Meet Washington Olin’s MBA Class Of 2023

P&Q: What are Olin’s two most popular elective courses? What makes them so attractive to students and what are a couple of the big takeaways from them?

Taylor: “Olin’s long-standing Introduction to Entrepreneurship course is very popular with students. They appreciate how the course sets a framework for entrepreneurship and innovation in their minds. Even students who are not interested in a career in, strictly speaking, entrepreneurship learn and appreciate how the entrepreneurial spirit can influence their career and their impact in the corporate context.

We also find our course in Power and Politics to be very popular among students, who articulate how much they appreciate learning how to navigate internship relationship dynamics, as well as the skills to navigate interpersonal relationships to be more effective leaders and team members.

I can’t let this question pass, however, without also mentioning Competitive Industry Analysis—another course our students love—which gives them a knowledge base for analyzing firm behavior in American industry. They appreciate how much it helps them understand industries and the players in those industries based on their career interests.”

P&Q: What have your employers told you are the two biggest strengths of your graduates and how does your programming bolster these differentiators?

Taylor: “Employers appreciate our students’ intellectually curiosity. They say students present themselves authentically, and that they bring a wealth of experiences from their backgrounds and in the classroom. Of course, because so many of them bring work experiences before they earned their MBA, that only adds to the experiential educational experiences they have at WashU Olin. Employers recognize how students brought that experience to their MBA education—and made the most of it.

In Olin’s career center, our team actively prepares students to think about their careers. That includes building awareness about the type of organization they want to work for now and in the future. Career coaches travel with students on their experiences, which helps them learn how students connect what they are learning in the classroom with interviews and future jobs.

Our four-stage career development model guides students through a process of self-discovery and reflection, which allows them to better understand what roles will fit them best—and, thus, interview authentically. We are also strongly dedicated to driving diversity and inclusion in our programs and career services. We offer specialized preparation for affinity group career events and have a strong presence with clubs that serve these affinity groups.”

5 REASONS TO PURSUE AN OLIN MBA

1) Global Immersion: “Aside from the all-night parties, tapas, cava and ceviche, I’m really excited for the exposure to how local organizations navigate and thrive in the global economy. Experiencing how diverse cultures and economies influence the ways business is transacted is nearly impossible to replicate stateside, so I’m eager to be immersed in a new business environment.

That said, because Olin is fortunate to have a really diverse cohort of students, we’ve already begun working with colleagues from cultures different from our own. So while the public health crisis has necessitated postponing our travel overseas, collaborating with individuals with extremely varied life experiences is an everyday occurrence at Olin and has allowed me to expand my perspective.”
Rick Desloge (’23)

2) Center For Experiential Learning: “As an MBA candidate with an incredibly non-traditional background, I knew that immersive opportunities inside firms navigating complex business challenges would accelerate my professional development. The Center for Experiential Learning was a really attractive component of Olin’s curriculum and has not disappointed. Through the CEL, I’ve already consulted on a project for a major regional theater and am working with a startup in San Francisco during the spring semester. Not only have I gained practical experience that has developed my quantitative acumen, I’ve recognized that my qualitative skills are an asset that I can leverage as a differentiator.”
Rick Desloge (’23)

“This semester, I had the exciting opportunity to serve as a team lead for a consulting project through Olin’s Center for Experiential Learning. The CEL enables students to apply our learnings to problems facing real clients. This fall, my team and I worked with the Ecuadorian Football Federation to conduct an industry analysis across many comparable international soccer federations. Part of our research led us to travel to Charlotte, N.C. to watch Ecuador face off against Mexico for an international friendly (where Ecuador won!). This was an incredible bonding opportunity for the team, and attending the match provided invaluable insights that informed our final recommendations.”
Livi Logan-Wood (’23)

3) St. Louis: “St. Louis sits at the intersection of a long history of innovation and the emergence of more modern conceptions of what industries and business should look like. Every neighborhood of the city has a unique character to it and I have learned so much from getting to explore so many different cultures and mindsets within such a small area. In that regard, I have really enjoyed pursuing an MBA in this wonderful city. Over the past few months, I have discovered the innumerable opportunities that exist here to do good while acquiring my degree, such as joining the Net Impact Club that highlights local changemakers who strive to make education more accessible to all youths. Additionally, I have been able to engage in social entrepreneurship workshops with local creators who put a new twist onto older ideas to make them more applicable to the St. Louis context.”
Stephanie Emmanuelle Mbida (’23)

4) Small Class Size: “I sought a school that would provide a close-knit community to develop strong relationships with classmates and faculty while offering a personalized education, and Olin met the criteria. Its class size has allowed me to create close personal connections with all my classmates and professors, which have enriched my knowledge and perspective. Additionally, the MBA program starts earlier than most programs, giving me the advantage to take core courses well before the start of recruiting season, which allowed me to be better equipped for interviews.”
Maria Espitia (’23)

“A large factor in my determination to enroll at Washington University in St. Louis had to do with the size of the MBA cohort. I care deeply about community and being able to actively contribute to whatever environment I am in. Our tight-knit class has enabled me to be familiar with almost all of my classmates, get to know my professors, and acquire leadership positions in clubs such as Net Impact and Olin’s Graduate Business Student Association fairly quickly. I encourage all perspective students to think about what type of learning environment will enhance their professional growth. For me, it’s a smaller class size with ample opportunity for school involvement.”
Livi Logan-Wood (’23)

5) Consulting Platform: “The existence of the consulting platform really stood out to me. My primary career interest coming out of school lies in consulting, and I knew that coming into Olin. It was rare to see any schools that had concentrations or majors in consulting. I really like the balance that has been struck in the curriculum of requiring courses across different skill set areas. Consulting is a multifaceted occupation on that front, and I feel Olin has commensurately reflected that range in the curriculum.”
Derek W. Hawkes (’23)

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE OLIN APPLICANTS

“Be authentic in your interactions and open to all the value St. Louis has to offer—especially the benefits it can afford to students in terms of its accessibility and affordability. Find out what makes St. Louis and WashU special. Ask about favorite local activities when having informational conversations so that you can demonstrate your interest in the city at the interview stage. You will likely find out why it is a great program to be a part of in the process, too!”
Missy Preston (’23)

“At its core, an MBA is a very practical degree, so gaining admission at any competitive program requires a thoughtful reflection that considers how the specific programming at a school can accelerate a career trajectory. Of course, every applicant will find unique components attractive for different reasons. I’d suggest potential applicants at Olin (or any MBA program) express their passion for the program’s differentiators that they find most attractive in their admissions essays. Highlight how these specific mechanisms can be leveraged to create a favorable career outcome that increases the profile of both the school and the applicant. For example, during the application process, I connected with several current students who stressed Washington University’s informal initiative to be an institution not only in St. Louis, but also for St. Louis. Having grown up here, our region’s lasting advancement is an important cause to me. I emphasized this passion in my application to Olin and underscored how vital it was to earn an MBA while contributing not only to the Olin community, but also to St. Louis.”
Rick Desloge (’23)

“To be authentic to yourself through the whole process and to try to have an idea of what you would like to do post-MBA. For me, not coming from a traditional business background, I often found myself saying, “Well I don’t know how this translates to business.” In my interview with Olin, my interviewer actually stopped me and said, “Everything you are describing is business related and you will see how relatable it is.” So if you come from a non-traditional business background market yourself and the unique skills you bring to the table.”
Lawrence Toomey (’23)

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergraduate Alma Mater	Last Employer
Brendan Barry	St. Louis, MO	University of Missouri	U.S. Marine Corps
Rick Desloge	St. Louis, MO	Indiana University	Freelance Actor (Jersey Boys)
Maria Espitia	Monteria, Colombia	Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración (CESA)	Arrendar SAS
Derek W. Hawkes	Plano, TX	Southern Methodist University	Nashville Symphony
Livi Logan-Wood	Cincinnati, OH	Saint Louis University	Partnership for Public Service
Qihong (Susan) Luo	Beijing, China	Washington University	Anheuser-Busch InBev
Justin Matthews	Madison, AL	Mississippi State University	OneTrust
Stephanie Emmanuelle Mbida	New York City, NY	Northwestern University	Cameroonian Red Cross
Missy Preston	Pembroke, Canada	University of Minnesota	Lyric Asset Management and Consulting Services
Lawrence Toomey	St. Louis, MO	United States Military Academy	U.S. Army