As part of our Countdown to Commencement series, we interviewed a few soon-to-be graduates from our undergraduate and MBA programs to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller College, and what they plan to do after Fall 2018 Commencement.
Meet Anne Gusler:
Anne is completing her undergraduate Business Administration degree with a concentration in Information Technology Management. She describes herself as “a high-energy people-person who likes solving technical dilemmas and trying new things.” The Austin, Texas, native will be working at NCR as a business analysis in Professional Service after graduation.
Where did you intern/co-op and when? What projects did you work on during your internship?
UPS, summer 2016: I worked on optimizing their Business Intelligence system; Acuity Brands, summer 2017: I conducted data analytics for defective products; KPMG, summer 2018: I implemented ServiceNow for a client.
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
I was introduced to Georgia Tech by my dad who, is an alumnus. I toured Scheller and fell in love with it, especially the Denning Technology & Management (T&M) program. From my first tour, I could tell it was a very unique school and wanted to be a part of it.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
Han Zhang was my favorite professor because he brought incredible enthusiasm and passion to his classroom. He is also very funny which always makes class fun. I also thought he was a great professor because his class was perfectly structured to ensure everyone learned the material. It was also a database class and I know I will use what I learned there in my job daily.
What was your favorite course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it?
My favorite course was Systems Analysis and Design. It’s here that I learned I wanted to be a systems/business analysis and I learned the skills to make me successful in this role. I also learned about ServiceNow, which was my first deep-dive into a software platform and made me want to learn many more! I then did ServiceNow implementation and trained a client to use ServiceNow at KPMG, so it was my most useful class.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Scheller offers many classes, and encourages you to take them, to improve your technical skills. Being in Tech Square you also get to see how applicable this is. For instance, each time I talk with an Atlanta-based company, they tell me I am so well-positioned because everyone needs people who understand technical applications and business needs. I would not feel that I knew these points without my Scheller education.
What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?
I think the biggest myth about a Scheller business degree is that it is an “easy degree.” At Georgia Tech, there is no such thing as an “easy degree.” Scheller is well-respected because it produces fantastic graduates in part due to the fact that Scheller challenges you and forces you to learn new things. Scheller has pushed me to my boundaries and I am forever grateful for this because if I hadn’t been I wouldn’t have realized my own potential.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?
Both my parents and a high school marketing teacher, Ms. Agee, greatly influenced my decision to get a business degree. Both of my parents have MBAs and always felt that business degrees were incredibly useful and versatile. Additionally, I took a marketing elective in high school with Ms. Agee and it was my favorite class. Ms. Agee also gave me many life lessons and got me involved in a business club. All of these aspects encouraged me to pursue a business degree, even though my dad tried to convince me to be an engineer like him, for a short period of time.
How did the extracurricular offerings at Scheller College help you during your time here?
I was very involved in Scheller Business Ambassadors and Society of Women in Business, both of which helped me learn about all Scheller has to offer and helped me make connections among my peers that I will value always. Society of Women in Business allowed me to sharpen my leadership skills, be mentored and mentor, and learn from professional women their path to success. I will take what I learned from these organizations and the connections I made with me when I leave Scheller.
What activities were you involved with on or off campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
I am in a social sorority and many of my sisters are also Scheller students. This made me feel closer to them and we were able to connect personally. Also, Scheller taught me how to be a great team player and I think that translates to social interactions as well.
Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?
If I put my mind to working for a company, I was almost always able to get an offer with them. However, I usually wouldn’t figure out that a company was a top choice until I went through the recruiting process. Therefore, in a way, all of the companies I interned for were my top choice at the time.
Did you utilize any of Scheller College’s diversity initiatives? How did they help you during your time at the College?
I made friends with students in the Excel Program and I think it’s an amazing program. Excel really integrates the students into Scheller, so much that I was able to be friends with them.
Did you travel abroad during your time at Scheller? What were some of your key takeaways from the experience?
I got to go on the Denning T&M trip to China and my Business Dean Scholar Benefactor took me to Ireland for a week for the Georgia Tech-Ireland game. That was the closest I got to study abroad. The China trip was the most eye-opening experience I have ever had. We worked with Shenzhen University students and I learned that their point of view and teamwork tactics are drastically different than in the U.S.
T&M students, please provide details about your capstone project?
My Capstone sponsor was Mile Auto, an auto-insurance start-up in Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC). My team was tasked with creating a way for Mile Auto to give insurance quotes in an efficient way using their imaging technology. We created a chatbot that allows for potential customers to get a quote by submitting three pictures and also estimate how much they would save by switching to Mile Auto.
How do you feel you grew as a business student by being part of T & M? What was the biggest lesson you learned while taking part in T & M?
The biggest thing I got out of the T&M program was team work. From T&M, I feel I really learned how to work with engineers and others with different backgrounds from me. I learned how to leverage people’s skills and lead a small diverse team. I also gained a lot of technical knowledge and problem solving skills that will come in handy in the future.
How do you feel a program like T & M will prepare you for life after graduation?
Life after graduation is not all Scheller students, as much as I wish it could be. On a daily basis I will interact and work with people from different places and backgrounds. I will have to learn to adapt to get the best out of our relationship. This is what T&M has prepared me for. T&M also threw me into classes with no background knowledge or guides to success and I learned how to “swim.” Learning how to be successful when given little resources or background will be very helpful after graduation.
Did being part of T & M play a role in what you’ve decided to do after graduation?
Yes; I learned I want to work at the intersection of business and technology and this is exactly with T&M classes are about. It made me very enthusiastic and prepared to enter this space.
Fun fact about yourself:
I am related to Abraham Lincoln!
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
To travel the world and to buy a house.
In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you?
I would like my peers to remember me as a team player who was always willing to help in any way that I could.
What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
Work hard in high school to get here because the work is well worth it!