As part of Scheller’s Graduation 2020 Profiles series, we interviewed a few soon-to-be graduates from our undergraduate programs to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller College, and what they plan to do after Spring 2020 Commencement.
Your Name:
Achintya Arora
Where did you intern/co-op during school?
eBECS Ltd., Mercedes-Benz USA, Adidas North America
Where will you be working after graduation?
Invisors
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
Scheller College of Business exemplifies an excellent balance between technology and business. Being a business student at a STEM-focused school provided an incredible opportunity to learn about how business is constantly evolving with new technologies. Additionally, the faculty and staff truly care about your success inside and outside the classroom.
Who was your favorite professor (and why)?
My favorite professor was Dr. Colakoglu in Human Resources. She is an engaging professor and organized a “field trip” to NCR where we could learn what Human Resources is like in a company from actual HR professionals. She provided me the opportunity to be one of the panelists and talk further with NCR employees. This experience demonstrates how much she cares about her students’ learning.
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 was challenging, and what made it my favorite course was the consulting project we completed for the Office of Information Technology. It was useful to gain real-life experience with consulting, and the biggest insight I gained was that listening and understanding in business is the most important part of figuring out a problem.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Scheller College’s location provides a unique opportunity to explore business and technology. Tech Square is home to a plethora of companies that are eager to hire students. As Atlanta continues to grow in the technology space, business students find more opportunities to learn about technology in a business role. Additionally, Atlanta has a multitude of interesting speaker series’ and events that cover technology and business.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
Show your eagerness for learning! Scheller students are among the most inquisitive people you’ll meet and showing your interest in learning will prove to be worthwhile at Scheller. It’s OK to not know what you want to do and even better to come in with an open mind.
What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?
While the content covered in Scheller may not be as difficult as STEM subjects, the school still expects its students to do well and prove their knowledge. Scheller students not only leave with classroom knowledge, but also with improved skills in leadership, collaboration, critical thinking, and more.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? (A parent? A teacher? A role model?)
Quite honestly, no singular person influenced my decision to pursue business in college. I applied to business schools because I thought it would be a broad yet fruitful experience. My education at Scheller proved that to be the case, and I’m glad to have chosen business.
What activities were you involved with on or off-campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
I was actively involved in the Georgia Tech Student Foundation, the Scheller Student Development Board, and Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. In all these organizations, I used soft skills and critical thinking abilities that were honed during class projects.
How did the Career Center assist you with your job efforts? Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?
The Career Center always had great resources and updates for hiring which proved useful when I was searching for full-time jobs. Although I didn’t find my internships from the Career Center, I networked and interviewed with a handful of companies from the weekly updates I received.
Did you participate in any hands-on/experiential learning opportunities? If yes, which projects/companies did you work with and how did you help them?
As a Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business ambassador, I worked with another ambassador to help a VIP team research waste management for new land in Patagonia National Parks. My partner and I researched how national parks are funded and provided a business case to the team on how to fund a waste management system in these new lands.
What concentration did you pursue and why? How this helped prepare you for your future?
I chose IT Management as my concentration because of how quickly IT is continuing to evolve and impact businesses. Classes such as Project Management and Systems Analysis and Design taught me the fundamentals of managing technological change, and these principles will help me navigate technology management for the future.
Fun fact about yourself:
I have a twin brother who attended the University of Georgia.
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be… (Complete sentence)
If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be studying sociology to understand how we can work together to create a more equitable society.
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
My first bucket list item is to run a marathon, and my second item is to travel to a new country anywhere in the world.
In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you?
I would like my peers to remember me as personable and someone they can talk to!