The Beauty of the Tulane MBA

Two years. Three continents. Endless memories with great people. For me, the Global Leadership component of the Tulane MBA was the deciding factor for enrolling in the program, and I have absolutely no regrets. We worked, played, and learned in Italy, Argentina, and China. Interacting with diverse organizations in completely new environments tested our ability to power through cultural boundaries while developing relationships and creating value. Our professors provided direction while our all-star administration team made the trips run smoothly. I will undoubtedly apply my experience abroad with The Freeman School in my post-graduate career.

Our first trip was to Bologna, Italy in March of 2015. My team and I worked with a high-fashion company to help them make decisions regarding expansion and product diversification. I never thought I would be providing consulting services to a fashion company that makes jackets more expensive than Saints season tickets. Our team had a fantastic experience learning about the important decisions Italian fashion companies face in such a competitive market. Bologna is a wonderful city with a rich history, and it was a treat spending time there.

Buenos Aires is a city unlike any other. Enormous avenues, opulent statues, and beautiful parks are just a few of the qualities that make this European city in South America so magical. In December of 2015, we spent a week in Buenos Aires working with Cruzada Argentina, a non-profit focused on career training and job placement

for students in rural Argentinian communities. We helped them design a monitoring and evaluation system to gauge program success, and suggested marketing strategies to clearly communicate their value to schools and employers. It was a valuable experience that helped us understand the issues facing youth in Latin America. I enjoyed the delicious steak and wine that is so famous in the country, and even got to travel in Paraguay and Brazil following our time in Argentina.

Our final trip was to China in March of 2016. This was a wonderful opportunity to explore a new part of the world while learning about unfamiliar cultures and business practices. Our team got to provide market studies and consulting services to a manufacturing company based in Xiamen, and it was unforgettable. Tea culture blends into every part of life there, and everyone was extremely respectful and excited that we were there to work with them. I found my experience in China to be so different from other trips I have taken that I can hardly make a comparison. All I can say is that I hope to get the chance to work in China again in the future.

World travel is a fun and exciting way to build character and learn more about oneself. However, the opportunity to work with and create real value for organizations abroad is something few graduate students get to experience. The Global Leadership module of the Tulane MBA helped me gain valuable experience that I will draw on for the rest of my career.

David Yancey

MBA Candidate 2016