Samuel Haber

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“An ex-Submarine Officer, outdoor sports enthusiast, and self-proclaimed music buff, looking for what’s next.”

Hometown: Point Pleasant, NJ

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve crossed the international date line and the equator at the same time while hundreds of feet underwater.

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Naval Academy, B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: US Navy, Submarine Officer onboard USS OHIO

What makes Atlanta such a great place to earn an MBA? If I could use a couple of words to summarize what makes Atlanta a great place to earn an MBA, it would be opportunity and growth. Atlanta is widely considered to be the business center of the South and as such, has a wide offering of companies to recruit for no matter what one’s post-MBA career aspirations are—consulting, investment banking, management, and much more. Some of these are major Fortune 500 companies that were started in and have roots in the Atlanta community, including Home Depot, Delta, and Coca-Cola to name a few. It does not take much to see that Atlanta is also growing. Atlanta is open for business, from the opening of new tech and financial offices from giants like Microsoft and Visa, to fostering new start-ups such as the hypersonic aerospace manufacturer, Hermeus. There is no better place to be during these exciting times.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Emory Goizueta’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One of the aspects of Goizueta Business School’s program that set it apart from the rest was its practical approach to learning, specifically the IMPACT program. From my experience in having to rapidly qualify in various roles onboard a nuclear-powered warship, there is no substitute for hands-on, immersive learning. Goizueta makes this type of learning one of their priorities in a way I have not seen from any other business school.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Emory Goizueta? The Goizueta Energy and Clean Technology Association (GECTA) is a club that excites me the most. Since I first went to the Naval Academy, I have been keenly interested in energy production and transmission, an area that developed into more of a passion during my years of operating USS OHIO’s nuclear propulsion plant. With an MBA, I hope to leverage my experiences to responsibly help our society through this ongoing energy transition. Being around other students that share this passion of mine and helping grow a relatively new club such as GECTA, to me, is an invaluable opportunity.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment in my career thus far is earning my Submarine Warfare Qualification onboard USS OHIO, a 560-foot, 18,750-ton, multibillion-dollar warship. This qualification signifies that I can safely operate the ship’s nuclear propulsion plant, navigate and control the ship both while surfaced or submerged, and employ weapons systems utilizing both offensive and defensive tactics.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? In my opinion, a successful MBA experience is not just about landing and being prepared for the job that you want; it is also about forming quality connections with your classmates and others through networking, as well as honing your skills as a more self-aware and principled leader.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Emory Goizueta’s MBA program? Know yourself. While the application windows for your target MBA program might not yet be open, do not let that deter you from figuring out whether an MBA is the best option for you, what exactly you want from an MBA, and why you want to come to Goizueta. The answers to these questions should all be aligned with your story, what is best for you, and what is most important to you.

If you try and base your decisions merely on rankings, your prospective paycheck, or to “keep up with the Joneses,” you run the risk of becoming a follower in someone else’s journey and are likely to be unhappy. The students and admissions team at Goizueta were the most friendly and helpful of all the schools I applied to and were a huge reason why I chose to come here. If you are thinking about Goizueta, do your research and reach out to these people. They will help you learn all there is to know about the school, but ultimately, whether Goizueta is your best choice rests with you.