- Name: Samyukta Pareek
- Business School: Fordham University Gabelli School of Business
- Originally From: New Delhi, India
- Previous Occupation: MSL Group
A: From the beginning of my search, I knew I wanted to study in New York. As the financial capital of the world and next-big tech hub, NYC offers many opportunities for professionals across industries. I began my research by conducting informational interviews with alumni and attending informational sessions for various schools. The Gabelli School stood out immediately as they offered one of the best learning experiences with a small class size, access to amazing alumni, their business with purpose approach, all of this while in the best location possible: Midtown, Manhattan.
One of the program’s greatest assets are its faculty members, the curriculum design, and the numerous opportunities to learn through practice. Our first exposure to this was during our global immersion week in Gabelli Launch.
Gabelli Launch is a 1 month pre-term starting in early august, where as a cohort, we had the opportunity to travel together to Buenos Aires, Argentina to work as consultants for non-for profits. It was a challenge given the language and cultural barriers, however it prepared us for the rigorous curriculum and experience we were about to embark on. This was a tremendous and unique opportunity that no other MBA program I was looking at offered.
Q: What have been the biggest challenges of pursuing your MBA?
A: Studying in the US is expensive. When applying to Gabelli, I prepared my application to be as competitive as possible in the hopes that the Admissions Committee would find me worthy of merit scholarship. I am glad to say I succeeded. I was awarded a Dean’s Scholarship at the beginning of MBA that helped me get off the ground. Once a student, I sought out additional forms of funding and I applied for a Graduate Assistant position at the office of Academic Advising. This has helped me ease the burden of tuition.
Going into this process, I knew that an MBA would be an investment in my future. My advice to others would to talk to the Admissions officers and ask questions. Learn about the scholarship opportunities they have to offer. The more information you have the better.
A: Given my background in Public Relations as a communications consultant for technology companies in India, I was focused on getting an internship in Technology-Media-Telecom (TMT) sector.
I worked with the Career Development Center team to shortlist specific companies I should apply to. It took me about 4-6 months of networking, resume building and preparation for interviews. All the hard work paid off as I was able to land my dream internship at Verizon Wireless for a 10-week summer internship program in the B2B Marketing Operations team.
It was an incredible experience, and I learned a lot. After my internship, I was offered and accepted a full-time position with their Leader Development Program (LDP). I am excited to begin this new chapter in my career post completion of my MBA.
Interested in receiving an MBA or Business Master’s Degree? Check out Gabelli’s website to learn more about their graduate business opportunities!