Meet the Babson Olin MBA Class of 2018

Alexander Barza

Babson College, F.W. Olin School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m obsessed with achieving self-actualization and helping others do the same.

Hometown: Newton, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I used to blog about advanced basketball analytics

Undergraduate School and Major: Double-majored in psychology and sociology from Connecticut College

 

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Ropes & Gray – Paralegal

The Cambridge Institute of International Education – Marketing Manager

Fortified Bicycle – Director of Sales & Marketing

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When the winter of 2014 ceased all bike sales in the east-coast, I packed my backpack with samples of my company’s anti-theft bike lights and sold them “door-to-door” along the west coast. When I returned a month later, we had more than doubled our number of retail partners.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? A less philosophical and more practical tip: once you’ve identified a “dream school,” build yourself an army of insider recommenders: connect with as many students, alumni, etc. as you can. If you’ve built a genuine connection with them, ask if they’ll kindly write a brief note to the admissions team on your behalf. Having a few spontaneous notes from inside the community is always memorable.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA?

1. The professors encourage us enthusiastically to engage with them outside of class because they love teaching.
2. The curriculum emphasizes applying an entrepreneurial focus to all industries and functions.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My personal obsession is to raise the baseline positivity level of American employees. I believe that a more positive workforce is the secret weapon in building an effective, efficient, motivated team whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. My dream job is to work with companies who share my vision by implementing the proven, actionable practices that breed a positive environment. 

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? The greatest compliment I could receive from my peers is to know that I had an impact on their business school experience.