Adi Rajapuram 

UCLA, Anderson School of Management 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A  philosophical day dreamer  navigating a pragmatic world, working to turn her passions into reality

Hometown:  Lafayette, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I can communicate in 7 languages, including Kannada, Hindi, English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese (though it has been a while since I practiced my Mandarin!)

Undergraduate School and Major: Baylor University 2013

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Oracle (from latest to oldest):

License Divisional Process Lead, North and Latin America

License Subject Matter Expert, North America

Global Financial Operations License Deal Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am most proud of my volunteer work with the Rape Crisis Center of San Antonio to launch the “Start by Believing” campaign, inspiring rape victims to come forward and encouraging the community to embrace them. From designing the social media campaign to representing the organization at local health fairs, I saw the direct impact my words and actions had. I am able to educate others, inspiring hundreds of people to pledge their support in believing sexual assault survivors.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? My number one tip for business school applicants is get to know the programs front-to-back. Limit your list to a reasonable number where you can research all of them in-depth by attending all of the school’s local admissions events, talking to multiple students, and reading everything available on the website. By the time my interviews rolled around, I could tell my interviewer so much about the school’s unique programs, its resources through special on-campus academic centers, and what I would change about an on-campus club that it felt I could have been representing the school myself!

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  While the beautiful weather certainly didn’t hurt in making my decision, I chose Anderson for its people. I wasn’t looking for a network of students who could help me find a job. I was looking for a class of individuals with whom I could form my own company. I sought a group that would push me to embrace new perspectives and challenge my current beliefs in a collaborative and laid-back environment like Anderson.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I define success as change in beliefs. I hope to complete my first year pursuing new passions, refining old ideas, and embracing friendships with people I never would have been exposed to but for Anderson.