Meet The Wharton School’s MBA Class Of 2024 by: Jeff Schmitt on October 12, 2022 | 36,364 Views October 12, 2022 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit Philadelphia Skyline at Sunset P&Q: What have MBAs told you is the most memorable, signature experience they’ve had in your program? Why did it resonate so much with them? Mannix: “McNulty Leadership Ventures are always among the top experience students reminisce on when they talk about their time at Wharton. We value stretch experiences, and these are certainly stretch experiences. These Ventures are co-curricular experiential learning opportunities designed to bring participants into remote and difficult environments where they can learn from experience in confronting challenges, solving problems, and leading teams. Some recent ventures our students embarked on are mountain trekking in Chile’s Patagonia region, mountaineering in the Andes, and sailing tall ships in St. Croix. Participants can step out of their comfort zone, exceed personal limitations, and experience leadership first-hand. Our students also value the daily connections with their fellow MBAs through student clubs and conferences, late-night chats with their learning team, travel opportunities, and helping each other in class and career recruitment. Our students value the mundane-ness of life in a diverse and thriving community and feel that these shared experiences are some of their fondest memories to look back on.” P&Q: Give us your Wharton elevator pitch. Why here and nowhere else? Mannix: “Wharton teaches business differently. We value “learning from doing” and provide our students with a tactile education so they can meet tomorrow’s biggest business challenges. Our program is versatile, innovative, and helps students get the business knowledge and specialized skills to expand career choices and join one of the world’s largest and most prestigious alumni networks.” Wharton Graduate Association (WGA) Fair P&Q: What types of programming or services does your business school offer that make it welcoming and advantageous to women? Underrepresented minorities? International students? Mannix: “One of the things we are most proud of at Wharton is our student driven culture. Our student-led cultural and affinity clubs help our students meet MBAs with similar backgrounds and build lifelong friendships. Some of the largest MBA clubs on campus are Wharton Women in Business (WWIB), African American MBA Association (AAMBAA), and Wharton Hispanic-American MBA Association (WHAMBAA). Clubs like these provide their members with cultural, social, academic, and professional resources and engage members with social events, mentoring and thought leadership.” P&Q: What is the most underrated part of your program that you wish students knew more about? How does that make your graduates more valuable to prospective employers? Mannix: “The Executive Coaching and Feedback Program is a unique opportunity for students to get personalized one-on-one executive coaching based on detailed feedback from peers and former/current co-workers. The program supports MBA students in the pursuit of deeper self-awareness and improved leadership skills to advance individual success and team and community performance.” Huntsman Hall from the air. WHY WHARTON? 1) Academic Range: “The analytical rigor of Wharton’s MBA program, combined with the cross-disciplinary resources of the Social Impact Initiative, was one of the many reasons why I applied to Wharton. Also, it was the only schools that has a finance-centric ESG major – an area of expertise that ties to my career goals.” Shriya Kumar (’24) 2) Scale: “The size of Wharton’s alumni network is unparalleled. With more than 100,000 living alumni, it is the largest business school in the world. Wharton’s scale is also evident before graduation. Here, I always found people with whom to fulfill my hobbies/passions, career aspirations, business ideas and global travels. We were the largest Class of 2022 among all MBA business schools: 916 students to be exact. Yes, our class size was overwhelming at the beginning, I’ll admit it, but in such a big class you’re never alone. Thanks to our non-grade disclosure policy, there is always a feeling of camaraderie instead of rivalry. This feeling of cooperation then remains after graduation, and you can clearly see it when a Whartonite reaches out to another Whartonite out there, since we’re all always willing to lend a hand if possible!” Jorge Cardenas (’22) 3) Support: “Beyond career progress, Wharton has a lot to offer for personal development too. I’m seeking to hone myself as a leader and become a self-aware and resilient investor. Courses like Executive Coaching and Feedback Program will help me recognize my strengths and weaknesses. Overall, I believe a Wharton MBA will help me grow as an investor and authentic leader.” Shriya Kumar (’24) 4) Storytellers: “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 their 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(’22) “Stories are what drive movements, found companies, heal emotions, and build relationships. If there was one thing I could choose to master, it would be storytelling. I look forward to collaborating with Wharton students to build this skillset while enjoying the stories they tell, and I learn to tell.” Nihar Bobba (’23) 5) The Full Package: “The flexibility of Wharton’s curriculum was a huge draw for me. As someone who has never formally studied business, I appreciate having the options to learn from some of the brightest minds in business through lectures, engage in robust case discussions with my classmates, and gain real-world experience through collaborative group projects. I’m also interested in participating in the Global Immersion Program to gain an international perspective on how to apply the concepts I learn in class. Having the opportunity to travel abroad and meet with local business leaders, government officials, and Wharton alumni, while learning from professionals in the region will perfectly complement my classroom experience.” Kendall Rankin (’24) MBA Student Hometown Undergrad Alma Mater Last Employer Mercedes Beras-Goico Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic American University Citi Private Bank Udai Bhardwaj New Delhi, India Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur American Express Nihar Bobba Bangalore, India Northwestern University Better Tomorrow Ventures and Wizely Taylor Clarke Greenville, SC University of South Carolina Guidehouse Maha Faraz Karachi, Pakistan The London School of Economics & Political Science Standard Chartered Bank Misha Faraz Karachi, Pakistan King’s College London Strategy& Steffi Katz Wellesley, MA Yale University La Réserve Paris Lauren Kim Los Altos, CA Stanford University LPGA Professional Golfer Shriya Kumar Mumbai, India University of Mumbai JP Morgan Kendall Rankin Bowie, MD Georgia Tech All Raise Kerone Wint St Catherine, Jamaica University of the West Indies Kingston Public Hospital Previous PagePage 3 of 3 1 2 3