I wanted an international curriculum that went beyond just business and also a community that shared my interests. I’ve wanted to work in India for years, and the Wharton Lauder MBA/MA Joint Degree Program in International Studies was literally the only program of its kind, that focused specifically on South Asia within a global context.
Being part of the Lauder family is an incredible thing and is the biggest highlight by far. I have friends from more countries than I can count, who speak so many languages, and who have all kinds of experiences, from startups in Argentina, to economic development in India, to real estate development in China. In particular, racing around East Africa on Culture Quest with such a group was amazing: we rafted whitewater rapids on the Nile, hiked with chimpanzees, went on safari, and camped out in the Masai Mara.
As part of Hindi / South Asia, I was in India my whole summer. I was primarily in Delhi, with time in Mumbai, Banaras, and Kochi as well. We got to focus heavily on language, and by the time I came back, my Hindi was stronger than it’s ever been. We also had a good variety of corporate and cultural visits, which were all customized to our group’s particular interests.
I’m up and on campus around 9am and tend to have a full day of classes, till 3 pm or 4:30 pm, with some breaks in between. Outside of classes, I’m on the board of the Fintech Club, part of the Wharton India Economic Forum, a Student Life Fellow, and in Dance Studio, among other clubs, so on any given day, I might have a few meetings related to that. The clubs also actually help a lot with recruiting, too, which I’m going through right now. It’s pretty busy, but I can’t imagine my Wharton life without Lauder or the family I’ve found through it. And that schedule leaves plenty of time to hang out with them in evenings and on weekends.
I knew coming in that I’d value being part of this community; I just could never have seen how much.
Posted: March 26, 2016
