Meet USC Marshall’s MBA Class Of 2025

A network or a family?

In business school, MBAs can hopefully enjoy both.

Networks come down to access and advancement. Think know-how and advice, tipping peers off to opportunities and championing their causes. A family? Imagine shared values and experiences, an identity that bonds a community. A network may open doors, but a family opens its heart.

A PAY-IT-FORWARD CULTURE

That distinction is critical at USC’s Marshall School of Business. For many years, the school hyped its “Trojan Network.” By that, Marshall meant that their alumni were always looking out for students – and worked feverishly to place them in internships and jobs. Naturally, this created some skepticism, even among admits like Olivia Glick, a Best & Brightest MBA who earned her degree in 2023. Turns out, Glick says, the Trojan Network was very real.

“When I was recruiting for my consulting internship last year, I cannot tell you how many Marshall alums helped me along the way, coaching me on how to do a case interview and network my way into firms. Even once I got to my internship, the number of Trojans who would stop by or ping me to check in on how I was doing or ask if they could help was incredible. There really is a pay-it-forward culture that is embedded in the alumni community.”

That culture is instilled when first-years arrive on campus, says Anne Ziemniak, the school’s assistant dean of external relations, in a 2022 interview with P&Q. Here, they are introduced to the concept of the “Trojan Family” – a demand that students become deeply engaged in the Marshall MBA experience. That ranges from running the clubs, events, and excursions themselves to looking out for their peers.

“The collaborative mindset that takes hold while MBAs are students also carries over to when they are alumni.  Alumni recognize how hard it can be to break into various companies and industries. They remember the help and support they got when they were students and feel empowered to do their part to keep the Trojan Family alive and well. These types of active demonstrations of a strong, connected network engender the desire among students to return the favor and pay it forward in the future.”

“I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE”

The MBA Class of 2025 has quickly learned the Trojan Family is no myth, either. For Uchechukwu Stella Ezealigo, a Nigerian professor, the Trojan Family showed up even before classes started. As an applicant, second-years flocked to help her. And she was struck by how involved alumni and faculty were when she reached campus. She describes it as a culture of “oneness.” Hao Wang, a music professional from China, experienced this same spirit. He witnessed the Trojan Network in action from spending seven years in Los Angeles before entering business school.

“I have multiple friends who graduated from USC, and I’ve seen how they are genuinely willing to help each other, open to assist or connect with people reaching out from the network, and never dismiss them. Even if they were unable to help, they would think of a classmate or another alumnus who could help them. This is a community of professional, and passionate individuals.”

And “approachable, kind, and supportive” in the words of classmate Harley Zhu, a Yale-trained economist and consultant. These qualities have enabled the Class of 2025 to gel as a family. David Iwanowski, a University of Chicago grad and NYC native, looks back fondly on how his classmates lived it up at The Brig, a popular Venice nightspot, for two days. Ekaterina Tretiakova, a beauty care professional from Russia, cites the informal gatherings at restaurants and beaches before classes as the time when she bonded with classmates. For Katherine Woods, meeting her classmates was like love at first sight.

“My first impression was, “Wow, I have found my people!” I have never experienced so many like-minded, highly motivated, friendly, yet totally different and unique people in one group.”

A CHART-TOPPING ALBUM AND AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP RING

This year’s class features students like Hao Wang, a Berklee College of Music grad who describes himself as having lived “three lives: dancer, composer, artist manager; now on my fourth striving to be a consultant.” By dancer, he means professional ballet dancer. From there, he formed a consulting firm with 15 artists and 7 staffers that handled responsibilities like scheduling, contract negotiation, market research, and branding.

“One of the most significant accomplishments in my career thus far was executive producing and helping publish a debut album for one of my new artists in the summer of 2022,” Wang tells P&Q. “This album quickly topped the new music chart, experimental chart, hip-hop chart, and R&B chart within the first month of its release in China and Hong Kong. The leading single alone amassed over 6 million streams in the first week. This success captured opportunities for TV show appearances and collaborations with established talents and attracted multiple record deal offers. Once unsure about pursuing this career, the artist became extremely thankful for sticking with our plan and can now make a good living doing what he loves. The ability to build artists, help them succeed in their careers, and create meaningful music is a profoundly gratifying experience for me.”

What does David Iwanowski own that no one else in the Class of 2025 has? How about an NBA Championship from his time as a research and innovation analyst for the Milwaukee Bucks?

“I’m not going to pretend I was super crucial to the games – although every little point/possession matters in the playoffs,” he jokes. “However, being able to contribute and work on such an exciting goal day-in-and-day-out energized me. The target, challenge, and teamwork involved in that run was exhilarating, and I was able to overcome the stress and lack of sleep. The payoff of seeing the impact of our work on the city was something I’ll never forget.”

FROM ‘SKI BUM’ TO ‘SURF BUM’

The class also boasts consumer marketing and management experience. Ashley Mascarenhas, a kite enthusiast, spent nearly a decade as a store manager for Zumiez. Most recently, Ekaterina Tretiakova worked as a marketing manager for LVMH in the Givenchy brand, while also doubling the firm’s skincare market share. As a finance manager for Amazon, Janiece Smith oversaw the program launch for giving tours of its local fulfillment centers to the public.

“My role involved analyzing the data to assess the effectiveness of the reputation-building campaign,” Smith writes. “I identified the optimal timing and days for conducting tours, as well as the specific target audience that would be most influential in conveying a positive reputation message. Through my comprehensive analysis, the team gained the ability to allocate resources for this program more efficiently. This allowed us to focus on capturing the attention of audiences most likely to speak positively about and impact the company’s reputation.”

Jess Randol describes himself as a “ski bum who is learning to become a surf bum.” In reality, he is a West Point grad who studied Nuclear Engineering before handling logistics for a 750-member battalion. Along with pursuing an MBA, Obianeze Okolo is a MD candidate at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and an “aspiring restauranteur.” By the same token, Uchechukwu Stella Ezealigo holds a Master’s of Science in Biochemistry and a PhD in Material Science and Engineering.

“Growing up in a family with no history of college education, I have always been very passionate about education. As a result, I pursued the highest level of education and built a career between the intersection of scientific research and academia. Over the past few years, I have had the honor of teaching hundreds of students and making an impact on the academic journey of these students.  In my previous role at the African University of Science and Technology, I was invited to train 150 Biology Teachers in a remote State (Ogun State) in Nigeria. This experience was important to me because these teachers became equipped with the necessary skills to teach students within rural communities…With an MBA, I hope to continue to make an impact within this space and to continue to inspire girls to pursue a career in STEM.”

FOLLOWING THE FAMILY TRADITION

In Ghana, Kwasi Badu started a school – now home to over 200 students and 20 staff members – to fight illiteracy and provide an alternative to child labor. Working for Teach For America, Harley Zhu, the first in his family to attend high school, boosted the ACT scores of his students by a six-point average – six times better than the school goal. In the Farmington Public Schools, Morgan Gilliam taught Biology and Chemistry. That said, she made her biggest impact as a varsity track coach.

“Track and Field is in my DNA,” she tells P&Q. “My paternal grandfather broke the record long jump at Drake University in the ‘60’s, my dad was on a 4×100 meter relay team that broke the high school state (Michigan) record in the ‘80s, and I was the 4×200 meter relay team that broke the school record my junior year of high school. During my first year of coaching – I worked with a talented group of athletes– the team earned the Men’s Division I State Runner Up title (Top 2 overall) for the first time in the school’s history!”

CLASS PROFILE

By the numbers, the Class of 2025 includes 199 full-time MBA students. International students account for 41% of the class, with women and underrepresented minorities making up 35% and 20% shares respectively. 12% of the class served in the military, while another 9% identify as LGBTQ.

Average GMAT dropped 10 points to 722 – though up from the 716 average from two years ago. This year, scores spanned from 680-761 in the middle 80% range. Among GRE scores submitted, Verbal and Quant averaged 160 and 163 respectively. The average GPA came in at 3.50.

As undergraduates, 32% of the class majored in Business-related fields, nearly double the next discipline (Engineering and Computer Science at 16%). Sciences and Economics majors constitute 14% and 13% shares of the class, followed by Social Sciences (10%) and Humanities (7%). Professionally, the largest segment of the class last worked in Financial Services (19%). Technology (14%), Healthcare (13%), and Consulting (10%) also account for double digit shares of the class.

Next Page: An interview with Marshall’s Leadership Team.

Page 3: Profiles of 12 Members of the Class of 2025.