Why did you choose Cornell?

I went to undergrad here and knew that Cornell is exceptionally good at building a community of people who are really ambitious, but also grounded, and people you actually would want to spend time with. When I visited the open house in the Palisades [the former location of the Metro NY program], I saw the same thing in the classes that met there. I also loved the structure of the program and the fact that you are immersed in it and spend a lot of time with your classmates.

What was your first impression of Cornell upon arrival?

My first impression was that I made the right choice. Cornell is really able to create a community of people who have a shared desire to learn and advance their careers, so I was really impressed by my new colleagues upon my arrival to Ithaca.

What has surprised you most about the EMBA program?

I think what has surprised me the most is how much we have learned about working in teams. From the very beginning, during the first residential session in Ithaca, there is a lot of time focused on team building, and on breaking down any preconceived notions of working with other people, and on setting you up for a successful semester and the rest of the program. I wasn’t expecting that much teamwork and to learn that much about myself from the process, but I certainly did.

What is most memorable experience?

My most memorable experience is the challenge course that we did when we first got to the program. We were paired up with our team and it was an overwhelming day, but also a great opportunity to learn in a different setting and with a hands-on approach that we wouldn’t have gotten in a traditional classroom setting.

What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself from this program?

I don’t have the answers to everything; I need to rely on other people and their areas of expertise. The great thing about Cornell’s executive education program is that you’re going to be on teams and in a class with people who have vastly different experiences, strengths, and depths of knowledge in areas that you’ll never know that much about, so you are forced to rely on them. I see that I can bring this perspective back to work and apply it every day, because there are people that have expertise in areas that I’ll never have expertise in, and I need to rely on them to be able to perform projects well.

What makes the EMBA program unique?

We are all working full-time; everyone has families and other commitments, and yet they are all committed to their careers and are curious, which is why they are a part of this program. To see the level of commitment around me and the way others are managing work, life, and school is really impressive.