Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business students come to learn, explore, and build community. As they move forward in their careers, they take everything they've learned and use it to power innovation in industries and businesses across the globe. In celebration of Spring 2024 Commencement, we sat down with a few students to learn about their experiences and the wisdom they've gained in the process.
Meet Annie Weber, who is graduating with a concentration in Leadership and Organizational Change and a minor in Engineering and Business.
Where are you from?
Atlanta, GA
Where did you go to high school?
North Atlanta High School
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?
My mom was my biggest influence in pursuing business in college. Watching her start and build her own business into the success that it is today was eye-opening to how critical a good understanding of business is.
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
I chose Scheller because of the high caliber of faculty, access to resources, and the variety of the curriculum. Scheller faculty and staff truly want all their students to gain the knowledge needed for them to be successful in whatever industry they pursue after their time at Georgia Tech. This is reflected in the staff they have hired, many respected and established professionals in their own right, who bring real-world experience and perspective. Scheller's location is also important. In the heart of Atlanta, with Tech Square just down the street, Scheller College is a stepping stone or doorway for many students looking for internships or jobs. Scheller offers a diverse curriculum to equip its students for their next step, and the school provides the resources for excellent career placement.
What concentration did you pursue and why?
I chose to pursue a concentration in Leadership and Organizational Change. This was largely based on my personal interests in leadership and management. I also felt that it was important to develop a strong knowledge about motivation, conflict resolution, and strategy, to name a few, for future professional teamwork settings.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
I would encourage applicants to have a strong understanding of why they want to be a part of Scheller. Being as authentic as possible on the application allows Georgia Tech to understand your motivation for applying and why you would be an asset to the college. A large part of applying to college is believing in yourself – and if you can express that through your application, you've done your part.
What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?
I think that the biggest myth about Scheller is that the classes are basic business classes and that they are easy. Scheller classes allow students to dive into deep and multi-faceted topics. In class, you learn real skills, theory, strategy, history, implementation, and more. Business is unique because it is vital to all other majors, and Scheller does a great job of bringing that into the classroom.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Scheller constantly incorporates innovation and change into the curriculum. Every class I've taken has had some aspect of current events or emerging technology, even the more traditional classes like Microeconomics or Financial Management. Other courses, such as Emerging Technology or Entrepreneurship, are entirely focused on business and technology and push business students to look at industry through the lens of new technologies and constant innovation. Scheller's location in Tech Square also provides students with many opportunities to be near technologically-geared businesses and start-ups that are constantly innovating. The focus on technology inside and outside of Scheller more than prepares students to enter a changing workforce.
What was your favorite course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it?
My favorite course was Microelectronics and Nanotechnology Revolution. I learned so much about various topics, ranging from the history of the Information Age to microprocessors, transistors, circuits, and so much more. I loved learning about microelectronics and nanotechnology, as they were topics I had never discussed before. Every class was a new and interesting topic that challenged me, and we consistently discussed cutting-edge technologies. The central business insight I took away from the class was that you can have the best piece of technology, but if you can't articulate or market what it does, it is difficult to make headway with potential investors or consumers. Business knowledge is important for everyone, no matter their major, and this class reinforced that by not only focusing on the technology itself, but also the businesses and industries that technology supports.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
My favorite professor was Chuck Easley. I took Leadership in Changing Environments and Management Consulting with him. His own experience and success in consulting show through his teaching. In his career, he has dealt with many of the scenarios we discussed at some point. His level of insight has been so interesting to hear, and I feel that his classes have been a window into different career paths. On top of his knowledge, his energy and care for his students made class informative, fun, and interactive.
What activities were you involved with on or off campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
I conducted recruitment logistics for three years for my sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. Being an ADPi Chi was such a rewarding experience. I worked closely with the head of recruitment to streamline processes, improve the recruitment experience for potential new members, and grow my connections with my sorority sisters and advisors. Being behind the scenes gave me insight into how hard Greek life works during the recruitment season to ensure everybody feels comfortable and accepted.
Where did you intern/co-op during school?
I worked my way through college for The Joshua Tree from my first year to my senior year, at times averaging 25 hours a week. I interned at Georgia Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and Step Ahead Scholars, a nonprofit that helps underprivileged students access higher education. In the fall of my senior year, I worked at Cyrano Video, a start-up that sells communications software to medical institutions.
Where will you be working after graduation?
I will be working at Georgia-Pacific post-graduation.
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?
During my Denning Technology & Management Program (T&M) capstone project, I worked with Novelis to gamify recycling on college campuses. At the end of the year, we presented strategies to increase recycling rates on college campuses through gamification and we provided a recycling infrastructure analysis, a framework for gameday initiative, and a beta version of a recycling app.
Who would you like to thank most for your success?
I would like to thank my parents, Katie and Scott, for always believing I could achieve whatever I put my mind to. Their support allowed me to be strong when I pushed my limits and tried new things throughout my college experience.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I am left-footed but right-handed!
What are some of your hobbies?
I love to read and listen to podcasts while I walk! Anything history-related is super interesting to me.
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
My two top bucket list items right now are hiking through Glacier National Park and sailing around the Caribbean or the British Virgin Islands.