Emilia Zamora

Eli Broad College of Business, Michigan State University

“MBA graduate and life long learner with varied hobbies including hiking, crafting, reading and soccer.”

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Fun fact about yourself: Through my early career, I have had the opportunity to live and work in every region of the United States.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business, B.S. in Accounting and B.S. in Supply Chain Management

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Raytheon Technologies, Sub Contract Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2022? Microsoft, Redmond Washington

Where will you be working after graduation? Microsoft, Sourcing Engineer

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Sparty Award 2022, President of the Graduate Supply Chain Management Association, two-time “Extreme Green” winning team, Forte Fellow, MBA Admissions Team Graduate Assistant, Communication Coach

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of my work as the president of the Graduate Supply Chain Management Association. Through my role I was able to create meaningful events for members furthering career and educational opportunities in the supply chain field.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of my ability to accept challenges. Whether that be the challenge of relocating alone to new cities, starting new roles, or saying yes to big projects. In Georgia O’Keeffe’s words, I have, “ never let [fear] keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.”

Why did you choose this business school? I chose the MSU MBA program because of its reputation as a top Supply Chain Program. By working with MSU MBA alumni and hearing more about everything the program had to offer, I knew the Broad program would be the best place to not just further my career but further my knowledge of the supply chain management field.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor was Steven Melnyk because he taught me that supply chain concepts are all around if you know what you are looking for, like the mystery flavor of Dum Dums and chili at Wendy’s.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite MBA course has been Corporate Investment Decisions taught by Morad Zekhnini as he made financial modeling tangible by starting each lecture with a news segment tying the course concepts to real world events.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA event is the annual multi culture lunch presentation where students have the opportunity to present about their culture or home country. This event provides the opportunity to learn about different cultures, try delicious food, and celebrate the diversity in the Broad MBA program.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If possible, I would take advantage of all opportunities even more. From club events to learning opportunities to MSU-wide events there are so many amazing opportunities that come with being part of an MBA program and a large university.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth about the MSU MBA program is that being in a smaller MBA provides less opportunities. Since Broad is a smaller program, I found that there are so many ways to get meaningfully involved in the program and take on leadership roles.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I loved that East Lansing is a small college town and the community supports the school. Especially during a challenging time, the whole community comes together and provided love and support to MSU students.

What surprised you the most about business school? It was surprising how the difference a few years of work experience made in my ability to understand and apply class concepts. Most people suggest getting work experience before pursuing an MBA, and in my experience, this advice proved to be valuable.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? After learning more about the admissions process through working as a graduate assistant, I really feel like it is most important to be yourself when applying to MBA programs. I was able to do this when I applied and this enabled me to be admitted to a program that was a good fit for me.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I most admire Clive Akhalumenyo, not only because his gregarious personality, hard work and intelligence has landed him an amazing job, but because he is humble, kind, and a loyal friend.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Be regarded as a mentor to other women in business
2. Lead a team through a large implementation or strategy change

What made Emilia such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Emilia is one of the finest student leaders in her class, and certainly should be considered one of the best leaders in the program in recent memory. Many student organizations had difficulty rebounding from the disruption and disengagement created by the pandemic, leaving many student leaders to create their own continuity, and develop professional development opportunities for their student memberships without a full-accounting of what past clubs have done, to include best practices.  Historically, GSCMA was one of our most vibrant, dynamic clubs; COVID reduced all student organizations to much lower levels of activity. As Emilia set out to resuscitate the organization, she focused on professional development, community building, and “hands-on” activities to provide an optimal experience for her membership. The results were spectacular, including student-generated professional treks, mentoring sessions from C-suite executives, dynamic member events, and much more. Emilia’s work has positioned her organization for future success, and she has re-established GSCMA’s position in our program to its pre-COVID state, and we are grateful.

Emilia made these contributions while carrying a full load as a graduate assistant for the Admissions team. Her impacts in that space were highly significant as well. As a key contributor to the interview process, on campus events, and prospective student engagement, Emilia was directly connected to many critical admissions metrics (yield, application load, and selectivity). We are celebrating our highest application total in nearly a decade, and Emilia’s work is part of the reason why.

Emilia has left a shining example of what it means to be a student leader in the Broad MBA Program. We celebrate her graduation and thank her for leaving a tremendous example for her successors to follow!”

Wayne Hutchison
Managing Director
Full-Time MBA
STEM MBA

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE LIST OF MBAS TO WATCH IN 2023