Meet the Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class of 2018

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William Harrison

Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  A tall Canadian dude trying to get an education before the wall gets built.

Hometown: Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was a member of the Canadian National Basketball team that competed at the World University Olympics in China in 2011 (the second largest sporting competition in the world after the Summer Olympics). We came home with a silver medal, finishing ahead of an American team that was led by current Boston Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens and featured many current NBA stars.

Undergraduate School and Major: Wilfrid Laurier University, Lazaridis School of Business, Bachelor of Business Administration

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: McKinnon Basketball Association (Melbourne, Australia) – Professional Athlete.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While playing basketball in Australia, I started an annual fundraiser within my club to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer. This “Pink out” event involved our team wearing pink jerseys for the last regular season game. Proceeds from a silent auction and ticket, merchandise, and concession sales were donated to the Breast Cancer Network of Australia. The event was a success, and the concept has since been adopted by the entire league, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars being donated to the BCNA annually.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? While the GMAT is a test of knowledge, it’s more so a test of how well you can apply that knowledge under serious pressure. Practice accordingly by simulating the time constraints you will face on test day as many times as possible.

Look at admissions essays as the first draft of your personal brand pitch. You will have to make this pitch to employers hundreds of times during your job hunt, so use this opportunity to perfect it and become comfortable with selling yourself. Don’t be modest: If you don’t believe in yourself and what you’re capable of, no one will.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA?I used three main criteria when deciding where to apply and ultimately, attend business school: network strength, location, and track record with international students. Vanderbilt simply ticked all of these boxes.

As a Canadian who has been working in Australia for the last four years, my professional network within the U.S. was basically nonexistent. I knew I had to attend a school with a strong alumni network that had a reputation for supporting each other.

Two years is a long time, so it was also very important for me to choose a city that has things going on outside of school – and Nashville has that in spades. Finally, as an international student, there is no guarantee that you will find an employer willing to sponsor you after graduation. I wanted to attend a school like Vanderbilt Business that had the experience and resources in placement to help me attain that elusive Visa.           

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I came to business school with hope of transitioning into a career in the strategy consulting industry. The challenge of solving complex and wide-ranging problems for global businesses across a variety of industries gets me fired up the way throwing down a monstrous dunk used to. Additionally, I believe being exposed to such a dynamic, results-oriented environment will provide the best opportunity for me to learn and build a diverse skill set. Lastly, strategy consulting appeals to my appreciation of teamwork and the fact that I’m most comfortable and effective in a collaborative setting.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like for them to describe me as hardworking, intelligent, willing to lend a helping hand, and having helped contribute to two of the best years of their lives.

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