Meet Emory Goizueta’s MBA Class Of 2024

P&Q: Who is a standout in your faculty or administration – the kind of person who graduates talk about a decade after they leave? How does he or she personify your school culture and the best of your MBA program?

Mitchell: “We pride ourselves on our intimate community and the accessibility of our faculty, so our alumni often have fond memories of several leaders who impacted them. One who stands out is Professor JB Kurish, who is a Goizueta icon and fits this question perfectly. As the core finance professor for most of our alumni from the past decade, Prof. Kurish has had a direct influence on countless members of our community. He prides himself on being able to make the subject of finance approachable to those who have never taken a course, as well as challenging for those who are experienced. But his reach goes far beyond his core course. Prof. Kurish personifies our high-touch model by being personally involved as a leader in initiatives like GALA, introducing a new course on the critical topic of social impact investing, and leading the conversation on ethical practices for our incoming MBA students. Prof. Kurish is frequently selected to deliver the “Last Lecture” for our students, and his signature line of “do the right thing” is something everyone remembers fondly.”

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?

Mitchell: “Goizueta students often choose our school because of our community-focused intimate learning environment.  Still, many are amazed by the culture our high-touch, high-impact delivery model creates.  We have a consistent emphasis on contextualizing learning into the larger global, societal and economic settings. High-touch programming allows for in-depth discussions of these topics in intimate settings such as small group dinners and facilitated roundtables. Our career placement outcomes are second to none among top MBA programs, and that is in part due to the relatability of our students. Being able to master sophisticated content is critical, and being able to discuss, debate and apply that content to the complex world in which we all exist is a hallmark of a Goizueta MBA. I wish students knew more about the relationship between the small program size and the enormous personal impact.

5 REASONS TO CONSIDER EMORY GOIZUETA

1) Atlanta: “Atlanta has so much to offer for young adults—there’s a great foodie scene here, The Beltline is a fun way to walk around the city and stay active, and Atlanta has the US’s busiest airport so it’s easy to travel. Plus, Atlanta is home to so many different Fortune 500 companies. So, there is excellent access to real-life learning opportunities during the MBA, and the post-MBA job opportunities are endless.”
Lucy Mitchell (’24)

“The warmth of the people, low cost of living, and opportunities across a range of industries make Atlanta one of the most attractive cities. Atlanta is a vibrant city rich in culture. Home to the tenth largest economy in the U.S. and the 20th largest in the world, Atlanta offers endless opportunities for MBA students outside the classroom.”
Pouchy Guerrier (’24)

2) Experiential Learning: “The IMPACT program, which marries in-classroom knowledge with real-world experience, is an important reason why I chose Goizueta. It was important that my education was not theoretical, but focused on issues in the business world, allowing the students to have an immersive experience.”
Joel Anifowose (’24)

“The Goizueta’s Advanced Leadership Academy is a program that excites me. I am looking forward to learning from world renowned academic and industry leaders, while sailing in the British Virgin Islands. The Goizueta Leadership Academy brings exceptional individuals together to build high caliber, performing teams. I believe this experience will be a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity and will provide a wealth practical knowledge for becoming a successful leader in the business world.
Michael D. Freudenthal (’24)

3) Intimate Class Size: “Emory provides the resources to ensure MBA students’ needs are met regardless of the career path they select. Thanks to the small, close-knit community, Goizueta gives each student individualized attention to make the most of their time on campus. I attended a small liberal arts institution and experienced what a difference such a personalized experience can make in terms of personal and professional growth. I wanted a similar experience in business school.”
Pouchy Guerrier (’24)

“I chose Emory because of its intentional focus on a tight knit community. Since the day I was accepted into the program, the congratulatory phone calls, professional coffee chats, and social outreaches kicked off and have continued ever since. Ultimately, I wanted to be in an environment in which the community was small enough to build genuine relationships with my classmates that I could maintain throughout the rest of my adult life. As I reflect on my time in the program, I can honestly say that I believe I’ve successfully built some authentic connections that ring true to Emory’s “community” core value.”
Bruce Lee (’22)

4) Global Experience Modules: “I absolutely love to travel so I’m super excited to participate in Emory’s Global Experimental Modules (GEMs). These 1-to-2-week courses are offered twice per year, and the locations can vary from Japan to South Africa to Israel. I want to participate in as many GEMs as possible and hopefully check off a few more countries from my bucket list!”
Lucy Mitchell (’24)

5) Keystone: “My favorite tradition at Emory is our annual Keystone event that occurs right before the start of the school year. Keystone was created to merge the upcoming graduating class of one-year MBA candidates and two-year MBA candidates while also engaging the community in a meaningful way through a series of class-wide community service events across Atlanta. As VP of Community Outreach, I had the pleasure of planning this initiative (our first big non-zoom event), and we ended up having 128 MBA students serve 350 hours on 15 projects across 13 amazing Atlanta NPOS in the areas of education, environment, humanitarian relief, healthcare, and animals. I personally was able to work with the Kyle Pease Foundation where we assembled bicycles for disabled in-chair athletes participating in an upcoming race. Participating in this event and assisting our community was an amazing and inspiring kickoff to our last year of school.”
Kegan Baird, Emory University (Goizueta)

ADVICE TO PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS

“I think one of the reasons Goizueta decided to take a chance with me was because I demonstrated interest and enthusiasm from the very start of the process, participating in events and bring my authentic self to the conversation. I stayed in contact with the admissions teams and made it clear that I could see myself being here, without being overly aggressive.”
Kegan Baird (’22)

“The only advice I would like to give to prospective students is to never give up. The process always seems impossible until it’s done. I urge the students to take out the time and invest in finding out who they are and what their story is and let it come out naturally. Find out whether Goizueta’s seven core values (Courage, Accountability, Integrity, Rigor, Diversity, Team, and Community) resonate with yours. This will not only help you build a base for your application but also help in preparing for the next steps of the interview process. Try to find out what your calling is, understanding the school makes it easier to achieve your post-MBA goals, and the best source to learn about Goizueta is by connecting with current students and alumni.”
Rohit Bhalla (’24)

“I recommend that applicants connect with current students and alumni from Emory Goizueta’s MBA program to understand the true experience as a student. What does the day-to-day academic life look like? How will Goizueta help you achieve your career goals? What resources can the career services team provide? How can you benefit in the recruiting process with the support of the community and alumni network? What is the social life like in Atlanta? It’s important to figure out if this program is a good fit for you as you will spend two years here. Everyone will be willing to make time to chat with you and answer your questions. Please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn and I’m more than happy to connect!”
Amanda Sun (’24)

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Joel Anifowose	Brockton, MA	Brown University	Redgate
Cameron Bard	Knoxville, TN	Davidson College	Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Rohit Bhalla	Mumbai, India	Birla Institute of Technology and Science	Assemblage Entertainment
Taisha Blair	Brooklyn, NY	Spelman College	Emory University School of Medicine
Patrick Forrestal	Albany, GA	United States Naval Academy	United States Marine Corps
Michael D. Freudenthal	Toronto, Canada	Dalhousie University	NA
Jalin Garrison	Detroit, MI	Howard University	Jopwell
“Alex” Ramon Alejandro Gonzalez	San Diego, CA	University of California, Riverside	Amazon
Pouchy Guerrier	Cambridge, MA	Colgate University	Fidelity Investments
Lucy Mitchell	Acworth, GA	Georgia Tech	The Coca-Cola Company
Samantha Stevens	Grayson, GA	Emory University	Congressional Hunger Center
Amanda Sun	China	National University of Ireland Galway	GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group)