I came to the Full-time MBA at Smith School of Business because ...

of the focus on team-based learning and personal leadership development. The Smith MBA program, at its foundation, follows a human-first approach - not only are you assigned a team with whom you work closely to develop leadership, collaboration and strategic decision-making skills, but you also benefit from targeted career coaching, team coaching and executive coaching. The program’s emphasis on diverse, cross-functional teams mirrors the type of collaboration required in high-performing roles, effectively preparing students to become future leaders. I was also drawn to the strong networking opportunities and the alumni community, a network of inspirational industry leaders that extends far beyond graduation.

If I could go back a year ago and give myself advice, it would be to start putting myself out there more - start putting myself in situations outside of my comfort zone. This program teaches you to be comfortable being uncomfortable, a skill I wish I had developed earlier in my career.

My advice for an applicant would be to connect with current students and alumni. Learn about all of the opportunities this program provides. You’ll be joining a large network of diverse but like-minded people - see what others have pursued, how they’ve grown, and what they’ve learned.

I am pursuing my MBA because I want to evolve into a leadership position in Technology Product Management. I come from a very technical background as a software engineer, where you are always told what to build, without significant strategy or design input. My goal from this program is to pursue a leadership role where I have the opportunity to make innovative and strategic decisions that influence product design.

• Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
• Country of Origin: Canada
• Prior Industry: Engineering/Technology
• Career Focus: Product Management/Other