I remember that when working in Asia in 2014, I interviewed with the MBA programs at a couple of schools, but UW stood out. Professor Barry Gerhart and students like Dan Corry (now at Cisco) were very extremely interested in my candidature. This personal connection and the generous scholarship I got, made it a no-brainer to join UW. This choice has been reinforced by the close friendships I formed at the UW MBA program and beyond. Even the field trips I was a part of during the MBA program were funded by alumni benefactors. Later when working for General Mills and Cisco, I felt that not having a 200k debt hanging over one’s head is the greatest blessing a business school can offer a student.
I feel that giving back to UW by participating in mentorship, student connections, and alumni give-back programs will pay this precious gift forward. Cisco has a well-oiled network of alumni giving back with time and resources, and I am sure that other alumni are also doing their bit. The Strategic Human Resource Management program has been held afloat by the strident efforts of faculty, well-wishers, and alumni. Every bit of help helps, especially during times of budget cuts and COVID. I encourage every business badger to chip in.
—Vinod Aravindakshan (SHR MBA ’16) is currently serving as Human Resources Director at CDK Global. In his spare time, Vinod runs a youtube channel to create awareness about careers.
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