Abraham Levy

Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business

“I am a spiritually driven introvert trying to make it in an extroverted world.”

Hometown: Los Angeles, California

Fun Fact About Yourself: After graduating from culinary school, I worked in several high-end restaurants in New York and Los Angeles.

Undergraduate School and Major: Shaarey Chaim, Talmudic Studies; Fairleigh Dickinson University, Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Amazing Home Care, Director of Operations

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In my last position as director of operations, I was given 30 days to start a new home care agency and to begin providing home care services to 10 patients on day 31. The challenge was exhilarating. I had to learn how to start a new company, maintain strict regulatory compliance, and build a profitable, sustainable business. We started servicing 12 patients on day 29. I was very proud of our team’s accomplishments. That branch is now one of the most profitable parts of the company.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? All the students I’ve worked with so far strive for excellence. Not only do they want to excel, but they want the work that they do to be done exceptionally well.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I visited many schools, but when I met John Wisneski, director of the W. P. Carey School of Business, I was impressed by his passion for education and for the student body. I knew that the program would be run exceptionally well with him at the helm. I also felt that the program was structured in a way that would encourage my development, both professionally and personally.

Arizona State is renowned for its innovation. How have you seen innovation in the philosophy, curriculum, or resources at W. P. Carey?  The program is flexible in the sense that it responds simultaneously to the needs of both the class and the individual. For example, the executive mentor program, which pairs students with successful business professionals, facilitates and reinforces the coursework and helps tailor the program to the needs of each student. This encourages each student to develop to his or her potential.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I was given a case question during the interview. After I gave my response, the interviewer asked me if there was anything else I could think of to solve the question. I thought that maybe I hadn’t answered the question in its entirety or correctly and asked for a minute to think about it further. I realized that there was a crucial aspect of the problem that I had not initially considered and responded accordingly. Whether or not the interviewer liked my response, I thought I had met the challenge. It’s amazing how pressure like that can bring out the best in oneself.

How did you determine which business schools best fit you? I used U.S News & World Report and Poets & Quants. I also dove into my network and contacted people who had graduated from the program. Attending the Meet-and-Greets were very effective, as they gave me a chance to see what type of students attended the program and learn about the culture of the school. It also gave me a chance to meet with current students to find out their perspective and things that they liked and didn’t like about the program.

I was told that you will just have a gut feeling when you get to the right school. That definitely applied to me. As soon as I came to ASU, I knew it was the right fit.