When I first started my journey with DePaul last September, I did not envy my fellow classmates who were continuing to work while pursuing their MBA’s. To me it did not seem possible to get the full graduate school experience while simultaneously holding a job. Yes, I was aware that this was a feat that many students accomplish every year; however, I never envisioned myself as one of those students. Fast forward to today, and it is clear that I underestimated myself at the time, as I am sure many first-year graduate students do. Since January, I have been participating in a part-time internship at Millennium Properties R/E, a boutique commercial real estate firm, and will be switching to a full-time role starting this summer. As an intern, I’ve had the opportunity to assist and shadow brokers in the company and learn about the functions of property listings. During this summer, I will transition to an associate broker, and will be responsible for showing properties and negotiating leases and sales contracts. I won’t lie – at times the work seems like a lot, especially around finals, but the experiences that I have had with both school and work thus far are something that I wouldn’t trade for anything
“To be able to find a new career that I love, and find it within my first year of school, is something that I never imagined to be possible.”
DePaul does an incredible job of giving its students the tools to not only narrow down a career path and find a job, but also to thrive in that job once you have it. The reason I wanted to pursue my MBA at DePaul in the first place was to seek out guidance in pivoting from my previous career in beverage sales. This past fall I spent a lot of time meeting with the incredibly helpful Kellstadt Career Management Center (CMC) staff to accomplish this goal. As we neared the end of our first quarter, I started to hone in on my interest in commercial real estate. The CMC staff provided me with a number of contacts within DePaul’s Real Estate Center and from there the momentum really started to pick up. Within a month of declaring my concentration in Real Estate Finance & Investment, I already had an interview for a potential internship, and within a week of that interview, I had a job offer. After the initial excitement of receiving and accepting the offer had worn off, the reality of what my next couple years might look like started to set in. I found myself reverting to the mindset that I had developed at the beginning of my DePaul journey: “This is something that other students are able to do, but not you.” I quickly realized that this could not have been further from the truth.
Since starting in my current role back in January, both teachers and fellow classmates have been supportive every step of the way when conflicts between work and school would arise. Additionally, the company that I am interning with expressed to me from the very beginning their understanding of me being a student first and an intern second. It is my understanding that this dual support shown from both school and work is a sentiment that many of my classmates, who are also full-time students with jobs, all share.
In closing, to be able to find a new career that I love, and find it within my first year of school, is something that I never imagined to be possible. Yet, if I had stuck with the original mindset I had last fall, it is something I would not have never experienced. For those first-year students who find themselves having a similar mindset, don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of your comfort zone—it could be the thing that answers the question of why you went to school in the first place.
Arthur Hailand is a first year full-time MBA student studying Real Estate & Investment, and interns at Millennium Properties R/E.
By Kelly Kester (MBA ’20)
After making the deliberate decision to pursue my MBA full-time at DePaul, a family member sent me a congratulations card. Enclosed were words of encouragement from former first lady and one of my professional role models Michelle Obama: “Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar,” the card read. It was through this call-to-action that I stepped into DePaul’s MBA program with an open mind and heart, ready to embrace any challenge that came my way.
As we gear up for another quarter, it is easy to become overwhelmed by your to-do list. I recently attended a Women in Leadership Panel hosted by the MBA Association and the School of Hospitality Leadership, and was reminded by Michelle’s words of advice. The panel was the result of an event-planning project in the undergraduate course Event Production, taught by hospitality instructor Juan Mendez. As part of the project, students were challenged to work with the MBA Association – their “client” – and successfully plan the Women in Leadership Panel, preparing the selection of the panelists, invitations, registration and post-panel reception.
From left to right: Tiffany Kucharski, director, strategic partnerships at EvolveHer; Sara Kearney, former senior vice president of operations at Hyatt Hotels Corporation; and Terri Brax, co-founder & CEO at TeacherCare, Inc. and Women Tech Founders.
Three Chicago-based women in leadership shared their professional experiences for a group of 70-plus DePaul students and alumni:
- Terri Brax, co-founder & CEO at TeacherCare, Inc. & Women Tech Founders
- Sara Kearney, former senior vice president of operations at Hyatt Hotels Corporation
- Tiffany Kucharski, director of strategic partnerships at EvolveHer
When asked if the panelists have a professional role model, the vote was unanimous: Michelle Obama. Sitting in the audience, it was impossible not to be inspired by these women. I, among my fellow audience members, aspire to be in their chairs one day. Yet each panelist was so delightfully candid. Kurchaski shared lessons learned of simple freedoms from parenting: “Don’t limit yourself – why not have soup for breakfast?” Even in a crowded room, their words of wisdom felt personal.
As for professional advice, each panelist recommended a collaborative approach to ascending in the workplace. According to Brax, the need to embrace your true self and assist others in this mission rang true: “Help everyone to be a hero in their own story.” In addition, Kearney emphasized the importance of continuous learning and listening: “Keep your ears open often,” she said.
When it comes to future women-led events, Kearney said, “My hope that it is simply a panel of leadership.”
Kelly Kester is a full-time MBA student and works as a graduate assistant for the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Kester also serves as president of the MBA Association.
For Kellstadt students, connecting with the business community is essential. That’s why the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business offers dozens of opportunities – from networking events to student organizations – for students to succeed. One of the best ways for students to demonstrate their business acumen are case competitions. Not only do they allow students to come up with solutions under a tight deadline, but they build comradery, leadership skills and set you up for career success.
Below we’ve highlighted two recent Kellstadt case competitions along with testimonies from students on how they benefited from the experience.
Kellstadt Marketing Group Cisco Case Competition
MBA students (from left to right) Alexandra Kritikou, Edith De La Torre, Kelly Kester and Michelle Fronmuller won the Cicso Case Competition. | Photo by Kathy Hillegonds
Hosted by the Kellstadt Marketing Group, this year’s annual group case competition featured six teams of DePaul MBA and MS students developing a business solution to a challenge by Cisco, a global leader in IT, networking and cybersecurity. The goal of the competition was to give students a real-world experience of business strategy development.
On Feb. 22, each team presented a 20-minute pitch in front of a panel of Cisco executives (learn more about the competition from the winning team’s captain here).
The winning team – called team “M.A.K.E IT” – consisted of full-time MBA students with diverse backgrounds who pitched a Blockchain and IoT solution focused on the healthcare industry.
According to team captain Alex Kritikou, patience and teamwork are important components to a successful pitch. “Our approach was to learn as much as possible given the short timeframe,” she says. “Trust the process and your teammates and be honest with your teammates when you need help.” Team M.A.K.E. It agreed that the competition provided a unique opportunity to receive personalized feedback from a panel of experts.
Minority MBA Student Case Competition
Three Kellstadt students participated in the KeyBank Case Competition, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio in February.
The 2019 KeyBank Foundation Minority MBA Student Case Competition took place on Feb. 22-24 in Cleveland, Ohio. DePaul’s three-member team consisted of full-time MBA students, who were led by faculty advisor Neal Outland, an instructor in DePaul’s Department of Management & Entrepreneurship. The team pitched a solution to a business case that addressed issues with varied implications at either a national or an international level. Students from universities and colleges throughout the country competed. One of the participating students, MBA student Ewa Tran, says one of the competition highlights was getting to know her teammates and learning more about her strengths and weaknesses.
“Understanding how to leverage our strengths only improved our team cohesion as the weeks went by,” she says. “We applied different skills from different classes, and were able to come together as a team to compose a real-life business solution to KeyBank.”
Takeaways
As for students interested in future case competitions? MBA student Edith De La Torre, one of the members of team “M.A.K.E. It,” says to “be inquisitive and resourceful with the DePaul network and beyond. There is incredibly useful information and experts at your fingertips. Don’t get bogged down by technical terms, ask others to explain and simplify it. When presenting the actual business idea, focus on the big picture.”
By Alexandra Kritikou (MBA ’20)
On Feb. 22, six teams of DePaul MBA and MS students participated in the Kellstadt Marketing Group Case Competition. This unique opportunity allowed students to apply concepts learned in class and develop a real business solution to a challenge by Cisco, a global leader in IT, networking and cybersecurity. The goal of the competition was to give students real-world experience of business strategy development and proposal pitching to a panel of Cisco executives.
My team “M.A.K.E IT” consisted of full-time MBA students with diverse backgrounds: Michelle Fronmuller, Kelly Kester, Edith De La Torre and me (Alexandra Kritikou). Our journey began in January when we first got our case: Blockchain and IoT. Our first reaction was “What did we get ourselves into?” The concept was over our head. On top of that we had only two weeks to write our executive summary. But that was the challenge: to understand a difficult concept and create a business plan within a limited time frame. We said “Challenge accepted!”
MBA students (from lef tto right) Kelly Kester, Michelle Fronmuller, Edith De La Torre, and Alexandra Kritikou won first place at the Kellstadt Marketing Group’s Case Competition, where they presented to a panel of Cisco executives.
Our approach was to do the best we could and learn as much as possible along the way. We asked our professors for help and we got in touch with Lamont Black, professor in the Department of Finance at the Driehaus College of Business, and Jeff Wiand, president at DePaul’s blockchain student-run organization (called DeBlock). They both helped us immensely by helping us understand the technology and giving us some technical and business background. After consulting with them, we narrowed down our research to an industry and things started to come along. It was a fun process too, as my teammates and I had many good laughs and inside jokes which helped lift our spirits. It was also very stressful: the tight deadline, our busy schedule with midterms, and the idea of pitching our idea to executives was nerve-wracking. I think having supportive teammates played a significant role – when any of us felt discouraged, the others would be encouraging and motivating.
The week leading up to the presentation was the hardest. We started writing our presentation two days before the presentation because we focused on the content rather than the PowerPoint itself. Our presentation was ready the night before, with all of us exhausted and in no mood to rehearse. We rehearsed Friday morning and gave it our best shot! After our presentation we all felt happy with ourselves and realized we had come a long way from hardly knowing anything about blockchain to proposing a business plan. When the winning team was announced we could not believe it…we won! We were all thrilled!
All in all, we all found the case competition a unique and rewarding experience. My key takeaways from this experience are:
- Do your research!
Although time is limited, spend it researching.
- Emphasize the problem you are solving and spend less time on the solution.
Back up the problem with statistics and show why it is a business opportunity.
- Keep the presentation entertaining and practical.
Tell a story and support your suggestions with some statistics.
- Seek help from faculty and colleagues.
You will be surprise how helpful and how willing people are to help out.
- Trust and listen to your teammates.
Be honest with your teammates about what you do not know and when you need help.
- Talk it out with your teammates.
If you understand something, you can explain it. This really helped us break down the information and simplify it.
This piece originally appeared on KellstadtMarketingGroup.com
Now that the fall quarter has ended, Kellstadt students have the opportunity to enjoy the winter intersession before returning to campus in the new year. Some students opt to take a course during the winter intersession while others take the time to relax and recharge. Regardless of academic plans, Kellstadt students can still be spotted enjoying all that Chicago has to offer. Here are the top five activities where DePaul students can be found during this holiday season:
1. “Cohortsgiving” | The members of the full-time cohort brought together homemade dishes – traditional and non-traditional – to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Two full turkeys were enjoyed among the celebration. In a toast, a full-time student noted being grateful for the newfound friendships within the cohort.
2. Chicago Holiday Events
- Christkindlmarket | This Chicago favorite includes an arrangement of traditional, festive German shopping and cuisine…all located in Downtown Chicago. Inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany, enjoy a bit of Deutschland this holiday season.
- Lincoln Park ZooLights | See the Lincoln Park Zoo in a whole new light. Through Jan. 6, festive Christmas lights will be on display throughout the zoo.
- Catching the CTA Holiday Train | On the way to any of the above events, DePaul students will be chasing this festive train based on the schedule. Look for the “Season’s Greetings from the CTA” sign and catch a ride on one of the jovial cars.
3. DePaul Athletics Events | As avid sports fans, a number of current students plan to attend DePaul games during December. The Blue Demons men’s basketball team face Northwestern in a crosstown match-up at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8.
4. Professional Reflection | Students can use the time off from classes to set themselves up for professional success in the remaining school year. A number of students plan to polish résumés and LinkedIn profiles as they reflect on New Year’s resolutions related to leadership, career development and professional goals. A few other ways to make the most of your time off include:
5. Rest, Relax, & Recharge | Make sure to also indulge in some R&R and self-care. Try a workout at The Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center or a walk on the Chicago Lakefront Path.
Happy holidays!
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