Meet UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Class Of 2024

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?

Richie: “If you ask an alum what they enjoyed most, you will hear about studying with classmate on a Global Immersion Elective (the topics and countries vary each year). They reflect on working on a real consulting project for a company through the STAR program, collaborating with their small team of MBA and Undergraduate Business students, and coming up with a solution that the company implemented.

Outside of class, memorable traditions include Carolina Casuals, Karaoke night and attending sporting events to cheer on classmates who might play on the basketball, soccer, football and lacrosse teams.

But the common theme I hear from students/graduates are stories about embracing the full breadth of opportunities to learn while they are here and build lifetime relationships with their classmates to create unforgettable experiences. TJ Dolan (MBA ’19) is one of those alums. Prior to Carolina, TJ was a consultant and had an offer to go back to his company after graduation, which didn’t stop him from being a calculated risk-taker. He tried new things that created passions he didn’t necessarily know he had until joining our MBA program. He took on an internship at a tech company without having experience in the field; traveled throughout Latin America with Zach Stone, a classmate he met in the program; participated in a STAR project with students outside of his legacy and study team; joined an intramural league with friends to meet others on the UNC campus; and more. TJ gives a lot of credit to his classmates for his experience, motivating him to not be afraid to fail and to explore. This fall TJ returns to Chapel Hill for the wedding between two of his classmates who met in our program.”

P&Q: How does the MBA program leverage the resources of the large university? How does that create more opportunities for your students?

Richie: “There is no shortage of opportunities to explore at UNC Kenan-Flagler. The business school is one of 14 schools at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Students can leverage a lot of cross-campus initiatives and programming, like choosing from eight dual-degree programs. We offer dual degrees between UNC Kenan-Flagler’s full-time MBA program and seven graduate schools on campus, including the Adams School of Dentistry, City and Regional Planning, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Exercise & Sports Science, Gillings School of Global Public Health, School of Law, and School of Medicine.

Students can leverage relationships built within one of our 12 academic concentrations. Non-dual degree students can take up to two electives outside of the Business School in their second year of the program. Students taking advantage of this allows encompass academic, co-curricular and social opportunities beyond the halls of the McColl Building.

Another example is our healthcare concentration which is a joint initiative with UNC’s School of Medicine, focused on stimulating medical entrepreneurship and innovation. Students can leverage the Center for the Business of Health at UNC Kenan-Flagler and benefit from the close relationship with UNC’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.”

P&Q: Where are some of your students’ favorite hang-outs? What do they do and why do they gravitate there?

Richie: “Our MBA students love hanging out on Franklin Street at the coffee shops, museums, pubs, shopping boutiques and restaurants. It’s the social hub of Chapel Hill. A popular spot where you can find an MBA student is Pantana Bob’s (AKA Bob’s). Bob’s has been known to many as the MBA bar but it is more than that. It holds many memories for our students like hosting basketball game-watch gatherings, 1980s ski-themed parties, eating Eastern Carolina-style barbecue, studying, celebrating a classmate’s baby shower or engagement outside on the deck and most importantly, creating lifelong bonds outside of the classroom.”

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?

Richie: “As the world continues to evolve, so does the interest of students and employers. At UNC Kenan-Flagler, we create opportunities for our students to try new things that expand their horizons, give them new perspectives, and reinforce their confidence to be the next generation of change-makers. We are able to do this thanks to, in part, our location in Chapel Hill!

Chapel Hill is located 30 miles from the state capital of Raleigh, and about 10 miles from Durham, an entrepreneurial hub. Together they make up the dynamic Research Triangle area, which includes Research Triangle Park, home to over 300 companies, including science and technology firms, government agencies, startups, and nonprofits. Our students network, learn and grow with everything located in our backyard and without a city’s high cost of living.

Employers are attracted to our students because of their ability to seize new opportunities, no drama attitudes and resiliency. They are amazed at the camaraderie they witness firsthand when visiting campus for interviews and while students intern at their companies. Time-after-time, we hear from employers how well-rounded, thoughtful and hard-working our students are, which is why they continue to recruit at UNC Kenan-Flagler for their next group of top talent.”

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER A KENAN-FLAGLER MBA

1) Healthcare Concentration: “The rigorous healthcare aspect of the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA program was very important to me. My passion about healthcare has been a constant throughout my life, as my dad suffered from several life altering health issues. While I quickly realized that I could not save lives, I could indirectly help different components within the system through consulting. The doctors, nurses and specialists who gave him a fighting chance were the driving factor in my decision to specialize within the healthcare industry. The healthcare concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler offers a clearer view of the operational challenges that healthcare providers and payers face from a U.S. and global perspective. This will strengthen my healthcare subject matter expertise and allow me to grow in my career as a healthcare consultant.”
Lindsay Buchler (’24)

2) Real Estate Concentration: “I’m extremely excited to take the Real Estate Development Process course, which places students in the position of identifying and leading real-world development activities. For example, students can take charge of a project in which they submit a letter of intent to purchase land, work with engineers for site analysis and due diligence, and partner with an architect to render preliminary site plans. I currently work part-time for a developer in the Charlotte metropolitan area, so I’m looking forward to the immediate impact the development process course can have on my ongoing projects and day-to-day responsibilities.”
Aidan McConnell (’24)

3) Pre-MBA Course: “UNC Kenan-Flagler recently made its well-known pre-MBA course Analytical Skills Workshop (ASW) free for all incoming students (previously priced at $5000). It is now called the Business & Math Foundations. This pre-MBA summer program covers finance, financial accounting, probability and statistics, and business math. The foundation course made me more confident about the program and showed me how the curriculum is carefully designed to help us even before the MBA starts. It is a great way to refresh your skills and bolster your knowledge of these concepts in an intensive, self-paced two-month pre-MBA program.”
Abdur Rahman (‘24)

4) AIM: “I am excited about the Applied Investment Management (AIM) curriculum at UNC Kenan-Flagler. This platform allows MBA students to develop practical experience in asset and fund management. Students have the privilege to manage equity and fixed-income portfolios, conduct thorough investment research, and build insightful financial models. UNC Kenan-Flagler has more than 10 student-run funds worth up to $18 million. I am interested in pursuing a career in capital markets and investment; thus, the student-managed fund will allow me to work at all levels of investment analysis and fund management even before graduation.”
Ridwan Abdulsalam (’24)

5) Experiential Learning: “The experiential learning opportunities available at UNC Kenan Flagler Business School are incredible. I had always wanted a school that adopts innovative and practical teaching methods which allow students to develop a hands-on understanding of concepts taught in the classroom. UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School meets the specification of an innovative school. UNC Kenan-Flagler offers a uniquely practical learning experience through its STAR (Student Teams Achieving Results) program. This course gives MBA students an opportunity to collaborate with corporate partners on solving complex real-life business problems while advancing their technical and soft skills for successful careers.”
Ridwan Abdulsalam (’24)

ADVICE TO APPLICANTS

“Almost everyone I’ve met at UNC Kenan-Flagler, from recently graduated alumni to our dean, Doug Shackelford, talks about how their school experiences acted as a springboard to a more fulfilling life, both personally and professionally. When applying to UNC Kenan-Flagler, it’s important to think about how you want to use this springboard: Do you want to accelerate your current career trajectory or pivot to a new pursuit? How does a two-year full-time MBA align with your existing obligations to your family, your community, or your work? Does your life vision match with the Carolina Way culture? Once you answer these fundamentals, it will be much easier to craft a compelling application and identify how your MBA experience can leave positive impacts throughout your life journey.”
Aidan McConnell (’24)

“The largest thing I did to differentiate my application was to showcase the impact that I planned to make within the UNC Kenan-Flagler community. I had done significant research of UNC before submitting my application and made sure that the school’s core values aligned with my personal and professional goals. I specifically mentioned how my goals aligned with the mission and values of the school and then described the community groups that I hoped to engage with such as the Black Business Student Association and the Healthcare Club. Overall, tying together my goals and interests with the values and resources available at UNC strengthened my application.”
Kelsie Carter (’22)

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Raquel Argenal Matheu	Tegucigalpa, Honduras	University of Missouri-Kansas City	Imperial PFS
Lindsay Buchler	Medford, NJ	University of North Carolina at Wilmington	Deloitte Consulting
Alexis Flen	Fayetteville, NC	University of North Carolina	UNC School of Medicine (SOM)
Irasema González-Gutiérrez	Reynosa, México	Texas A&M University	Amazon
Hilda Kristjansdottir	Kopavogur, Iceland	Elon University	Barclays
Aidan McConnell	Charlotte, NC	University of Pennsylvania	VW Credit, Inc.
David Monroe	Walterboro, SC	Clemson University	DPR Construction
Mary Paul Msemwa	Dar es salaam, Tanzania	Middlesex University	U.S. Embassy in Tanzania
Carlos L. Pérez-De La Rosa	Juncos, Puerto Rico	Randolph-Macon College	University of Puerto Rico at Carolina
Abdur Rahman	Peshawar, Pakistan	Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences & Technology	Weatherford International
Hemadri Singh Kuntal	Jaipur, India	Vellore Institute of Technology	Deloitte
Ridwan Abdulsalam	Lagos, Nigeria	Kwara State University	Dangote Group PLC