Obianeze Okolo

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“Former educator. Future anesthesiologist. Food enthusiast and aspiring restaurateur.”

Hometown: Yonkers, New York

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I am a direct descendant of a past Obi of Onitsha, the traditional ruler of the kingdom my family is from in Nigeria.

Undergraduate School and Major:
University of Miami, BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 
Keck School of Medicine, MD Candidate

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Classical Charter School, Kindergarten Associate Teacher

What has been your first impression of the Marshall MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Marshall story so far. I am wildly impressed with the Marshall MBA students and alumni I have met. My classmates are very remarkable people with backgrounds ranging from military service to top-firm consultants to business owners. Regardless of background I encounter, there is an endless amount of kindness and humility amongst my cohort. Despite it being such a small gesture, one of my favorite memories was me and my classmates sharing each other’s food amongst our group during lunch. This moment highlighted the value Marshall students place in their communities and in ensuring that everyone is taken care of.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Los Angeles has been my home for the past three years since I began pursuing my MD. In this city I experience a diversity of cultures one can only experience in few other American cities. With this diversity comes an opportunity for Marshall students to explore a wide array of interests and connect with people from all walks of life. Having access to so many cultures, languages, foods, and more serves to enhance one’s experience in pursuing an MBA and Los Angeles is a perfect place to do so.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of USC Marshall’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? PRIME was a very attractive feature of the program for me. I love traveling and I am excited to advance my academics and my career in the process come May. I look forward to taking the skills I develop and principles I master in my first year at Marshall and putting them into practice as I tackle real world business challenges in a foreign country.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall? The course I am most excited to take is Problem Solving and Decision Making. I plan to pursue a residency in anesthesia after graduating in May 2025. Residency is no easy feat. I will spend each day of my training solving issues and making choices to improve the lives of my patients. To be a successful resident requires being a sharp thinker and a confident critical decision maker. I am confident that the skills and capabilities I develop through this course will equip me to take on this role confidently.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am most proud of the impact I left on my students. I am grateful that I served as an educator and mentor to young children from my community–children who look like me.

I took on this role to instill a confidence and a passion in them at an early age that will allow for them to better overcome obstacles and accomplish their goals. I wanted to use my time as a teacher to let my students know that they are loved, capable, and enough. I am proud to have done just that by the time my career as an educator came to an end.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into USC Marshall’s MBA program?  Remember your why. It is important to keep in mind what drives you as you pursue the next steps in your career, whether you plan to advance in your field or pivot. When keeping your goals and motivations in mind, you can align your thoughts, essays, and interview answers with what is authentically true for you. I never imagined that I would gain admission to a top MBA program with no prior formal business experience, but keeping my goal of improving healthcare locally and globally and demonstrating my commitment to these goals with my past work and leadership experiences served me very well!

DON’T MISS: MEET USC MARSHALL’S MBA CLASS OF 2025