As part of our Countdown to Commencement series, we spent some time with a few full-time MBA soon-to-be graduates to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller College for their MBA program, and what they plan to do with their degrees after May 5.
Meet Farzeen Tejani. Farzeen is from Atlanta and earned her bachelor’s degree in architecture with an architecture history certificate from Georgia Tech. She describes herself as one who “loves to learn new things and constantly looks to expand her horizons.” A self-titled adrenaline junkie, she recently went volcano boarding in Nicaragua. Before business school, Farzeen worked as an account manager for ExpandLab. During the summer of 2016, she interned for ScottMadden Consulting and plans to return to ScottMadden as an associate after graduation.Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school?
My second semester, I worked on a Pro-Bono project for Mister Migs, a non-profit that employs marginalized employees to create unique, denim dog clothes. We were tasked with streamlining the warehouse to make it easier to find materials and make it a more conducive work environment. I was able to use my architecture background to bring some design thinking into the project and my team and I actually implemented our idea and physically reorganized the warehouse. We spent an entire Saturday with the Mister Migs team, sorting through their inventory, moving shelving, and color-coding each section and we had a blast doing it all. We were able to see the finished result and the client was able to give us feedback on how it worked. I am proud to have made a real impact to a non-profit with the knowledge I acquired through my classes.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career?
While an account manager at my last company, I was one of eight employees. This meant I wore multiple hats, acting as an account manager for 13 clients, task manager for the development team, quality assurance for all work being published, and office manager. This was a growth period as I was able to manage all these tasks and learn how to keep the work moving forward at all times.
Who was your favorite MBA professor?
Morvarid Rahmani – Professor Rahmani teaches the core Operations Management class and her excitement for the subject easily translates through her curriculum. She is engaging and truly cares to make sure students are able to keep up with the material. She offers and provides extra help, not only to better understand the material but has also helped several students with their recruitment process for operations careers. Professor Rahmani has a wealth of knowledge she is willing to share and is an asset to the Scheller name.
What was your favorite MBA Course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it?
Sustainability Practicum was my favorite course because I learned how and why companies choose to integrate sustainability into their business practices. By working with a company to decide whether to and how to expand an existing sustainability program, I was able to learn just what goes into this decision, not just their goal to “do good,” and how it can impact the company in the long-term.
Why did you choose the Scheller College of Business?
The Career Services team. Scheller has an extremely high post-graduation employment rate. I was interested in a career shift to consulting and my career advisor, Barbara Lindquist, interviewed me and spoke about how the career services team could help me pivot my experience to land my dream job. I can say that I have landed my dream job and career services made it possible.
What did you enjoy most about business school in general?
Business school offers a plethora of opportunities to make your mark during your two years. I spent my time focused on practicums, case competitions, and athletics. Others spent their time on networking and research. This experience is highly customizable.
Scheller has a collaborative environment and in any situation, your classmates are rooting for your success. It is empowering to be a part of this environment.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller’s MBA program?
Scheller has a lot of opportunities and we want to make sure you are going to capitalize on these opportunities. Show how you hope to leverage them to achieve your goals.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…”
I decided I was ready for my next big challenge!
If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience?
I would find more opportunities to keep alumni engaged. The Scheller network is strong, but much of the alumni engagement comes from student-led initiatives. As dean, I would create a formal way to bring alumni back in larger numbers to contribute to the program.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal?
My goal is to have my own firm that helps start-ups and other smaller companies achieve their goals and make their name in the world.
Who would you most want to thank for your success?
I want to thank my mom. She has always urged me to do more and better myself. She has supported me though all my decisions and that support gives me the confidence to keep pushing myself.
In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you?
I want my peers to remember me as that short one with a huge personality.