The Stereotype-Defying MBAs In The Class of 2018

Vanessa Vasquez

 

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A museum nerd looking to become a marketing management professional

Hometown: South Gate, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I designed websites when I was younger.

Undergraduate School and Major: Yale University; Biological Anthropology

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: City National Bank: Credit Analyst, Private Banker and Consumer Credit Officer, Century City, California

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment has been working with high net worth clients on their credit requests. I learned a great deal from each client and every day was a different experience.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? If you have a slight inclination towards business school, then I highly suggest to study and take the GMAT as soon as you can. Working on finishing business school applications while studying for the GMAT is intense and it will save you time if you get the GMAT out of the way earlier rather than later. Additionally, the more time you are out of school, the less you will want to take another standardized test. Studying for the GMAT takes time and the earlier you complete the exam, the better.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? The location and weather are two reasons I chose Anderson. As a native Angelino, I knew I needed a place with sun and a vibrant city life. Anderson’s culture also fit more with my own. Anderson is highly collaborative and the students are intelligent and successful but also humble. The students at Anderson are people that you’d want to take classes with now and be friends with years later.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I’d love to run the marketing division of a financial institution because I am interested in creating and managing campaigns along with being in a highly collaborative environment.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? After graduating, I would like my business school peers to say that I was not only amazing at table tennis, but also a great team player and a wonderful friend.