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Saturday, August 15, 2015

Welcome to Evanston!

And get pumped for KWEST

Posted by Kyle Burr

By now, most of you should already be in Evanston or are planning to arrive over the next week. So with that, this will be the last post for the summer! We hope you've had the chance to get to know some of us and look forward to meeting you soon!

Seeing as though KWEST is only a week away... and that I was asked to write a blog post about it for Kellogg, I thought I'd share it with you here. Enjoy all of your trips!!!!


KWEST - A Truly 'Amazing' Experience

Nearly 1,000 participants. Five continents. More than 40 countries.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to KWEST.

KWEST – Kellogg Worldwide Experience and Service Trip – is an institution among Kellogg MBA students. Each year more than 85% of the school’s incoming class and their significant others (referred to as “Joint Ventures” or “JVs”) embark on a weeklong adventure to countries all over the world. This year’s KWEST kicks off in less than a week, with students departing to a variety of destinations, from China and Portugal to Argentina and the Galapagos Islands, and many places in between. 

Each trip consists of 20 incoming students and JVs, and is usually led by five rising second-year students. As per its namesake, KWEST participants not only spend the week building friendships with their new classmates, but also dedicate part of their time to community service activities in the countries they visit.
Designed to build camaraderie prior to the upcoming fall academic quarter, KWEST is often the first impression of Kellogg for incoming students, and frequently results in the formation of lasting friendships that persevere long beyond their time in Evanston. By tradition, participants are asked not to share any personal information revealing:
  •         Their hometown
  •         Their undergraduate alma mater
  •         Their work history prior to Kellogg
  •         The city they most recently lived in

While this can make conversation a bit more challenging, the intent is to foster deeper, more meaningful dialogue. Toward the end of the trip, each person is asked to share this information during the “Big Reveal” – a highlight of the week that often leads to a number of surprises and shocking revelations!

In addition to providing a vast array of exotic locales, the portfolio of KWEST trips is intended to provide the style of travel and leisure (or lack thereof) that suits the needs and interests of everyone.

As an incoming student last year, I had the opportunity to participate in what is likely the most polarizing of all trips – KWEST Amazing Race! Simultaneously the most coveted and intentionally evaded of the options available, this trip attracts a certain kind of individual that is spontaneous, comfortable with an extreme amount of ambiguity and willing to place their full trust in the hands of a few similarly adventurous strangers.

Inspired by the eponymous hit TV series, “KWEST AR” participants are at the complete whim of their second-year student leaders. We had absolutely no idea where we were headed on a day-by-day basis – including our initial destination!
Once we arrived in a city, we were split into five teams of four students, each led by a second-year leader. Just like the television show, we were given a series of clues, with each leading to a different site in that particular city or we received a team challenge to be solved on the spot. Without the aid of Internet devices, teams relied on [hopefully] friendly locals that [with any luck] spoke English and could correctly point us in the right direction. Each “race” typically lasted three to four hours and could cover more than 10 miles on foot!

The next day, we got up, traveled to a new city – often in a new country – and did the whole thing all over again! Last year took us to Bucharest, Romania; Sofia, Bulgaria; Istanbul, Turkey; and Antalya, Turkey.

While it is surely an unorthodox way to see the world, it is unquestionably an unforgettable experience. Which is why I am leading it this year! Stay tuned in the coming weeks when I will reveal the details of this year’s trip after we return to the US.

Other “special trips” include:

  • KWEST Mystery – Similar to Amazing Race (but without the race part), participants are not told their destination country until they arrive. Typically more “off-the-beaten path” locales, last year’s destinations were Fiji and Samoa.
  • KWEST Top Chef – Introduced for the first time in 2015, participants will compete in a series of competitive cooking activities while immersing themselves in local cuisine. This year’s destination is Peru!
  • Tour de KWEST – A storied tradition, participants spend the week cycling across a country! Last year’s group went to the Netherlands, and this year’s group is headed to France.
  • Hiking Excursions – Some trips place a strong emphasis on outdoor activities, and this year two trips have incorporated some serious mountain terrain into their itineraries. One group is heading to the Bavarian Alps, while another will be trekking in Switzerland.
  • Short Trips – Intended for individuals with conflicts on either end of the normal KWEST schedule, these trips either leave on Monday or return on Friday to accommodate extenuating circumstances.
  • KWEST Chicago – For those unable or uninterested in traveling internationally and looking to fully immerse themselves in their new surroundings!
  • KWEST Family – Designed for incoming students with children, this trip usually heads to a nearby destination in Wisconsin or Michigan for family-friendly activities and vacationing.

As I mentioned above, community service is an important part of the KWEST experience. The students on KWEST Jordan, for example, will be volunteering in a Syrian refugee camp and school, while the Tour de KWEST participants will help restore a historic reservoir in the Loire Valley.

For thousands of current and former students and JVs, KWEST was a foundational part of their Kellogg experience – and an adventure most will never forget. More than just a “last hoorah” before hitting the books in September, it is often the beginning of a journey that will continue after they’ve left Evanston behind.

Trip leaders play an integral role in this process by cultivating the right group dynamic, dealing with unforeseen circumstances, and ensuring that all goes smoothly during the week. However, in most cases their influence extends far beyond the KWEST week itself. KWEST leaders often form the underlying fabric of Kellogg’s informal peer-to-peer mentoring network, serving as advisors and role models to first-year students long into the school year.

In that spirit, I look forward to meeting the next cadre of KWEST Amazing Racers and continuing the legacy of my own leaders and many before them.



Wednesday, August 5, 2015



Congratulations and welcome to the family!


Posted by Scott Peppel

I can't wait to get to know you all and I look forward to spending the year together enjoying Heavenston. Congratulations again on joining the Kellogg and Austin clubs, and I want to say to the fellow 2016ers, I have really enjoyed reading your reflections. Now to the incoming Austins, as you start packing up and preparing for your Kellogg adventures, I wanted to pass along a few thoughts, reflections, and pieces of good advice that were shared with me throughout my first year:

·       Get to know the people who are least like you:  Kellogg has an amazing amount of diversity but it is always easier to spend time with people who share similar backgrounds, interests and career aspirations – find ways to fight this inertia.
·       Find good mentors: peers, professors, alums – the knowledge, friendship, and good advice is abundant if you just ask for it
·       Get out of the classroom: spend time in the community, travel, volunteer, intern in Chicago, take experiential classes – it’s worth it
·       Revisit why you came to business school: its starkly different for many people and a good litmus test to ensure that you are spending time on what matters to you
·       Remember the non-Kellogg people in your life: people have kids, significant others in town, significant others far away, and friends and family around the world. Remember to bring the important people in your life along for the ride and let them be part of your Kellogg journey
·       It’s not always perfectIt’s ok to have a bad day, to be frustrated, to be bummed, and to fail. Know that we all go through those days (even if it does not always show), and we are all equally there to support each other (even if we do not say it enough)
·       Find Balance: its 2 amazing years to learn, grow and have fun. Make sure you are focusing on the things that matter while also leaving enough time to play sports, go camping, join a rock band or just grab a beer with a friend – because those really matter too.
·       We’re Here: Reach out to the Austin family anytime. Really. But seriously do it.

I also included a few other thoughts below in the most business school way I could think of:






 


  
  


Welcome to a wonderful community and I can’t wait to meet you all in person. Until then, have a great KWEST trip, and enjoy the rest of your summer! See you soon.

Austin love,
Scott 




Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Welcome New Austins!

Posted by James Zackler

Editor's Remarks: I would just like to add that when James first introduced himself to Harry and Wally last year, he said that one of his hobbies is growing mustaches. We have a lot in common.

Wasn’t that an awesome phone call on decision day when Kate (or whoever called you) said – you’re in…

…oh and by the way –

You’re getting an Austin scholarship!

I was blown away. What a way to start the Kellogg experience! It’s a pretty incredible gift we have received from the administration. Don’t forget it, and use it to enable yourself to achieve what you want to do (even if that’s different from what you wrote about). For that reason – before introducing myself, I’m leading with my most important advice first (which I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of times by now):

If you haven’t already, take no more than an hour to self-reflect on what you liked / didn’t like about your previous job(s) and what you think you want to do. Write it down. Let a couple days go by. Revisit and see if you can add anything / cross anything off. Keep these thoughts handy, and throughout the school year, revisit this list (whether physically or in your head) and make sure that you update it as you gather more experiences in and outside the halls of the Jake (our beautifully ugly building). While you probably did something similar when applying to Kellogg, I urge you to not leave it as a past-tense application but to make it a living thing that you can revisit to [dis-]confirm if what it is that you are doing is what you truly want to do.

Now – with the sappy pump-up and piece of advice out of the way, a little about me and why I’ve had such a rewarding experience at Kellogg peppered with thoughts that might be helpful.

KWEST Disclaimer: I am leading KWEST Sweden/Norway so if you are on it (I don’t think any of you are) – don’t read my background section.

Background
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, graduated from UC Berkeley, and worked in San Francisco at a hospital financial consulting firm prior to coming to Kellogg. I also devoted a significant amount of time and effort to Family House – a non-profit providing housing for families of kids receiving cancer treatments.

While at Kellogg, I wanted to have as many experiential learning opportunities as possible so that I could continue to cross things off that I did not like and further explore topics that I did. As such, my primary focus during the first year was not on grabbing a leadership position in a club but to get involved in as many interesting experiential opportunities that I could physically handle: Kellogg Marketing Competition (1st quarter), Kellogg Impact Consulting Club (Q1), Neuro Start-up Challenge (Q1/Q2), Kellogg Board Fellows (Q2/Q3), Analytical Consulting Lab (Q3), and Kellogg Rugby Club. However, in the first two quarters, these along with classes, recruiting, and “networking” became a bit overwhelming. I was so excited by the opportunity afforded at Kellogg that I overextended. I felt like Jason Segel learning to surf and that life/Kellogg was acting as Kunu telling me to do less. Just understand that when you get to Kellogg, there will be so many shiny objects in the room that you can participate in. It is all about prioritizing. Be conscious that you don’t spread yourself too thin as it is quite easy to do. And that self-reflection I suggest will help you on the prioritization front.

This summer, I am working at a firm that Kellogg’s re-branding team would love: Treacy & Company – a small management consulting firm focused solely on growth and innovation (so no cost containment projects!). It’s been an incredible learning experience, and I am quite grateful for it. My client is in the construction materials industry – so, I think a lot about wood and how to provide sustainable growth for a public company that is integrally tied to cyclical demand and market prices. Been a definite shift from before school and I’ve added/crossed off things on my list, which has been great!

Re-reading what I’ve written, I realize that it’s been quite focused on professional experiences, and I don’t want to misrepresent. So – to balance out and leave you with a more fun note – you should also start looking forward to a variant of the following incredibly fun events during your two years off from the “real world”:

·        KWEST Mystery to Fiji and Samoa:


Ski Trip to Aspen:


Spring Break Hiking the Machu Picchu Trail in Peru:


Weekend Travel for MBA Rugby Tournaments, with Games in Evanston:


The Three Charity Benefits:


CAB Events, to which you will inevitably over-commit:
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This fall, I’m excited to have you join the Austin ranks and look forward to meeting those of you I have not already. In the meantime (and if you got to the bottom of this) – GO! Enjoy yourself. If it’s work or you’re already on that FUNemployment train, get recharged prior to starting this whirlwind adventure.

Best regards,
James Zackler



Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Austin Scholar Start-up Makes Crowdfunding History!

Posted by Kyle Burr

Hey there incoming Austins! Just wanted to add a quick post updating you all with some fantastic news. Fellow Austin Scholar and rising second year Hiral Sanghavi has recently made history by launching the most funded clothing project in the history of crowdfunding!

Hiral's company, Baubax, claims to make the world's best travel jacket and includes 15 unique and convenient features. It's recent Kickstarter campaign, which launched earlier this month with a goal of raising $20,000 has now surpassed $1.2 million from more than 7,300 backers!


The product has also been featured all over the interwebs, including media outlet such as Entrepreneur, CNN Money, Travel & Leisure, and The Huffington Post.

Congrats, Hiral!!




Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Help, I am going through Kellogg withdrawal


Posted by Maria Duzon

Dear Kellogg Austin Scholar of the Class of 2017,

Congratulations! You are about to dive into College 2.0 - “Bigger, Better, and Older”. As a bonus you have been accepted into a pseudo-secret society called the Austin Scholars, where you don’t pay tuition and you get to hang with very cool people. Welcome to the club.

It seems that many of the 2nd year Austins are leading KWEST trips, so to keep the theme alive...

STOP READING IF YOU ARE GOING ON KWEST NORTHERN SPAIN!!!

Now, let me skip down memory lane. What was running through my head when I was in your shoes one year ago?

Like you, I heard this one piece of advice at least 439 times: Cherish your time before business school. Once it begins, your life will be crazy.

I thought, what B.S., how can school be that busy? It’s just school! Like, only 3 hours of class per day. These MBAs must be terrible at time management, I’m sure I will have plenty of free time when I quit my job and go back to school.

Well, young Austin Scholar, I was wrong. So wrong.

Life at Kellogg is crazy, but I gradually learned to tame the beast and focus on what I love. I make trade-offs to find the balance between academics, clubs, social events, and me-time. It’s not easy or perfected, but I have no regrets about how I spent my first year, and I can’t wait to get back for year 2.

This is what I prioritize, in no particular order, so that I love my time at Kellogg:

  • Relationships: The people are everything at Kellogg, and I cherish the new relationships I have made. I also love spending time with my boyfriend, who dove whole-heartedly into Kellogg culture (spoiler: he’s joining the MMM Class of 2017!). I try to get to know friends better over lunch or dinner, and I plan to do much more of that next year.
  • Music: I tell people that I spend more hours in rehearsal than I do in class (sometimes true). I sing in the Kellogg rock band, the Rocket Pockets, and I’m vocal directing Special K. Yes, this means I am crazy busy, but I am happy -- music is my passion and I love that I get to indulge at Kellogg.
    • Shameless plug: We need 1st years in the bands and Special K! If you are a musician, singer, dancer, or performance-oriented in any way...let’s talk.
  • Class: I came to Kellogg because I love to learn, and I know there are certain skills I need to develop to make myself an even more bad-ass leader. It’s not about grades, it’s about learning from your peers and from stellar professors. I try to find the best profs that will make me fall in love with the material. (If you get Grayson’s marketing class, lucky you!)
I am so eager to meet you all in the fall! I hope you enjoy your summer and last few weeks of real adult life. Congratulations again, and welcome to Kellogg!!!

Oh, and if you wish to know the obligatory “about me”, here are the headlines:

Where I’m From: San Francisco Bay Area
What I Did Before School: Marketing at a nonprofit that runs homeless shelters
What I’m Doing for My Internship: Brand management at Clorox
What I Want to Do After Kellogg: Marketing somewhere...if not at Clorox, then tech
Advice For Incoming Kelloggers: Buy these boots

Cheers,

Maria Duzon
Kellogg Class of 2016








Sunday, June 21, 2015

Hello! And welcome to the Austin Community!

Posted by Arielle Salomon

 
As you all may be discovering, being an Austin means a variety of things—financial support, fireside chats, QT time with Wally and Harry. What I enjoy the most is getting to know everyone—both students and alum—each of whom has a fascinating and impressive story.  We are so excited for you to join us and to learn more about you!

I’ll start off with a bit about me… [STOP READING IF YOU ARE GOING ON KWEST FRANCE!!]

Before Kellogg: I was born and raised in the great state of New Jersey (suburbs of NYC) and went to Penn where I studied psychology, economics and French. During my senior year I took a course on microfinance and was enthralled by the idea that banks could both help people with access to financial services AND make money. That led me to start working at a non-profit, Innovations for Poverty Action, that aims to quantify the real impact of social programs, like microfinance, by using randomized controlled studies (in the WSJ here). Based in DC, I worked with donors and policymakers to find more cost-effective ways to create impact. But after a few years, I was itching for something new and transitioned to a tech start-up, The Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL), which enables banks to expand lending to small business owners with a psychometric credit score (instead of questions about your financial history, EFL asks questions about your honesty and character). I worked with financial institutions in Haiti and India, places where credit information is particularly thin.

Kellogg 1.0: The past year has been a crazy experience—from meeting 1000 new people to trying to interpret financial derivatives to amazing trips. A few of my favorite moments have been:

  • KWEST Bike trip! We spent 4 days biking across the Netherlands (a trip that would only take 4 hours by car…shh)
  • Spring break in Lesotho. I took a class on medical devices in emerging markets and a group of us along with our nutty prof went to Lesotho to conduct market entry research for devices developed here at NW!
  • Road tripping to Detroit with a group of Kellogg students for a trek to learn about the city’s urban revitalization
  • Taking my first sailing lessons at the NW sailing center (…would recommend doing this if you are ever around during the summer when the weather is actually warm…)
  • Running my first half marathon. Kellogg has a Run, Bike, Swim Club which organizes weekly runs, swimming lessons and discounts for races
  • Hosting potlucks, cocktail hours and small group dinners to get to know my classmates better

Summer: I’m flying out to London to work for Bain. Like many other Kellogg kids, I want to do consulting to try on a few different industries/functions for size. I’m also super curious about working at a big private sector company for the first time.  Why London? Why not?  At the end of the summer I’ll be leading KWEST- BIKE FRANCE!!

Kellogg 2.0: Next year, I’m excited to stay involved with Net Impact. I’ll be a peer mentor and will be helping out with consulting interview prep groups.

Favorite Austin Moment: My favorite moment this year was sitting down to a meal with a bunch of Austins after we spent the evening learning to cook at a culinary school in Evanston.

Advice:
  •     Do you. There’s so much going on at Kellogg, it’s easy to get wrapped up in FOMO (fear of missing out). At the end of the day, you have to prioritize what is most important to you. Don’t forget you can always do your own thing.
  •     Reach out. Find ways to really get to know people beyond the hallway chit chat. I love to connect with people over lunch or exploring Chicago!

  •     Don’t stress. Recruiting alongside a few hundred other students is an interesting social experience. Remember everything will work out and don’t waste your time stressing. Also, grades don’t matter.


Hope you all enjoy your summer and look forward to meeting you soon! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about anything as you think about moving to good ole E-town!

-Arielle









Sunday, June 14, 2015

YOU’VE MADE IT!

Posted by Ken Yearwood


Fellow brethren and sistren in Austin-hood,
It is my sincere pleasure to welcome you all to both the Kellogg and Austins Fellowship community!  Let me be the umpteenth person to say “CONGRATULATIONS”!  The things you all have accomplished to get to this point are undoubtedly amazing, and we second-year Austins (it’s weird to say that) look forward to meeting you all in the fall.

IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES

With the formalities out of the way, I hope you all have epic summer plans lined up.  Irrespective of whether you’ve finished work, or still have a few weeks left, I hope you’ve set aside time to do whatever it is that makes you happy.  If I were in your shoes again, I’d have the following in mind:

(1) Spend quality time with friends and family: Business school is a whirlwind experience that will consume your life for the next two years (in a good way!), so it’s also important that you spend time with your family and friends this summer.  Before you know it, you’ll be in Evanston!

(2) Craft a flexible plan: People come to business school for a whole host of reasons.  Some come knowing exactly the types of roles they’re interested in pursuing at a few select companies.  Others are looking for a “vacation” from work, and are open to the opportunities that business school presents.  No matter where you fall in the mix, consider taking one day (no more than that! Have fun!) to think through a few industries or career paths you’re interested in.  You’ll appreciate having a plan in the fall when everything your classmates are doing sounds attractive (we call this the “Atrium Effect”, but more on that later).

(3) Fully engage: More than anything else, come to Kellogg ready to participate and challenge yourself.  Come with the intent to befriend and speak to people who look and think differently than you do.  Never eat lunch by yourself, and find ways to leave the Kellogg community better than you found it when you arrived.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re going on the KWEST Uruguay / Argentina trip, stop reading!  Part of fully engaging in KWEST is committing to not stalking your KWESTees in advance of the trip.  I promise, it’ll be worth it come August.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

If you don’t feel like you’ve done it enough already, you’ll get used to introducing yourself and telling “your story” in the next six months.  Here’s mine: I was born and raised in Connecticut, and my parents hail from the West Indies.  I grew up about two hours east of New York City and two hours south of Boston, which means I’m a completely confused sports fan.  I studied mechanical engineering at Columbia University, graduating in 2009.  After Columbia, I remained in NYC, spending time in investment banking at Barclays Capital, engineering consulting, and corporate finance at GE just prior to Kellogg.  During this time, I also co-founded an education non-profit that conducts STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) camps for students primarily in New York City and Africa, although we’ve done work in six countries in the last five years.



FIRST-YEAR REFLECTION

Everyone says this, but it’s true.  First year passes by in the blink of an eye!  I can only imagine looking back at the end of next year feeling the same way about the entire two-year experience.  I am in the MMM program, so I started classes last June.  It’s the first time that I’ve ever been in class for 12 months straight, so while I’m looking forward to a break this summer, I’m also envious of you all about to kick things off.  In the past year, I’ve gotten to know my incredibly accomplished, yet humble classmates; sat in and had conversations with esteemed business leaders, many such events limited to Austins Fellows; landed my choice internship; and traveled the world.

THIS SUMMER

This week I wrapped up my last course project for the spring quarter, and I’m excited to start training at McKinsey here in Chicago on Monday!  For you aspiring consultants out there, I’d be happy to chat about why I chose consulting, and discuss my experience at McKinsey with you all closer to the end of the summer.  In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out either this summer or in the fall as you’re thinking through your “flexible plan”.  There are a ton of Kellogg folks staying in Chicago for their internships, and Chicago is one of the coolest places to be in the summer with all of the food festivals, boat parties, and street fairs.  Exploring Chicago last summer with the MMM’s was a blast, and while many of them will be all over the world interning, I’m really looking forward to spending more time exploring Chicago both with my intern class and Kellogg classmates.

At the end of the summer, I’m excited to be leading KWEST to Uruguay and Argentina!  I’ll spare you all the details since you chose other trips (slight judgement, but you’re bound to have fun).  After KWEST I’ll be joining 18 other Kellogg classmates for a four-day hike of Machu Picchu, and then joining other classmates in Colombia before joining you all back in Evanston in mid-September.

LOOKING AHEAD TO SECOND YEAR


Candidly, I still can’t even believe I’m already halfway done.  That said, I can only imagine the joy with which I hope my classmates and I return to campus in the fall (ideally with job offers in hand!).  I look forward to serving as your Co-Chair with Kyle over the next 18 months, and I can’t wait to meet you all in September.  Wishing you all the best until then!