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

• Sitting on the board of the Holocaust Museum through the Kellogg Board Fellows program

• 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!
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•     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

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!

Welcome to Kellogg!

Weekly Update No. 1

Posted by Kyle Burr

Hello Fellow Austins!

Whether you are winding down at work or are already traveling and/or relaxing, I hope that you all are thoroughly enjoying your summer so far. We are all super excited to have you joining us in August! The purpose of this blog is just to provide a little background on some of the second year Austins so that you get a sense of the kind of community you are joining.

So without further adieu... a little bit about me:

DISCLAIMER: Sarah Richards and Kyle Synder - STOP READING NOW! As future KWESTees on Amazing Race, I don't want to take anything more away from the "Big Reveal". 

Pre-Kellogg: I'll try and be brief. Born and raised in the great suburban oasis of Long Island, New York, about an hour outside New York City. Graduated from Penn in 2009, where I majored in International Relations and African Studies. Spent four years in public sector management consulting for Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, DC where my clients included various Defense and Intelligence agencies (no, I've never met Edward Snowden). In April 2013, I quit and joined TechnoServe a global non-for-profit that provides pro-bono consulting services to small business, governments and other NGOs in developing countries. As a volunteer consultant, I lived and worked in Swaziland in southern Africa for eight months, where I worked primarily on efforts to add value to the country's domestic cotton industry. Just prior to Kellogg, I also worked for a social enterprise in rural Uganda called The Joseph Initiative, that sources crops from smallholder farmers and helps them gain access to finance and agricultural services to improve their yields.

Kellogg 1.0: Looking back on my first year, it amazes me how much I was able to accomplish in spite of all the things I wish I had been able to do, but wasn't able to. When not recruiting, attempting to study or taking advantage of every opportunity to wear a costume, I also served as Treasurer to the Net Impact Club, representative to the 10-person KWEST Executive Committee ("KWEST Exec, Best Exec"), and Ally Chair to the Gay & Lesbian Management Association (GLMA). Other highlights from this year:

• Scrambling across four cities and three countries in KWEST Amazing Race
• Finishing 2nd place with Reese's Spreads for the Annual Kellogg Marketing Competition (Marketplace TG is not to be missed!)
• Watching President Obama Speak to an auditorium full of Kellogg students
• Driving 19 hours from Chicago to Aspen for an unbelievable Ski Trip 2014 (also do not miss the signups for this!)
• Diving into Lake Michigan in February for the Northwestern Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics of Illinois
• Interviewing experts in China's burgeoning beer industry during Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) China/Korea over Spring Break

This Summer: Starting in a little over a week, I'll be interning with Kraft Foods as an Associate Brand Manager on the Philadelphia brand. I look forward to many an evening spent playing volleyball, bocce, Kan Jam, etc. on the beaches just blocks from my apartment, and many a weekend exploring Chicago's notorious street festivals, live concerts and outdoor watering holes. As per the disclaimer above, I'll be leading KWEST Amazing Race at the end of August, during which I'll be leading 20 of your classmates on a multi-country scavenger hunt across __________, ___________, ___________, and ___________.

Kellogg 2.0: In addition to serving as Co-Chair to the Austin Scholars program with Ken, I will also maintain my role as Treasurer to the Net Impact Club, serve as VP of Ally Relations to the GLMA, and lead an Interview Prep Group (IPG) for those pursuing internships in CPG marketing and brand management. I'm also stoked for Ski Trip 2015 to Park City! 

Favorite Austin Experience this Year: Listening to former Kraft CEO, Betsy Holden (now McKinsey Partner), and her husband (himself Founder and CEO of multiple companies) speak about balancing their professional lives as Corporate All-Stars with their personal goals and ambitions. It was a really inspirational dialogue right at the start of my Kellogg career.

Words of Wisdom:

• Be open-minded and embrace new things. Kellogg is one of the few chances you have to really explore and push yourself to new limits in every imaginable way. Do it.

• 'No' your limits. At the same time, we can't all do everything! It's okay to say, "no". Make sure you focus on activities that you will enjoy spending time on -- not just things you think will look good on a resume. Trust me, recruiters would rather see your passion as a Director for Brew n' Crew than see that you did marketing for the Kellogg Consulting Club. And the FOMO struggle is real! But temporary... Make sure to always do what makes you happy, not what you think makes other people happy.

• Find a Mentor. Or two. There are plenty of second years out there that want to help, whether with career/recruiting advice, or just plain guidance on how to make it through your first year at Kellogg. It's part of the culture here. Throw some time on our calendars, and we're happy to sit down and chat. This is a critical step a successful first year!

In closing, I am really looking forward to getting to know each of you better next year. Congratulations again, and enjoy your time off before arriving here in Evanston!

Cheers,

Kyle