Meet Cornell Johnson’s MBA Class Of 2026

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

Better make it count.

When the summer internship starts, MBAs don’t want to be generalists. They want to hit the ground running, able to draw on experience as much as concepts. Brimming with ideas and confidence, they want to be viewed as practitioners not career changers – seasoned talents with the potential to quickly make an impact.

To give MBA students an edge – and help them stand out in their summer internship –  Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management offers a second semester immersion during the first year. Think of it as training camp, the MBA equivalent to conditioning, practice, and film study. Picture six paths ranging from investment banking to consulting to digital technology – with students given the flexibility to create a custom immersion as well. Imagine core and elective immersion courses, along with a company-sponsored project to help students gain experience, apply learning, and build their networks. It all happens right before their high-stakes audition in front of their dream employers.

DESIGNED FOR FAST GROWTH

The immersion served as a selling point to Daniel Hancock, a first-year MBA who was previously a logistics officer in the U.S. Army. For him, the immersion provides “unique exposure and a strong support system” of faculty and classmates. Hs classmate, Abubakar Idris, who previously worked as a reporter, is looking to move into consulting. He views the immersion as a bridge between where he stands now and where he hopes to someday be.

“As an individual with a nontraditional background looking to pivot, I believe it is vital for me to gain early exposure to the work processes and structure of my preferred post-MBA job function. The immersion is designed to allow me to rapidly and efficiently build these relevant skills for my preferred industry; it will no doubt be useful during recruiting, my summer internship, and even long after I’ve graduated.”

Looking ahead, Guy King can’t wait to start the Strategic Product and Marketing Immersion (SPMI) this winter, where he plans to hone his skills in analytics, branding, and product management. “Several Cornell Johnson second-year SPMI students spoke so highly about Professor Shreya Kankanhalli; she equips students with the necessary real-world experiential learning exposure to solve business challenges top companies are facing ahead of us going into our summer internships.”

IMPACT YOU CAN QUANTIFY

When it comes to marketing, Guy King could seek out Júlia Bonelli Fontes, who worked as a senior product manager for Anheuser Busch InBev before spending the past summer with McKinsey & Company. Heng Du also brings consulting experience to the Class of 2026. Before moving into investing, he operated out of Strategy&’s Paris office. Here, he was part of a team involved in a HR restructuring for a firm with 20,000 employees and a $10-billion-dollar revenue stream. By the same token, Ansh Palash Gupta comes to Ithaca after working in engineering and business development. In the former, he developed a data analytics dashboard for a Fortune 500 client. As a manufacturing engineer, he helped co-designed a monitoring system for a manufacturing process that produced a major return for another major player.

“[It] enabled my Fortune 500 client to produce an additional 5 million units, boosting their revenue by approximately $350 million,” he writes.” I consider this my greatest achievement not just because of the financial gains for my client, but also because the technological expertise required for the project was entirely new to me…Ultimately, I completed the project on schedule and scaled it across over 10 manufacturing production lines. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: While things may seem daunting when you first encounter them, persistent effort and a willingness to learn can turn those challenges into manageable tasks.”

Ruohan Xiao’s experiences ranges from being a luxury real estate agent to handling investor relations and acquisitions for a private equity fund. Jack Edelman also worked in real estate, first as a mortgage broker and later as a litigation manager. At the same time, Ava Metzger has headed up business development, marketing, and client relations for a global logistics firm. Her claim to fame?  Try can-do know-how that is certain to influence her classmates in Sage Hall.

“I helped my company retain a contract worth more than $30 million and helped my new co-workers avoid a layoff. By hiring further support for that team and continuing to monitor the client relationship, I assisted the team in attaining high client satisfaction, which led to a five-year contract renewal — the longest term we have ever won with this client.”

IMPACTFUL ROLES ON BIG STAGES

Abubakar Idris already holds a master’s degree in Business and Economics Journalism. In one role, he served as an editor for TechCabal, one of the leading resources for technology and venture capital news in Africa. A few years later, he became an advisory board member for TechCabal’s parent, Big Cabal Media, where he also became involved in big data and corporate strategy.

“Mid-last year, I helped the team develop an accurate and independent forecast about the full-year performance of Nigeria’s $400 billion digital payments market using data for the first five months of 2023. That report is useful to various stakeholders, including startups and investment firms hunting for venture-backable businesses in Nigeria, home to 200 million people.”

Speaking of the larger picture, Sarah Callaghan’s career highlight has been working as a senior economy researcher for the Scottish National Party at Westminster which is part of the United Kingdom’s Parliament.

“I spent the last couple of years working in the House of Commons in London,” she writes. “Having the opportunity to work closely with members of Parliament to navigate this challenging period was incredibly fulfilling. In my time at Westminster, I worked with some very talented people who were truly committed to improving the lives of people in Scotland and playing a part in this has been my career highlight to date.”

NEW YORK WEATHER? PRETTY TAME…AFTER LIVING IN THE NORTH POLE

Looking for some good stories from the Class of 2026? Well, you won’t hear Daniel Hancock complaining about New York weather. He spent two years living in the North Pole while serving in the military. Guy King is a fourth generation HBCU graduate. Ruohan Xiao doesn’t just ride horses. She is a rough rider – which she describes as “gymnastics on a moving horse.” And how is this for an adventure of a lifetime?

“I embarked on an epic journey traveling by camper trailer across Iceland,” explains Júlia Bonelli Fontes.   “From exploring diverse landscapes to glacier walking and bird watching, each day was a new thrill. One of the highlights was discovering local breweries, where I sampled unique brews and soaked in the culture. It was an unforgettable sojourn filled with breathtaking scenery.”

Let’s just say Bonelli Fontes has already reaped an early payoff on her MBA decision after choosing the Johnson MBA. “The unwavering support I received from the Career Management Center, current students, and alumni solidified my decision. Their guidance and encouragement helped me navigate over 20 interviews and ultimately secure a full-time offer at a prominent consulting firm before even starting my program. The personalized support and tangible results reinforced my confidence that Johnson was the perfect fit for my career ambitions.”

Guy King enjoyed a similar experience after accepting his offer at Johnson. Looking to enter brand management and marketing, King says the alumni he reached out to devoted hours to helping him clarify his short- and long-term professional goals. At the same time, second-years pointed him to the various resources available to him through the school.

“I quickly knew Cornell Johnson’s tight-knit, supportive community and support system made Johnson the best place for me,” King adds.

A STEP BACK IN TIME

Living in the Finger Lakes region made it ever better for King. A self-described “amateur wine connoisseur”, King is excited to hit the wineries around Ithaca. His classmates are equally enthusiastic about their surroundings. Júlia Bonelli Fontes loves how Cornell mixes a college town vibe with “stunning natural surroundings.” In the process, MBAs can take advantage of a wide array of activities.

An Alaska native, Marilyn Alvarenga-Gaxiola loves that she is again surrounded by “stunning lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges.” After spending the past 13 years in Atlanta, Stefany Jackson is looking forward to snow. Ava Metzger says the outdoors feed her soul. She has been fishing, camping, and biking around Ithaca, enjoying nature alongside her two dogs. Ansh Palash Gupta even sets the scene: he encourages students to “imagine revising your notes at Cayuga Lake with a backdrop of a sunning sunset.” Thus far, he has enjoyed the region’s acclaimed gorges and waterfalls.

The region boasts other benefits according to class members. Sarah Callaghan loves how the commutes are short and everything is close, freeing up time to do more. This small town, Hallmark-esque setting is a welcome change for Jack Edelman.

“Growing up and living in New York City my entire adult life, I’m accustomed to juggling professional and personal obligations at an extremely fast pace,” he explains. “I look forward to embracing the fresh air of the Finger Lakes, metaphorically speaking. Taking two years to focus on my professional development will allow me to actualize my potential as a comprehensive leader. The opportunity to take a breath, enjoy hiking or skiing outdoors and block out the noise excites me most about moving to Ithaca. Slowing down and focusing is just the recipe I need.”

A PLACE FOR FAMILY

Johnson MBA alumni are equally smitten with their former surroundings. Frank Hager, a ’24 alum and P&Q Best & Brightest MBA, clicks some of his local favorites, including ski resorts and town festivals. A parent, he found Ithaca – and Johnson specifically – to be family-friendly. Families are supported through the school’s Joint Ventures Club, he notes. In fact, his two-year-old daughter became a “regular” at the Thursday Sage Socials, where students and faculty gathered to celebrate the week with food and spirits.

“Ithaca offers a diversity of activities to enjoy outside the confines of Sage Hall,” Hager adds. “We love family Saturday mornings with the variety of activities: eating breakfast burritos at the Ithaca Farmers Market while watching the Cornell crew team row on Cayuga Lake; running around the exhibits of the Sciencenter or the jungle gym at Stewart Park; golfing at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course or RaNic Golf Club; watching pretty much any Cornell sporting event; or hiking Taughannock Falls State Park followed by lunch at Ithaca Beer Co.”

Albert Matlock III, another ’24 grad, jokes that he developed “Cornell Calves” from all the hills he walked. At the same time, he enjoyed hitting the Ithaca Commons for galleries or Argos for happy hour. While some would label Ithaca as rural, the Johnson School still draws plenty of luminaries to campus, says Frank Hager.

“I was surprised by the intimate interactions with incredibly accomplished alumni. I ate lunch with nine other students and the co-founder of Wayfair, Steve Conine ’95; I helped host a 20-person “fireside chat” with former State Street Global Advisors CEO Cyrus Taraporevala ’90; Procter & Gamble CEO Jon Moeller ’86 and Domino’s CFO Sandeep Reddy ’96 guest lectured my classes.”

A TWO-CAMPUS SOLUTION

Even more, the Ithaca campus is closely connected to New York City, just four hours away. Hager notes he spent many days in the Big Apple, attending networking and recruiting events and conferences. Even more, he completed courses at Cornell Tech’s campus on Roosevelt Island. In this one-year, STEM-designated program, MBAs spend time in Ithaca completing core coursework before heading to New York City. Here, they work in multidisciplinary teams that can include professionals ranging from lawyers to computer scientists to engineers. Along with designing, prototyping, and launching solutions, students also partner with area tech firms to complete projects and internships. Best of all, Cornell Tech doesn’t just support one degree program. MBAs can also complete coursework at the facility.

Call it a two-campus model that pairs Ithaca’s reflective, communal culture and Manhattan’s wealth of connections and opportunities, says Júlia Bonelli Fontes.

“One of the key reasons I chose Cornell’s MBA program is its innovative Johnson Cornell Tech 1+1 program, which allows me to spend the first year in Ithaca, New York, focusing on core courses and then transition to the Cornell Tech MBA in New York City. This dual-campus structure not only provides a comprehensive education in business fundamentals but also immerses me in the dynamic intersection of business and technology. This aspect is crucial for my career aspirations, as it equips me with a strong business foundation and specialized knowledge in tech and innovation. The opportunity to study in two vibrant locations with distinct advantages aligns perfectly with my goal of leading at the forefront of business strategy and innovation.”