First week of graduate school

The excitement of the first week of graduate school has built up for quite some time...and I was ready for my first classes to start. I registered for 4 classes and a seminar and, this being my first semester in graduate school, I didn't know what to expect. As I was going through the syllabus for each class, I noticed the amount of reading/homework we would have and that made me a little nervous that I would not be able to keep up with the program. However, as the first classes rolled around and I came prepared to class, my fears slowly faded away. I found the professors to be extremely versatile in their subjects and willing to work with the students in their learning curves to accomplish the course objectives. In all my classes, there is a great emphasis on group discussions and group projects. Learning how to work in teams is imperative in the current business world. In all my classes, we have case studies discussions and hands-on projects that will help me develop the mindset needed to perform in a managerial position.

Probably one thing I found striking was how diverse my classes were. Although I'm originally from Romania, I graduated from a school in Alabama where everyone had fairly similar backgrounds and experiences. All my current classmates come from a variety of professional backgrounds (from architects to financial analysts to former CEOs). In addition, everyone adds to the multicultural educational atmosphere with their own unique heritage and ethnical background. I have classmates who are from other parts of the US (California, Florida, Texas, Connecticut) while others come from all corners of the world (Denmark, Germany, India, Japan, China, and Mexico). In addition, many of my classmates either lived or studied abroad at one point in their lives. I look forward to learning more about and from my classmates. Their own experiences and perspectives will challenge and broaden my own views and make me a better person.

I look forward to see what the upcoming weeks bring...till then...I'm going back to my homework! :)
Wish everyone an exciting week!

MBA students taking notes during their first class meeting

Poverty Simulation Orientation Fall 2012

As part of the mandatory Belk College of Business graduate student orientation, the students registered for MBAD 6100 class had to participate in the Poverty Simulation program coordinated by Daniel Valdez, the Volunteer Manager for Crisis Assistance Ministry. Being a first year graduate student, I had to take part in this simulation exercise. And I must admit it was one of the most eye-opening experiences I have ever been through. The exercise, although funny at times, gave me a different perspective and outlook on life and how fast things can change in one’s life due to unforeseeable circumstances. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunities I had in life. My parents have been very conservative with their finances and, although we did not live in any luxury, they were able to provide for me everything I needed in order to succeed in my tennis endeavors and more recently in my education pursuit. However, in all this time, I never thought of scenarios where I would have to face poverty, living paycheck to paycheck and trying to make ends meet. We tend to think that if we have a bachelor's or, better yet, a master's degree we will be immune to any economic hardships; unfortunately, the reality is much different.

Within the Poverty Simulation, I was assigned the character of Ms. Chen, a working mother of three (ages 8, 10, and 16). My husband was laid off three months prior and our sixteen year old daughter was a few months pregnant with one of our neighbor’s son. We lived in a three bedroom/two bathroom house. Since my husband was laid off (he was an IT specialist), we have been paying for some of our expenses with our credit cards that were already maxed out, with no real way to pay them off. In addition, my paycheck was not enough to cover all our monthly expenses. Thus, we were stuck.

Throughout the entire simulation, I felt very helpless when it came to aiding my family. Although I had a job, my monthly paycheck was not enough to keep my family and me alive. I was only able to provide food for my family two out of four weeks and, at the end of the fourth week, we were kicked out of our house for not paying our mortgage. The community we lived in had only one bank and one grocery store for which the waiting lines were unbearable. The social services organizations were always packed and they were very limited in the amount of help they could provide. To top that, I did not get to spend one minute with my children. I felt very helpless when I would get home at the end of the week and the children would need money for field trips or different events they would want to participate in with their classmates at school, and I could not offer them that opportunity. This situation affected me the most because, in real life, I would be completely devastated if I would not be able to provide for my children and offer them experiences that would enrich their lives.

If you ever have the opportunity, I highly encourage you to participate in a Poverty Simulation. It will make you see the world through a different set of eyes!

My road trip to the MBA program at UNCC

About a year ago, I started exploring the idea of going to graduate school. There were many unknowns at the time but the two things I was sure about were that I wanted to stay in the US and I wanted to pursue a MBA with a concentration in the sports industry. One day, one of my former professors and mentors mentioned Charlotte, NC and UNCC as an option. I have to admit, I didn't know much about Charlotte nor UNCC. After researching the city and the graduate programs UNCC has to offer, I decided to go one step further and begin the application process. I didn't realize the impact my professor's advice had on my future until I came to Charlotte for the first time, for the MBA Preview Day. It was love at first sight: the program offered the degree I was looking, in a flexible format; the classes were taught downtown (in the business district) which offered numerous networking and internship opportunities; the administration staff, faculty, students, and alumni were extremely friendly and eager to help you succeed from the beginning; and, the city fit perfectly with my European life-style. I had a very easy decision to make and I was extremely happy to get accepted into the MBA program. After a few months of dealing with the international paperwork and looking for a place to live, I moved to Charlotte. I found the city to be better than expected and I look forward to discovering new things about it every day. In addition, I'm impatiently awaiting to begin my graduate student life and take my first graduate classes.

View of Uptown Charlotte from the UNCC Center City Building