The MBA Student Voice

Giving

Today is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Inspired by the commercialization of the week after Thanksgiving (in the vein of Black Friday and Cyber Monday), Giving Tuesday asks us to donate to causes we care about, using our privilege to help organizations in need of financial support.

For me, UCLA is - and always will be - one of the causes that I care about most. Many arguments against giving to universities seem valid. For example, we pay for the service of education (it is not free), and we often spend a decade repaying debt. I argue that we must give back to the schools that made us who we are today.

As an Anderson student, I delivered a presentation arguing for giving back to one’s alma mater. Our professor made a quip in the beginning of the year about those pesky student telemarketers from university alumni associations asking for money he didn’t want to give, and the class heartily agreed. As the co-chair of the UCLA Young Alumni Development Council at the time, and an active philanthropic advocate, I took that as a challenge. 

I argue that giving back to our alma maters protects the value of an institution and concretizes a culture of paying it forward. By giving, we ensure that our degrees retain their value. And the generosity of alumni before us makes our institutions great for generations of students to come. Apparently, my classmates and professor were convinced (I was voted “Best in Room” and got an A+ on my “Take A Stand 2,” for those familiar).

I give to UCLA, and I give to Anderson, but “giving” extends far beyond donating financially. On this Giving Tuesday, in addition to donating to nonprofits, I supported a fellow alum’s crowdfunding campaign. I used my network to find a freelancer for a friend. I sent a few friendly emails to former colleagues. And I edited resumes for undergrad mentees. I also reflected on the power of the UCLA Anderson network as a power for giving of good. UCLA Anderson engenders a culture of giving - a culture that I experienced as a student, and now again as an alum.

Today is also World AIDS Day. In addition to supporting education, for over 10 years, I have committed much of my activism and philanthropy to the battle against HIV/AIDS. While in college, I helped raised over $1M for research and education to help end pediatric AIDS around the world. After graduation, I worked for an NGO in Tanzania on the ground as an HIV/AIDS educator and community organizer. Since then, I have worked with numerous organizations, most notably an arts camp for HIV+ youth.

Anderson students, alumni and Sig-O's volunteer at Camp Hollywood HEART in Malibu, CA in August, 2015.

This summer, I volunteered for the camp once again (click here to read my 2013 post about camp). In launching a new program for this year’s camp focused on college readiness and career preparedness, I reached out to the UCLA Anderson network for help.

I was truly touched (though I suppose not thoroughly surprised) by the outpouring of interest from fellow alumni - over 10 responses in the first 12 hours. Most from individuals I had never met. Ultimately, five fellow alumni, several Anderson Sig-O’s, and a current student all joined me in the mountains of Malibu to launch our new program and give back to the community. I witnessed, first-hand, our shared passion for giving.

Thank you, Anderson family, for giving. Giving Tuesday is just one day, but the Anderson culture of giving lasts all year.

How to Keep Up

During my first graduate program, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, I studied the potential of leveraging media and technology to spark social change. Among my exploration of television and film as tools for activating people around important social issues, I studied the Twitter revolution in Egypt and the uncanny popularity of YouTube, integrating philosophy, sociology, education theory, and technical knowledge to develop my new understanding of how the world works - and evolves - in a new digital age.

My most poignant take-away from my time at Harvard: The key to creating change is the ability to keep up with change.

Constant waves in new technologies do the best job of illustrating this phenomenon. For example, any successful marketer today must understand the new technological tools that customers use to communicate. In this way, studying technology from the outside is nearly impossible - as soon as we have a grasp of a technology’s presence and impact, technology has evolved once again.

This week, Dean Olian hosted Robert (Bob) E. Moritz, Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC on campus as part of the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series. As a member of the U.S. leadership team of the one of the largest professional services companies in the world and a well-published thought leader, Moritz shared insights on leadership style, new trends that traverse industries, and Millennials in the workforce. Throughout the conversation, his responses were anchored around a very familiar core concept: To succeed, we must keep up with change. 

In professional services - arguably more than in any other industry - success is dependent on a deep understanding of the latest ideas and trends, and then bringing those to clients as tools for change. Internally, applying such tools is just as important.

Polished and practiced, Moritz spoke in concise, yet comprehensive bullet points and lists (e.g., “four fundamental questions,” “three shifts,” and “five trends”). PwC understands that it must continuously evolve its service offerings and adapt to an increasingly globalized society, and do so faster, and faster.

Moritz called out that firms like PwC need leaders who “can navigate the grey zone.” The grey zone no longer only symbolizes ambiguity; it references the space between present and future, the active state of shifting from one point to the next. And in that grey zone, Moritz reminds us, failure is not only encouraged, but embraced. Failure signifies risk. And in a faster world, we must take risks in order to keep moving.

Moritz posed a question that he then subsequently answered: “What skills do we need to keep up with the pace of change?” And, in my opinion, that is the key. We - both organizations and individual professionals - must all cultivate the skills to “keep up.” It is no longer enough to just know how to create change; the most critical skills are agility and flexibility in a rapidly changing world.

The Gift of Taking Time

Quick Prelude:

What a two years it has been! It's a pleasure to be back on the UCLA Anderson blog, sharing my experiences as a bookend to my blogging days from summer 2013. I look forward to staying connecting over the next year as a I track my progress as an Anderson alumni in year one (now officially a #doubleBruin!).

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When I accepted my offer from Deloitte Consulting last year, I considered all three start date options. July seemed awfully early, with just over one month’s rest between school and work. September would give me an entire summer off to rest and travel. The other option was quite far away - February.

But when in my life would I ever again be able to take off so many months, with relatively few responsibilities and a supportive partner with a stable career, and know I had a secure, well-paying job at the end? Maybe never. So, I asked to start in February.

Reactions from classmates range from Are you crazy? to What are you going to do with that time? Most alumni think I am genius. That is SUCH a good idea. Or, Why didn’t I do that?

Originally, I chose the latest date to give my fiancé and I more flexibility to have our wedding in the months after graduation. Yet, beyond that, the decision was fairly simple. The opportunity to take a seven month sabbatical was a gift I had to accept. My time in business school was purposefully intense. Perhaps my biggest talent is keeping busy (closely followed by saying “yes” and making to-do lists). I knew that if I gave myself permission to pause after graduation, I would challenge myself even more up to that point. Rather than succumbing to senioritis, I would sprint to the finish line.

My last two quarters at Anderson, I built some of my closest relationships, excelled academically while unnecessarily overloading my class schedule, and made significant impact on the UCLA and Anderson communities through my student leadership positions. I made a difference. I learned more. I liked school more. I was happier because I pushed myself.

I also decided to wait until February because I knew the importance of taking time. Since graduation, I have invested in my physical, mental and emotional health. I have taken the time to process my business school journey and contemplate my goals today and my steps for tomorrow - with friends, family and in my head. In the long-run, my time as an MBA student will be better spent for the opportunity I have to understand what I’ve learned, how I’ve changed and where I hope to go next.

I am often asked how I am filling that time. In addition to joining several nonprofit boards, I have been doing other volunteer work, and am working to start my own small social enterprise. I attended a leadership summit for LGBT leaders in New York. I have caught up with many friends, caught up on a bit of television I skipped over the past two years, re-organized my physical and digital life, and have been giving myself permission to focus on me. My partner and I spent several weeks traveling, with another trip on the horizon. Oh, yes, and it’s finally time to plan that wedding after a two-year engagement.

I have many more plans - some big, some small. Projects, favors, and catch-ups with friends, and a map for self improvement. I am keeping an open mind to opportunities that may arise over the next few months. And I accept already that after seven months, there will still be more that I wanted to do.

Yet, when I begin at Deloitte in February, not only will I have the tools I need to succeed from the two incredible years I spent at UCLA Anderson, I will be ready. Ready to go back to work. Ready for the intensity that management consulting brings. Ready to start the next chapter.

Until then, I am taking my time.

Thinking in the Next (Two Years)

Looking back at almost three weeks of Orientation, we can all agree on one thing: We are tired. But, really...we are. Like, really tired. The madness of Orientation never ceased. And we loved every minute of it.

More importantly, we can hardly handle our excitement for the two years ahead. The Orientation magic worked as planned and we feel connected to the Anderson, overwhelmed by opportunity and - all things considered - pretty prepared for what is to come. We know what we can expect, but we also know that we can expect the unexpected. And we are most definitely Thinking In the Next (Two Years).

[This post’s headshots courtesy of the post-Orientation 80’s Party extravaganza]

Aimee Musil
Thinking in the Next 2 Years….I’m exhausted! But in the best way possible. Even though my Ander-journey only began three short weeks ago, it’s been a wild ride. Coming to Anderson, I really wanted to focus on pushing my limits and working outside of my comfort zone. From a 5-day pre-Orientation trip venturing into the wilderness (more on that later), to a terrifying climb and leap off of a telephone pole, Orientation taught me that, with the help of supportive teammates, I can achieve more than I ever thought possible [insert groan].

Yes, it was cheesy and silly at times - running around in costumes, doing wheelbarrow races, and chanting “C-section!” in front of all of my classmates may have felt like summer camp - but I view orientation as a metaphor for the next two years at Anderson. Instead of ropes courses, I’ll be challenged with finance exams; instead of writing and rehearsing skits, I’ll be preparing my “30 second pitch” to use for recruiting. But even though we’ve been warned that first semester is brutal (we’ve seen the second year’s Google calendars and they are pretty daunting!), I have a great group of people who I know will have my back. Plus, if the 80’s party is any measure of the level of commitment Anderson students have to theme parties, I know it’s going to be a great year.

MBA Orientation 2015: We Belong Here

Four days ago, we stepped foot on the UCLA Anderson campus with a few friends, some butterflies, and buckets (briefcases?) full of questions. Who knew in such a short time, we would already feel right at home?

Four days of Orientation in, two weeks until classes, we can already feel that we belong here.

I belong at UCLA Anderson because…

Aimee Musil: I belong at Anderson because, even though my classmates are amazingly diverse, we’re already showing signs of the engaging, supportive, collaborative, and open-minded community they talk about in those shiny admissions brochures.

What exactly does that mean? As for engaging, over the past four days we’ve spent more than 9 hours watching presentations on what some might consider dry material - ethics, technology services, and the Anderson library (I apologize in advance to my mom, former librarian). However, from Jackie Reynolds, the Chief Technology Officer (and Anderson alum!) who had us cracking up to the saucy Angela Horne, newly appointed head of the Rosenfeld Library, the staff consistently impressed with their charm, wit, and genuine interest in helping us succeed during our time here.

Our collective open-mindedness came into play later, during our class photo scavenger hunt, when the accomplished and successful professionals of the class of 2015 literally ran around campus sweating profusely, planking, twerking, and screaming at tour guides/undergraduates, “Where’s the tree of knowledge?” All in all, I’ve been so impressed by the people I’ve met both on the staff and student side, and am excited to spend the next two years with this great group of people.

Los Angeles: A Vegetarian Paradise

If you're like me, you spend a significant amount of time each day thinking about food. First of all, I'm a grazer. I am hungry all the time. Secondly, I don't eat everything. Actually, I don't eat a lot of things.

As of last summer, for a variety of health and moral reasons, I am a proud (mostly) dairy-free vegetarian. I avoid meat completey and avoid seafood unless I know - and can most likely see - where it comes from. It's easier than going vegan, but pretty difficult nonetheless. 

Fortunately, there are few better cities in which to live than Los Angeles when it comes to eclectic vegetarian cuisine. So, for the others of you out there with morals (I kid, I ate meat for 26 years #nojudging), or for those who simply like the veggie option and want to expand your horizons, here is a sampling of some of my favorite vegetarian, vegetarian-friendly and vegan spots in Westwood and beyond.

Humility

Last week, I was a man of the mountains. Though it's not what you might think.

First of all, allow me to explain why I've missed a few (as in, many) weeks on this blog. Life has taken me by a storm:

Specifically, a bit over one month ago, a nonprofit I have volunteered with in the past contacted me asking for help. Their annual summer program - a week-long arts camp for young people affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS - was coming up, and they were still missing an integral member of the leadership team. I was planning to volunteer for a day or two at the camp this year, but with my summer work schedule did not think I would be able to make it up for the entire camp. But, despite my best effort to avoid any additional commitments this summer, they needed me. So, I went.

Starting in early July, I dropped everything (well, not everything, but unfortunately blogging was one of those things), rearranged my work scheduled and focused on preparing for camp.

And it was worth it. Last week was magical.

Career Contemplation

I know. It’s only the summer. Year 1 isn’t even here yet.

Call me crazy, but I have already begun investing significant mental energy into contemplating the seemingly endless myriad of professional opportunities that lie ahead. (If it helps, I had sleepless nights worrying about college starting when I was 12…so, maybe this isn’t that bad?).

Professionally, I have dedicated most of the last decade – including many workplaces and two degrees – toward pursuing the path I am happily on now. I have successfully merged my passions for education, social impact and media/entertainment in interesting, intellectually stimulating roles that have allowed me to authentically make a difference. In the long term, I know this intersection, somewhere at the nexus of media/technology/entertainment and social change, is where my path will continue to lead.

However, in the short term, I am about to embark on a crash course in business and management. I am pursuing my MBA to magnify horizons, unlock opportunities and learn, learn, learn. And with that new knowledge in hand, I want to gain practical private sector and corporate strategy experience that I can draw upon in the next phase of my career. 

Perhaps it is starting to become clear. I have a conundrum:

Do I dive head-first into the social impact space, leveraging my two years at Anderson to strengthen skills and expand my network in my current field, and learn how to apply lessons from the business world in real-time, re-entering social change work after graduation?

OR, do I zig instead of zag, and use the MBA as an opportunity to embrace the traditional corporate sector post-MBA path? Think management consulting. Most likely management consulting.

There are many, many practical reasons to choose the latter option. An important reason is to build an understanding of the levers of change that exist in the private sector. From the outside, in the philanthropy or nonprofit spaces, I can see the potential – the glut of resources (financial and otherwise) that can be leveraged to make the world better. I want to understand what change means through corporate eyes.

For now, I’ve decided that the answer is not ‘or’ but ‘and.’

On the consulting side, I’ve connected with the Management Consulting Association (MCA), attended an end-of-year MCA send-off and have started networking with top-tier consulting firms to explore future short-term and long-term opportunities.

On the social impact side, I (just!) registered for my first national conference as an MBA student. I will be attending the Net Impact (NI) National Conference in Silicon Valley in October with many of my like-minded Anderson classmates. Meanwhile, I’ve already gotten involved with UCLA’s Net Impact chapter via a collaborative social impact strategy session with Net Impact LA (NILA), and intend to be heavily invested in the UCLA social impact community.

As I embark on this parallel journey with Parker Career Management Center by my side, I plan to engage with both sides of this equation through academics, extracurricular involvement, networking, internships and beyond. And in doing so, I’ll find the right balance for me.

Meanwhile, I have been pleased to find there are others – current students and recent alums – who share my conundrum. Each of them have confronted the challenge in a different way. And they tell me I’m not crazy. I suppose I’ll believe them.

- Devon Dickau, MBA '15

Follow me @devonianperiod and UCLA Anderson @UCLAMBA

Mastering Math

#RealTalk: Numbers can be scary. Especially for those of us who are a bit out of practice.

Looking back on my past, you'd think I wouldn't have an issue. I was a member of my high school math team, a state champion in Science Olympiad and competed on the academic decathalon. I took calculus while in high school through a local community college while enrolled in college-level courses in statistics and physics. I did a lot of math back then.

So, I entered my undergraduate career with all quantitative requirements fulfilled. And, being that I have a BA in literature (and a pretty non-quantitative professional history), I haven't done math since.

This was my biggest concern when choosing to apply to business school. To be admitted to a top MBA program like Anderson I needed to demonstrate high proficiency in math. I knew it was just a piece of my application. But every admissions officer told me that - for someone with my profile - it was a big piece. But I had no record, and no practice. 

So, it was all up to the GMAT.

The first time I took the GMAT, I self-studied, thinking that I could do what I had done for every other standardized test in my life: just become somewhat familiar enough with the test beforehand to ease any pre-test anxiety, and then just figure it out as I went. My score was good. But not great.

I took it again, and really focused on math. I raised my score by 30 points, but didn't reach my goal. So, I took a prep class. It was time-consuming (and expensive!), but worth it. I learned the strategies I needed to pull off the score I wanted. I ignored the rest of the test, and just focused on the quantitative section. 

And it worked. I raised my GMAT score by 50 points, taking my score into the very top of UCLA's range. And, even more importantly, I was admitted to Anderson!

Unfortunately, however, this is only just the beginning of my reintroduction to mathematics. The reason, of course, for the demonstrated quantitative proficiency required for admission is that we will need those quantitative skills in school. Business school courses have a lot of numbers. A lot.

To prepare for this anticipated barrage of numbers, I decided to enroll this summer in two 10-week online courses offered through Anderson: Mathematics for Management and Excel for Management. I am more than decent at navigating Excel, and have a somewhat mathematical mind, but I wanted to be as prepared as possible to collaborate with my more quantitatively learned colleagues come fall quarter. 

The classes, taught by the legendary UCLA accounting professor David Ravetch, began a few weeks ago. The videos are awesome:

I never took an accounting class at UCLA, but I know he is, literally, a hero among men on this campus. And Professor Ravetch has, so far, delivered. Among his playful demeanor and palpable love of math (and Excel), he distills complex topics into learnable nuggets that are slowly awakening the quantitative side of my brain.

And while it's sometimes difficult to find time for my math homework - among working, volunteering, socializing, traveling and preparing for school this summer - I know I will appreciate it when I begin school in September and my fear of math has fallen away like the autumn leaves.

(Ok. No. We don't really have seasons in Los Angeles.)

- Devon Dickau, MBA '15

Follow me @devonianperiod and UCLA Anderson @UCLAMBA

#doubleBruin

I loved UCLA so much, I decided to come back.

I grew up in San Diego, CA. I wanted to be a filmmaker. So, I moved to LA. And there (here) my UCLA journey only just began.

While an undergraduate student UCLA, I did everything to get my feet wet in the entertainment industry. But amidst my personal and intellectual growth, I also discovered movies as a tool beyond storytelling; media could be used to change the world.

First, I needed to change the world.

I left college with a BA in American Literature & Culture and moved to Africa, where I worked with an NGO in rural Tanzania. When I returned, a changed man, and finally (finally!) ready to embark on my Hollywood journey, I discovered that Hollywood had gone on strike. (Remember that?). Broke, and without a job, I turned to my alma mater (and another passion: education).

I began working at UCLA in development and transitioned through three roles in three years, up to the assistant director of a new department focused on community engagement. I loved working for UCLA. Every day. Yet, the creative inside me yearned for more.

I left UCLA again to pursue a Masters in Technology, Innovation and Education from Harvard University, where I focused on leveraging media and technology for social change. While there, an internship with PBS affiliate WGBH in Boston led me to a small social impact consulting firm back in LA.

Since then – after a summer working for Harvard in New York City – I’ve worked for social impact consultancy ProSocial. There, I partner with nonprofits, philanthropists, filmmakers and corporations as a social impact researcher and strategist – a serendipitous blend of my passions for media, education and social change.

Business school, for me, is the next step on my journey to change the world. There is so much potential for good in the corporate world. At UCLA Anderson, I hope to gain skills that complement my eclectic background and empower me to transition into a traditional corporate role to gain valuable experience that I can leverage for social good. And I can’t wait.

Ten years ago, I started my first year as a Bruin. Since then, UCLA has defined the past decade of my life. My years here were transformational. And phenomenal. In Africa, I was a Bruin. While at Harvard, I was a Bruin. I am a hyper-involved alum, and will be a hyper-involved student once again. I’m a Bruin for life. But excited to make it even more official. #doubleBruin

- Devon Dickau, MBA '15

Follow me @devonianperiod and UCLA Anderson @UCLAMBA