Favorite Traditions At The Top MBA Programs

“Partio,” or party on the patio, is a venerated Rice Business tradition. Whether it’s an international Partio to celebrate the different cultures in our community or a family partio where you can introduce your littles and loved ones to your Rice Business family, partios are our favorite way to unwind and get to know each other better. Photo courtey of Jones Graduate School of Business

 

“At Rice, one of my favorite events is Partio. Partio is a weekly tradition that happens on Thursday nights. Some nights are themed to celebrate all the cultures and backgrounds of Rice Students. I love Partio because it is the weekly wind-down for my classmates and me. We go to Partio to let loose, enjoy food and drinks, and get some type of entertainment after a long class week.”
Takeya Green, Rice University (Jones)

 

“Once a week, two classmates give their TALK. They share their life stories with the entire GSB community in an intimate and supportive setting. The whole class comes together to celebrate self-reflection, vulnerability, and diversity in our community.”
Hannes Harnack, Stanford GSB

 

“A Rotman tradition that’s close to my heart is the Rotman Video Challenge. The premise is that each year the MBA class organizes themselves to create a video to tell the world who their class is. Over 70 people collaborated on the three-minute video in a way that no other classes had before. We worked across almost every time zone to showcase the unique ways our class was already trying to get to know one another and create the same community we would one day feel in the Rotman building. We cooked, made music, played games, and had drinks virtually in hopes of meeting in person soon.

Now, as the program is coming to an end, it’s emotional to rewatch the video and think about how these strangers and faces on Zoom have become such an important part of my life. It reflects how strong of a community is created at Rotman because of our shared experiences and passions. For me, this video will forever be a beautiful reminder of how much the MBA has changed my life and how resilient the class of 2022 really is.”
Cyrena Lockert, University of Toronto (Rotman)

 

“My favorite Haas tradition is the “trifecta” of events at the beginning of fall. The three events – Haasemite, Haas Boats, and Haas Vegas – are a staple of the Haas experience and offer three very different experiences for full-time and part-time MBAs. Haasemite, a camping trip to Yosemite, is perfect for outdoor explorers or those who are curious about the sights that Northern California offers. Haas Boats is an incredibly memorable and unique weekend on houseboats at Lake Shasta with hundreds of classmates. Finally, Haas Vegas is a nightlife-centered trip to Las Vegas. Students are not pressured to attend all (or any) of the events, but it’s a great introduction to Haas and a great way to get to know classmates at the beginning of the school year. Best of all, Haasemite and Haas Boats are local and more affordable/accessible than traditional MBA trips.”
Lucas Seifu, UC Berkeley (Haas)

“My favorite tradition at Haas is Story Salon. Every month, a few student speakers prepare stories about their lived experiences and share them with the Haas community. Attending Story Salon is a beautiful experience. Everyone in the community comes out and the stories are incredible pieces filled with humor, grief, and wisdom. You feel the connection, support, love, and shared understanding in the room at every Story Salon.”
London Swift, UC Berkeley (Haas)  

 

“My favorite tradition that takes place at UC Davis is Peer-to-Pier, an annual networking event where students can connect with alumni at a premier location in San Francisco. This year, it was held at The City Club of San Francisco, bringing together some of the most influential alumni all under the same roof where there are decades worth of industry experience and potential to build relationships. This event showcases the school’s powerful alumni network and its willingness to create spaces in which you can form relationships that will boost your career.”
Jayce Smalley, U.C. Davis

 

“The Executive Mentor Program, in which students are matched with an Orange County professional, provided added depth to my MBA experience.  The caliber of mentors and their commitment to Merage students is a testament to the network Merage has built in the Orange County community. My mentor complemented what I learned in the classroom by giving me insights into his business and board roles and offered guidance as I underwent my internship search and full-time role negotiations. He was available as a sounding board for ideas during my internship and case competition. On top of that, we’ve developed a genuine friendship.  We regularly meet for coffee, almost a year past the official program conclusion. I’ve faced several big decisions during my MBA, ranging from accepting my post-grad job offer to where I want to live. His guidance on these life choices has been invaluable.”
Sophia Fischer, UC Irvine (Merage)

 

“My favorite UCLA Anderson tradition is AnderCup/Section Olympics, which is a year-long challenge between all the sections in the Full-Time MBA Program. Starting business school virtually, the usual in-person activities swiftly pivoted to be virtual, but still managed to maintain creativity and competitive energy through spelling bees, trivia, cooking contests, and more. This helped create class pride and meaningful relationships with classmates as we learned more about each other’s interests and aspirations. Once we were able to participate in person, we got to spend even more time together doing outdoor activities like beach volleyball, egg tosses, and spike ball. AnderCup/Section Olympics demonstrated not only that the students at UCLA Anderson are agile and quick to adapt to different situations, but how great the culture is when you can be competitive while still striving to “share success”.”
Oke Bamgbose, UCLA (Anderson)

“My favorite MBA tradition is AnderStories. This is a recently rejuvenated monthly event (initiated by my ASA President predecessor, Shosh!) that brings students together to learn about individuals in our community through storytelling that goes below the surface. In business school, a lot of us are constantly looking for opportunities to go deep with others and AnderStories creates the platform for that. Two people choose to share a story, and it could be anything: funny, culturally relevant, highly personal… whatever speaks most to the presenter. I have learned more from this series about my peers than I could have ever imagined. The people at Anderson are resilient, courageous, and incredible humans who have the most unique journeys that have shaped them to become who they are today. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to cross paths with them in this way.”
Nuvie Ewharekuko, UCLA (Anderson)

 

“I most enjoy Humans of Owen, which I also had the opportunity to organize through my work with OSGA. Each month, we select 3 faculty, students, or staff who are willing to share perspectives and stories with the community. These speeches are often organized around common themes like gratitude, allyship, and new chapters. They allow us to explore the similarities and differences in our experiences. Classmates have shared their stories about immigrating to the United States, celebrating religious backgrounds, improving their mental health, and exploring racial or gender identity. Sometimes moving and sometimes uplifting, I always leave Humans of Owen impressed by the bravery, vulnerability, and strength of my classmates and am so grateful for the opportunity to get to know them more intimately. I believe Humans of Owen is also incredibly important for building a cohesive, supportive community at Owen.”
Jacob Schrimpf, Vanderbilt University (Owen)

 

“The Darden Drag Show is an event that I heard about before even arriving on Grounds and it certainly lived up to the hype. As a member of the queer community, it is always encouraging to see allies actively participating in events that are core to who we are. At the Darden Drag Show, you will have an absurd amount of fun while also learning about the history of drag and the influence it has had on mainstream culture. A combination of learning and pure bliss is at the core of the Darden experience, so it makes sense that this event is a huge hit every year.”
Isabel Fortuño Seitzer, University of Virginia (Darden)

“The Darden Cup is a huge part of the Darden culture and community. Each section (first years and second years) competes against each other in a myriad of events (soccer, MarioKart, relay races, talent show, etc.) and wins points throughout the year. It’s a great way to bring the sections- student and faculty alike – together for some classic fun and competition.”
Katie Winebarger, University of Virginia (Darden)

 

“I loved the Diwali Festival that we celebrated in November. Although it is a Hindu festival, all students from the MBA cohort were part of the celebration, wearing traditional Indian clothes and dancing to Bollywood songs. It was one of the first events I attended on campus. Because of such cultural events and comprehensive student participation, I could feel students’ respect for each other’s culture.”
Nikita Acharya, Warwick Business School

 

“My favorite MBA tradition has been our TGs (shortened from TGIF in case it happens not to land on a Friday). These events offered us an opportunity to enjoy our school after hours, have some drinks with one another, and enjoy music from our amazing Foster Band and other talented individuals. The TGs often took on different themes, which allowed us to celebrate different cultures, including Diwali and Lunar year celebrations. TGs are a tradition that I hope continues on for as long as Foster has an MBA program.”
Jay Patacsil, University of Washington (Foster)

 

“Many Wharton traditions come to my mind, but one that stands out is Storytellers. Storytellers is a recurrent evening event where 5-6 Wharton MBA students walk onto a stage at a local downtown theater and present the story of their lives. It is a very intimate setting where students share the deepest stories of their lives. This semester, we’ve heard profound and inspiring stories: from a classmate climbing Mount Everest with her dad to a transgender friend defying social constructs.

Storytellers is an attestation that Wharton is a safe place to open yourself up. The vulnerability and genuineness fostered in these events clearly brings our MBA community closer together.”
Jorge Cardenas, Wharton School

 

“My favorite MBA event at the Wisconsin School of Business was International Night in the Fall semester of 2021. This was an event where students dressed in their native country’s traditional attire and shared unique cultural experiences and food. The evening concluded with a talent show where students performed an artistic routine in dance, music, art, theatre, etc. It was exciting to see so many of my peers perform in the show! It is easy to get a sense of how gifted my peers are intellectually in the classroom. The talent show opened my eyes to an entirely different side of their talents and skills. Events like these help students, staff, and faculty, appreciate the cross-cultural differences in society and make them more empathetic leaders who understand and appreciate the diversity of people’s backgrounds and cultures. Celebrating our differences and our different skills will empower all of us to build more inclusive and close-knit organizations where everyone feels welcomed, heard, and understood.”
Karan Modi, Wisconsin Business School

 

My favorite MBA tradition at Yale SOM has been Voices. Voices is a weekly platform for SOM students and faculty to speak to an audience about anything and provide individuals a safe space to discuss life experiences that are relevant to their way of thinking. For me, it was a cathartic experience to speak about my family, my previous job, and other matters that shaped the woman I am. As an audience member, it helped me better understand my fellow classmates and why they are passionate about their opinions. At Yale SOM, we are a strongly opinionated community, but spaces like Voices allow us to break down walls with our classmates to learn why those opinions exist and gain empathy for each other.  
Elizabeth Varughese, Yale School of Management

 

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