Aylin Golaszewski

University of Wisconsin – Madison (Wisconsin School of Business)

“Always learning and questioning, while striving to leave things better than I found them.”

Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI (ish), but I’m a nomad

Fun fact about yourself: During the first year of my MBA, I had three chickens named Karen, Brownie, and Cloud. They lived in a chicken coop that I built from scratch and kept in my back yard.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Michigan, BS Neuroscience and German Language

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD), now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Bristol Myers Squibb in Princeton, NJ

Where will you be working after graduation? I’m still applying, but I would love to work for a nonprofit foundation on the West Coast.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Community Service Chair – Graduate Business Association: Volunteered with Special Olympics Wisconsin & Goodman Community Center

Senior Committee Member – Inclusive Leadership Committee: Advocated for inclusive spaces and activities for the student community

Peer Mentor within my specialization

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? As the Community Service Chair for the Graduate Business Association, I coordinated a team of over 50 peers and faculty for the annual Polar Plunge. We raised $9,340 for Special Olympics Wisconsin. I’m proud of this because I was able to bring my classmates together for a good cause; it was a great bonding experience and allowed me to draw on my communication and organization skills. I was supported by my fellow board members, and I was also proud of how we came together as a team to ensure that everyone who wanted to take the plunge could meet the fundraising minimum.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At my previous company, I became a supervisor of a team of ten people with no management experience or training. I lead by example and learned as I went, simultaneously navigating multiple major enterprise application outages while working on a software upgrade and making sure the team was on top of the day-to-day activities. It was an incredible amount of work, but I was able to rise to the challenge. Not everything went perfectly, but I formed good connections within my team as well as with other teams in the department.

Why did you choose this business school? It was a natural choice for me because I already owned a home in the area. I had to meet myself where I was at, while also moving in the direction I wanted my life to go. The program has a specialization (Technology Strategy and Product Management) that paired well with my work experience in IT. I toured the school and met some very nice students from the MBA class of 2024, one of whom became my peer mentor and friend. I could tell that these were my kind of people: open, funny, and smart.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I have been impressed with the dedication of many of our professors. My favorite one was Bob Batt. I took Bob’s Service Operations Management class, and he did an excellent job of making the class fun while also teaching us fundamental concepts like queuing theory and service design frameworks. Bob facilitated real world experience by connecting us with the university athletics department so that we could do an operations project for them. My team went to two football games and collected data to optimize concession stand flows; we then presented our findings and recommendations to the operations manager for the football stadium.

Bob also picked some very fun cases for us to read. My favorite day was when we were working on the Zappos case, and he brought multiple pairs of shoes to class that he had just ordered from Zappos (it turns out Bob likes a very specific design of shoe!). Once again, Bob was making the material interesting by bringing the real-world connection to class.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Challenges and Solutions in Business Sustainability. In this class, we discussed economics, environmental policy, privatization for conservation, and corporate sustainability (among other things). What I loved about this class is that it zooms out from the single business or industry focus that we are trained on and helps us understand how business is shaping the world. One of the most interesting things we talked about was whether privatizing rhino horns can save the species from extinction. We tied in government policy, privatization, laws, consumer behavior, and the day-to-day operating costs of a rhino farm. This class pulls from everything we have learned in business school against the backdrop of the current state of the world.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Every Thursday night all of the first- and second-year MBAs would get together for TAPS (Thursdays After Professional Studies) to unwind and network. We generally had a great turnout and a great time. I looked forward to this day every week because there were always more people to get to know and connections to deepen. Creating a close network of real friends is a fundamental part of an MBA program and TAPS was integral to making that happen.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would do what I have advised others after me to do: start defining myself and my goals sooner. The beginning of an MBA can be a whirlwind, and time really flies. It took me a while to understand how to articulate my strengths and what kind of work I enjoy – and then another while to actually articulate them. This is a process that cannot be rushed, and in my opinion is a very important part of the MBA journey.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The walkability and number of activities. Madison, Wisconsin is small enough that we had a handful of favorite places to hang out (you could always find some of us at the local pub, Paul’s Club), but big enough that it doesn’t get boring. I had already lived in Madison since 2016, but I was able to explore a whole new side of the city through the eyes of a graduate student. We went bowling and hit comedy clubs and trivia nights. WE walked out on the ice during winter, had picnics in the summer, and kayaked on the lake. We danced and ate great food…the possibilities were endless.

What surprised you the most about business school? The humanness of it all. Before going to business school, I imagined all MBAs had to fit a specific mold, and I worried about how I would fit in. I thought that I would have to become more ruthless and hypercompetitive, and instead I found kind, funny, collaborative people. I’ve experienced so much friendship, empathy, and joy over the past two years.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Nicholas Wong, our class president. He was juggling academics, student government, mentorship, and hosting events for our class like a pro over the entire program. It’s hard to imagine many people more dedicated to their peers than Nick. He was always willing to step when needed and give 110%. He is an eloquent and kind leader, and our program would not have been the same without him as our president. I am lucky to call him a friend.

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

I would love to work overseas. I’m originally from Germany, and I have not had the opportunity to work there. I love to travel and experience new things and working in a different culture would be fascinating to me.

I also love fixing and organizing things. It would be a cool experience to have free reign in a company to re-design processes and systems to make them work better for all involved.

What made Aylin such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Aylin Golaszewski has made an impact and been shining example in the MBA program since first arriving on campus. She is a true force for good and is committed to enhancing the spaces she is in with her commitment to excellence. Throughout her time in the program, she has taken on leadership roles, excelled academically, and been committed to maximizing her experience in the Wisconsin School of Business.

Aylin has excelled academically and has achieved one of the top GPAs in her class while taking on challenging course loads and serving as a teaching assistant for are undergraduate program. Beyond that, she has been a resource to her classmates when they are struggling academically and is truly committed to ensuring everyone succeeds. Her willingness to share insights and help others navigate the challenges of the program has made a lasting impact on her peers and elevated the program.

Aylin is an outstanding leader and mentor who consistently contributes to the MBA and Madison communities. As the community service chair for the Graduate Business Association, she has made an impact. She was the lead organizer for the Polar Plunge which raises money for the Special Olympics of Wisconsin and helped the group raise over $9,000 dollars. She volunteered during Business Badgers Giving Back, an annual day of community service, and in her free time volunteers in the Madison community.

Not only does Aylin have strong soft skills, but also has strong technical skills. She showcased these in her internship this summer at Bristol Myers Squibb, where she interned in their Technology Rotational Development Program, demonstrating an ability to solve technical problems and strategically supporting long term success.

Her classmate said it best “Aylin is an exemplary business badger: someone who is thoughtful, diligent, ethical, and humble. I’m so grateful to have met her through this program.” Aylin’s leadership, mentorship, and technical skills truly make here one of the Best and Brightest MBA students and it’s an honor to recommend her.”

Joe Crombie
Director, FT-MBA & Master’s Programs

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.