Sometimes, it’s good to take stock of where you’ve been so that you can focus on where you’re going. With graduation only a day away, seven notable Wisconsin School of Business graduates share their next chapters, relive WSB favorite moments, and dispense some words of wisdom on what they’ve learned as Business Badgers.
Hao Tran (MS ’22)
Program: Business Analytics
My future professional plans are: I will be a data engineer consultant with Baker Tilly. I also intend to utilize my analytics skills to further the Vietnamese Student Association—Midwest region on the board of directors as director of finance. In addition, I hope to get the opportunity to host workshops where I can introduce students to the analytics space.
What I will miss most about WSB is: The opportunity to work toward the same analytics goals with a diverse and intelligent group of people. Not only that, but I am also grateful for being able to hear my colleagues’ stories of their backgrounds. We share the same struggles, but we also share the same successes, and that is what I will miss the most.
Advice to future WSB students: Get. Out. Of. Your. Bubble. You can only grow so much when you’re in the comfort zone. The real success happens when you put yourself in unfamiliar situations to experience and learn more about what the world and different people have to offer. Whether you get out of the comfort zone academically, socially, or something else, I can guarantee you will learn something new. It doesn’t always have to be useful, but it will always be insightful.
Nada Sika Nyamadi (MA ’22)
Program: Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership
My future professional plans are: To be a cultural consultant that uses creative placemaking to make a difference and continue my nonprofit work to bring personal growth to girls in rural Ghana.
One of my favorite moments at WSB was: Graduate Business Association’s Fall Ball
The WSB class that inspired me the most was: The arts entrepreneurship class. Every deliverable in that class is applicable in the real world, from building a social media presence (brand management), press releases, and measuring KPIs (marketing communication) to business proposal writing. (Watch out, it might be coming to your office). This class gave me the transferable skills, resources, and guidelines to be a creative entrepreneur.
Dakota Roettger (BBA ’22)
Program: Marketing; Management and Human Resources
My future professional plans are: Upon graduation, I will be moving to New York City to join the marketing team at AlphaSights (the global leader in knowledge on-demand!).
Advice to future WSB students: My advice to future WSB students is to stay resilient; the hard work is challenging but worth it. The hours you spend in class, studying, and working toward your degree will pay off in the end.
What I will miss most about WSB is: I will miss the community that exists here most. WSB has such a unique energy, and I am inspired by the passion and excitement exhibited by many of my professors and classmates. I look forward to seeing the positive impact my peers have on the business world because of our experiences here.
Claire Liu (BBA ’22)
Program: Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance; Statistics
My future professional plans are: Moving to Hartford, Connecticut, and being part of the Actuarial Leadership Development Program at Travelers!
My favorite project I worked on at WSB was: Organizing the service days and Accenture case competitions as a student leadership consultant at the Accenture Leadership Center.
Joseline Nyinawabera (MBA ’22)
Program: Brand and Product Management; Entrepreneurship Certificate; Consortium Fellow
My future professional plans are: In undergrad, I took a brand management class with Thomas Clayton Gibson O’Guinn; this is where I first fell in love with branding. My professor mentioned that getting an MBA will help get you into the position. I kept that in my mind, and several years later, here I am. Having worked in consumer packaged goods, higher education, and startup industries in marketing and sales positions, I returned to school to enhance my marketing skills, build my business, and pivot into tech marketing.
Post-MBA, I will be working at Intel Corporation in their two-year sales and marketing rotation program. I also plan to work on my business, BlkBld & Co., a boutique marketing and business development firm that helps Black-owned businesses build, grow, and scale in today’s marketplace.
What I will miss most about WSB is: I will miss the friendships. Randomly walking into someone in the hallway or at a restaurant and picking up where we were last. Many, if not all, of my classmates became family being that we all went through school during the peak of the pandemic. Our bond is unmatched, and I will truly miss them.
Advice to future WSB students: Be confident and be yourself. You got into the program because you were worthy, capable of being here—don’t lose sight of that. That confidence will allow you to build strong relationships with your classmates, teachers, and alumni. And it will enable you to land the career of your dreams. It may take a few weeks to build up that confidence, being in a new environment with new challenges, but don’t let it go once you have it—e.g., words of affirmations are always my go-to to re-build/regain confidence.
Masuma Zulfakar (MBA ’22)
Program: Strategic Human Resources Management
My future professional plans are: I will be headed to Chicago to join Danaher’s HR Leadership Development Program.
What I will miss most about WSB is: The community here. I have met some of the most wonderful people during my time here and will miss being so close together. I am so grateful for all the friendships I have made during the MBA program and am looking forward to seeing us all grow in our careers.
Melissa Le (BBA ’22)
Program: Marketing
My future professional plans are: After graduation, I will be working as a brand manager at P&G, with spots saved for me to attend dental school in 2023. I hope to combine my background in business and health care to make products and services more accessible to disenfranchised communities.
What I wish I knew as an incoming student: It is ok to ask for help! Sometimes we get stuck in this mindset that it makes us less smart or successful to ask for help, but you can get farther and avoid burning yourself out by asking for help!
One of my favorite moments at WSB was: Competing in case competitions with my friends that I’ve made in the school. I’ve been doing competitions since freshman year with P&G, Macy’s, and Allstate. My favorite competition was the 2021 P&G CEO Challenge, which spanned seven months, and where my team got to represent North America in the global finals.