Toluwalase (Toluwa) Jobi

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

“An avid traveler who hopes to see and experience the world.”

Hometown: The Bronx, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have visited 6 out of the 7 continents.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School, BS in Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Blis, Technical Account Manager

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Carnegie Mellon’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Tepper’s heavy emphasis on data is what ultimately lead to my decision to enroll. In undergrad, I realized almost instantly that I needed data and facts to help me make informed decisions.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Carnegie Mellon? I am excited to participate in the Culinary and Wine clubs. I think food is a love language and it is a fun way to express yourself and you can never go wrong with a conversation over wine.

The Tepper MBA is known for intensive one-on-one coaching and personal development. What area do you hope to strengthen during your two years in business school and why? I hope to strengthen my Emotional Intelligence during my two years. A lot of what business school is, is understanding how you respond to people and situations effectively and that is something I hope to excel to be a people leader as well as a collaborator.

The Tepper MBA is also known for being highly data-driven Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How have been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? I believe that data and the understanding of data is essential to making effective decisions and change. Tepper’s focus is amazing because it prepares its students to be able to manage data and come up with innovative and effective solutions. A lot of what I have done in my career is evaluate data and make recommendations to my team that have led us to reduce cost and utilize resources that will enable better performance.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Personally, I think my decision to go back to school is my biggest accomplishment. It was me identifying my strengths and where I had room for growth and acknowledging that the point in my career that I was at, was no longer fueling my passions and happiness.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I haven’t read anything recently that I would highly recommend because I have just been reading romance. However, one that I encourage everyone to read is The Alchemist. It helps you really pause and identify the many obstacles in your path and how your perception of them can lead you on a journey. I feel like it is a book that has a new meaning every time you read it which is something I think is valuable for being an effective leader, problem-solver, and teammate.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Carnegie Mellon’s MBA program? Network and bring your authentic self to the process. Do not be afraid to ask questions, do not be afraid to be candid with the people you encounter. This process is just as much for you as it is for the school. You want to be able to say confidently, I made the best choice for me.

DON’T MISS: MEET CARNEGIE MELLON TEPPER’S MBA CLASS OF 2024