2015 MBA To Watch: Carly Escue

Carly Escue

 

University of Florida, Hough Graduate School of Business

“Keep in mind that you only have one opportunity to experience everything that the UF MBA has to offer.” That’s Carly Escue’s advice to future students. And she would know – she was seemingly everywhere at Hough. She was elected to be the vice president of the UF MBA Association (aka the student government). She acted as a student ambassador for the admissions team. She was named CEO of GatorMBAGear, a student-run merchandising and apparel company, and promptly jumpstarted new revenue streams and money-saving inventory practices. As a career coach, Escue helped her peers prep for recruiting events and interviews. As team captain of UF MBA Case Competitions, she led her team to a first place at the 2014 SEC MBA Case Competition (Including an individual best presenter award for herself). Is it any wonder that she had her pick of job offers? She ultimately chose ExxonMobil – and you can bet that Escue will capitalize on every opportunity there too!

Age: 27

Hometown: Portland, Tennessee

Undergraduate School: Belmont University

Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Arts in English, Russian Studies

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Nacke Media, Copywriter (Gainesville, Florida); Language Link, Language Instructor (Moscow, Russia); Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, Language Instructor (Incheon, South Korea)

Where did you intern during the summer of 2014? General Electric, Oil & Gas Division, Human Resources Leadership Program

Where will you be working after graduation? ExxonMobil, Human Resources Advisor

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I knew I wanted to go to business school when I gained first-hand international business experience. Living in Moscow and Seoul gave me the opportunity to evaluate western business through a new lens, and pursuing formal business study through the MBA allowed me to build on this experience while gaining important career credentials for the future.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…developing my career as an international educator.”

What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term professional objective is to make a long-lasting, positive impact on the international human resources field by advancing the effectiveness of selection and performance management strategies. In a leadership role, I hope to work toward this objective while always empowering my team members to develop the skills and competencies they need to achieve their own professional goals.

Favorite Courses: International Finance (FIN 6638), Organizational Behavior (MAN 5246), Open Economy Macroeconomics (ECO 5715), Product Development/Management (MAR 6833), Leadership Essentials (MAN 6930)

Which academic or professional achievements are you most proud of? During my summer internship at General Electric, I had the opportunity to lead several meaningful HR projects. The organization which I supported had acquired a business, and I was tasked with planning and managing some of the most important integration efforts for the employees. Even though I was new to both the corporate environment and full-time HR, I saw great success during the integration efforts, so much so that many of my colleagues were surprised to learn that I was an intern and not a full-time employee of the company!

Who would you most want to thank for your success (and why)? Unquestionably, I have my parents to thank for my success. Not only did they work tirelessly to ensure that my brother, sister and I had what we needed to succeed academically, but they also supported our endless extracurricular and athletic pursuits. They taught me what it means to live a productive and meaningful life, and their love for each other inspires me every day.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose UF because I knew I could receive personal attention from top quality faculty and staff. The UF MBA offers an unparalleled, tight-knit community that supports students’ professional and academic goals.

What did you enjoy most about business school? I am thrilled with the quantity and quality of extracurricular opportunities which were available to me as a full-time student. By participating in the student-led business, case competitions, peer coaching and student government initiatives, I took full advantage of the opportunity to develop my leadership skills.

What is your most memorable moment from business school? I’ll never forget presenting with my MBA Case Competition team at the 2014 SEC MBA Case Competition at the University of Alabama. We had been preparing for months, and our energy levels were high. After 24 hours of nonstop brainstorming, number crunching and PowerPoint building, we stood up and delivered the best presentation we’d done to date, and we won the competition!

Fun fact about yourself: In high school, I survived a nearly fatal sports injury. Because I was unable to participate in athletics during the year that followed, my passion for academic excellence was reignited. While the injury was definitely scary, I think it ultimately left a positive mark on my personal and academic development.

Favorite book: Everything by Nabokov

Favorite movie: All the King’s Men

Favorite musical performer: My Morning Jacket

Favorite television show: The Office

Favorite vacation spot: The Grand Canyon

What are your hobbies? Running and diving into a good David Sedaris collection

Twitter Handle: @SQCarly

What made Carly such an invaluable addition to the class of 2015?

“Carly is humble, thoughtful, and caring, and she quickly established herself as someone with incredible work ethic and consistent high quality execution. She indicated how much of an impact she was going to make on our program when she jumped right in and was elected to the MBAA executive board within a couple weeks of enrolling, and since then, she has managed to achieve high academic performance while competing in international and national case competitions representing the University of Florida. Her impact on the program cannot be overstated.                                                                                                                                                                        Her leadership in Gator MBA Gear, a student-run business that offers licensed UF MBA apparel and merchandise, has been monumental. In the selection process, she did an in-depth analysis of Gator MBA Gear (having no retail business experience) and displayed a focused, well thought out vision to grow revenue, including target market segmentation, innovations in product line, operations and inventory management. She recruited a strong team and led them flawlessly to drive the desired results.

Carly’s first attempt at an MBA case competition was not successful as her team did not advance to the final round. This initial setback drove her to continue to compete and improve when others experiencing similar results became frustrated and quit. Her persistence and drive in the face of difficulty is one of the traits that most defines Carly and distinguishes her from her peers. Ultimately, Carly and her teammates won the opportunity to represent UF in several case competitions during her first year. Her team won first place at the state of Florida and the SEC MBA Case Competition where Carly also won best presenter.

 Before attending the University of Florida, Carly lived and worked abroad in both Moscow and Seoul where she worked as an English language instructor, helping students to connect with the English-speaking world. Coming from a non-traditional non-business background, she worked tirelessly to prepare for the job search process. Her hard work resulted in multiple offers, and she ultimately landed a coveted internship with General Electric. Early into Carly’s second year in the program, she received several offers for full-time employment and chose to pursue her career at ExxonMobil in Houston, TX.” -Kara Cupoli, Senior Director of Full-time Student Affairs & MBA Engagement

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH FROM THE CLASS OF 2015