament to just how small the world is.

However, what I have found most striking thus far is how business is treated in a French context. Last week I attended the HEC MBA Career Fair. The CEO of Cisco France, Laurent Blanchard, declared to the group, “We are in this crisis because there is not enough emotion. Bring emotion into your job.” I was a bit struck by this statement, and more particularly struck by how the audience appeared to concur in unison. As an American I am not as used to “feeling” my job, or “feeling” business. However, after listening to Blanchard, I soon joined the bandwagon. Indeed, business requires a balance between the tough and soft side of an organization; it mandates knowing when to trust your head and when to trust your gut.

As I embark upon the second year of my MBA I hope to glean a bit of this je ne sais quoi – to analyze the numbers and determine the bottom line, but to equally bring more passion and emotion into my studies and career.

By Kate Robertson ’10, full-time MBA student

The Brazil Winterim course, Sustainable Development in Practice, is one of the most competitive Winterim offerings at Thunderbird. This comes as no surprise. Who DOESN’T want to spend freezing cold January in Brazil?! Not only is Brazil a highly sought after tourist destination for its beautiful beaches, lively samba music, delicious capirinha cocktails and unique capoiera dancing, but also, it truly is one of the world’s leaders in sustainable business practices.

Listen below as Professor John Zerio explains how YOU can secure yourself a spot in the Brazil Winterim. He discusses the application process and the qualities he is looking for in course participants. Good luck!

By Wells Thomas, Thunderbird MBA, ‘11

Wells is currently working as an intern at the U-community Hotel in Osaka, Japan. He is focusing on international hotel management.

The last 2 days have been extremely fun. On Saturday I went with several coworkers (Sato san, Yamaguchi san and her friend Aiko, Kuratsu san and her son Hyuta) to a Hanshin Tigers baseball game. It was really fun. Baseball is actually the most popular sport in Japan and the Hanshin Tigers fans are said to be particularly rabid.

Now baseball in Japan and Baseball in the U.S. are a little bit different. Actually I should tell you this, the game that is played is the same but the atmosphere surrounding it is different. It was like going to another planet and seeing that they also play baseball. For instance, the food at a Japanese baseball game is different.

They do eat hot dogs and drink beer but the hotdogs are on a stick and not on a bun and they taste a little different; not bad different just different. They also eat takoyaki, which is kind of like Aebleskivers with chunks of octopus in it, topped with Japanese BBQ sauce and fish flakes.

Read the rest here…

By Kelly Fuson, MBA in Global Management ‘11

Last week twenty marketing students flew to New York City for three days of visits to top companies, including NBC Universal, Adidas, JetBlue, Macy’s, G2, Design Within Reach, MTV, DTCC, and Interbrand. In addition, students had the opportunity to network with professionals and alumni at The Hertz Corporation, L’Oreal, Mercury Communications Group, Sports Information Group, and more. This trip was sponsored by the Thunderbird Career Management Center (CMC) and the Thunderbird Marketing Association (TMA).

Thunderbird Trek’s are entirely student organized with the help of the Employer Relations team at the Thunderbird CMC. Alicia Sutton, Associate Director for Employer Relations, played a key role in the planning and execution of this year’s Marketing Trek, along with Audrey Dorfman, a third-trimester student who acted as the Trek Liaison and is also the President of the TMA. Students who were selected to go on the trip were selected out of a large pool of competitive applications, but unfortunately Treks can only accommodate around 16 students. This year, however, was the first year that 20 students were invited to participate on the Trek due to their excellent qualifications and experience.

This Trek provided students with the opportunity to learn about a variety of marketing functions in several different industries. Although all of the students who participated are in their second year and have a solid career search plan, it was valuable to be reminded of the options that are available in the field of marketing. The most commonly talked about topic during the company visits was digital and social media strategies, which continue to rapidly evolve.

I think that all of the students who participated would agree that the Trek was a success. Aside from a few people getting lost on the subway system, there were very few snags (thanks to the wonderful logistical skills of Nancy Lee and Henry Teichert) and we all enjoyed our time in the city. I encourage the first trimester students to start thinking about where they would like to go next year and hopefully a good team of motivated students will form a team to plan the next Marketing Trek.

By: Jacqueline Lee, M.A. Global Affairs and Management, 2010; President of International Development Association

On Friday, September 17, 2010, Thunderbird students gathered at the Thunderbird School of Global Management campus to voice their support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals by 2015, and to call their leaders to action.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Heads of State and Government, along with the private sector, foundations, international organizations, civil society and research organizations met from September 20-22 in New York to discuss the progress of the Millennium Development Goals with a deadline of 2015.  In response to this summit Thunderbird for Good, International Development Association, and Microfinance Association hosted a STAND UP event to gather fellow Thunderbirds and take the STAND UP 2010 pledge: to end global poverty and to demand world leaders to commit and take action towards achieving the UN M.D.G.s.

STAND UP 2010 occurs “every year across the globe where events are organized to bring attention to the worldwide crisis that we all face — poverty.” (standagainstpoverty.org).  This year from September 17-19 right before world leaders gathered at the UN Summit, citizens across the globe gathered and voiced to their leaders demanding an end to poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“The MDGs offer us a roadmap to end poverty and its root causes. 189 world leaders adopted the MDGs as part of the Millennium Declaration, agreed to at the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000.” (Source: standagainstpoverty.org).

At this summit, U.S. President Barack Obama announced the new U.S. Global Development Policy-the first of its kind by an American administration-fulfilling its pledge on MDG 8 which emphasizes Global Partnerships and building coherent and predictable development framework because:

“…the purpose of development-and what’s needed most right now-is

creating the conditions where assistance is no longer needed. So we

will seek partners who want to build their own capacity to provide for

their people. We will seek development that is sustainable.”

-President Barack Obama
September 22, 2010
Delivered at the Millennium Development Goals Summit
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY

Watch T-birds make the pledge on Youtube.

To find out more information about the STAND UP 2010 Campaign please go to: http://endpoverty2015.org/

Photo:  The Thunderbird Stand Up 2010 Event Team, left to right: Anali Cardenas (M.S.’10), Jacqueline Lee (M.A.’10), Leah Kumayama (M.A.’10), Megan Webb (M.A.’10), and Brian Brock (MBA’11);

By Ryan Conway, Thunderbird Full Time MBA

The trimester is in full gear and that means the library is now my official second place of residence. As I sit here on this lovely Sunday you would think they were giving away something judging by the attendance. This week was particularly busy and as I’ve got my first wave of exams and deliverables not far around the corner it is time to buckle down and focus.

On Friday we had our biannual club day, which can be overwhelming for the first time students because of the sheer magnitude of clubs and organisations that are on campus. My general recommendation is to do your research and pick a few and get involved…

Read the rest at the Financial Times MBA Blog

By Kate Robertson ’10, full-time MBA student

Rumor has it that the Brazil Winterim is one of the most fun Winterims out there. Having participated in the 2010 trip, I can honestly state that Brazil is one of the most wonderful countries I’ve ever visited (still trying to get back there). I’ve spent a lot of time in South America and I’ve come to the conclusion that there is just something “different” about Brazil! Although the Winterim course, “Sustainable Business in Practice,” is demanding, and Thunderbird Professor John Zerio, Ph.D., has high expectations for participants, we still had a little time for fun and games in Brazil. See the photos below for evidence.

By Megan Groves, Full-Time MBA ‘12

“I have never been around so many genuinely curious and friendly people from all over the whole world. People will come right up and approach you, just to say hello and ask where you’re from, and before you know it, you’re talking about current events and your dreams for your life and for the world. It’s really incredible…”

This is a blurb from a letter I sent my friends and family back home a few days after arriving at Thunderbird, and weeks into the program, this experience continues to deepen.

Where else in the United States can people from over 50 countries exchange a hug, a traditional American gesture of trust and friendship, before inquiring about their respective backgrounds and personal views? I dare say this is a rare and treasured act of affinity on American soil.

For many people, trust is given to another after ascertaining that they share a similar personal history or outlook on life. At Thunderbird, the instantaneous rapport is an already-given gift that gets further unpacked throughout the program.

The very nature of the studies accelerates these types of bonds. We have all left work, friends, family, our former identities, and in many cases, our native countries or languages behind in order to partake in this unique intellectual and interpersonal growth experience, and in this way, there is something we all have in common. But beyond that, I have found the quality of character of the average Thunderbird student to be open, warm, and curious, rather than the spiteful and competitive style of so many other reputable MBA schools.

Masters programs have the capacity to bring insightful leaders and social change agents into the world, and with Thunderbird’s climate of diversity, tolerance, and collaboration across cultures, this is no armchair academic degree.

Megan is a first trimester student at Thunderbird with a focus in consulting, entrepreneurship and online marketing. You can read more about her and her company at her website, Promoting Health from the Core: www.wholefoodstherapy.com

By Wells Thomas, Thunderbird MBA, ‘11

In my studies I am focusing on international hotel management and am very excited to be working as an intern here at the U-community Hotel. This is my second time living in Japan, the first being about ten years ago when I was a missionary in the Tohoku area for 2 years. I have been here in Higashi Osaka now for one week of my 10 week internship. Because my internship is very short I am also staying at the U-com hotel which gives me an added perspective on life here.

My first week here has been full of mixed emotions. At first I went through a bit of jet lag mixed with a dollop of homesickness as my family is back in Arizona. But with the help of some good sleep and a lot of Skype I have been able to overcome all of the jet lag and the majority of my home sickness. I have decided to keep myself busy after work by heading to Yaenosato fitness center. The great thing is that I get a free pass to the fitness center as a guest of the U-com Hotel.

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