Bobby J

International Thanksgiving

In America it is approaching our national holiday of Thanksgiving. For many of my classmates it is just an excuse to get a couple of days off from school considering about 1/3 of them come from areas outside of the USA. Since we are one big family here at McDonough we have an annual International Thanksgiving beforehand to enlighten our fellow classmates about the origins of our holiday as well as giving them a taste of some of our traditional foods.

We had roughly 75 students attend on a Sunday afternoon during the football games which is quite an accomplishment. We even had some of our exchange students attend so not only were they introduced to American culture but they were also introduced to the MSB culture of inclusion and education and collaboration.

It wasn't just a first for our international classmates but it was also a first for me. I roasted my first Thanksgiving turkey! I have grown a new appreciation for those who slave over the stove for hours but it seemed to work out well. It didn't explode like in Christmas Vacation and was pretty juicy (according to classmates). Overall a great time with great people.

Hurricane Sandy

So I realize it has been a little bit longer than usual between posts but the last two weeks have been quite a whirlwind (pun intended). Going to school in DC makes me feel blessed in many ways. The ability to see some of our nation's most popular monuments and memorials, museums and the beautiful landscape of the Potomac are some of the things that come immediately to mind. The one thing that I've experienced this past week that I never expected, nor could ever ask for, was the blessing to miss one of our nation's worst natural disasters, hurricane Sandy.

I'm originally from Staten Island, NY and always hesitated before stating it due to the perception that has grown through a number of reality TV shows based there. The Staten Island I grew up on was a nice suburban neighborhood with the majority of stores being locally owned and operated for generations. Unfortunately the events of last week has washed away many memories and belongings to those in my community.

Luckily here in DC we didn't get hit, but because many of my classmates and those in the administration know where I am from, I have received an overwhelming amount of support from my new community while I go back to help heal and rebuild my old community. Being around such caring people gives me the strength and energy to make the 4 hour drive to NY to help those in need. It makes me proud to be a Hoya and prouder to be a Staten Islander as we are all trying to help each other recover.

Reality TV Thursdays

Since business school can get stressful with all the learning we do in a short period of time, it feels good to be able to relax a little and forget about tests, group projects and presentations. With midterms coming up for the first years and finals coming up this week for us second years, we decided to turn our social event last Thursday into a Reality TV themed event.

Yours truly entered into the "Jersey Shore Hair Off" with a couple of classmates and our team took home 1st place. The $50 gift card doesn't compare to the bragging rights of winning as well as a chance to completely act life a fool.

We even had a Top Chef inspired cook off where 3 teams grilled using the same ingredients to see who was the best chef at MSB.

Everything is back to normal within the building. Everyone is hard at work studying and preparing for career week which is right around the corner but it nice knowing that we can have fun with each other as well and I look forward to seeing what the next event brings.

First but certainly not last

So as an update to my last post, this past weekend saw the inaugural MSB exclusive Homecoming event. It was perfect weather and perfect company which made for a great time. There was over 150 attendees which consisted of current students from both the Full Time and Evening Program as well as Alumni from both programs. One of the highlights was seeing an alumnus from the class of 1983 attend with her daughter who is currently an undergrad student as MSB as well!

It was nice to interact with students and alumni that we usually don't get to meet and talk to, especially in an informal setting. It was such a great hit that next year's event is already being planned and is expected to grow immensely. 

The only unfortunate thing was that our football team lost to Brown but it's tough to expect victory when you are forced to play your third string QB due to injuries. It was great seeing some familiar faces of recent graduates but was even better meeting some new faces. There were so many people to meet and mingle with that most of us weren't even paying attention to the game.

I'm coming home!

It has been a whirlwind of a summer and although it doesn't officially end for another couple of days mine came to an end when I arrived back in DC. Born and raised in NYC I thought I could never call another city home but luckily for me I have been surrounded by such great people and such a wonderful environment here at Georgetown that I now feel as though this is my home. I know I'm not alone as I walk through the hallways and see familiar faces all with smiles on them, as we are all happy to see each other after 3 months of separation. Like any happy family we were all excited to welcome our new additions as well, the class of 2014!

 

There is something about this place that fosters such a strong camaraderie, as evidenced in my previous blogs working with alumni over the summer. This again will be demonstrated in just about 10 days when we have our inaugural MSB Homecoming event. There will be students and alumni alike meeting and greeting each other sharing tips and stories about the new and old McDonough School of Business while enjoying food, drinks and oh yea a football game.

 

They say home is where the heart is and all I can say is that it feels good to be home.

 

Strong Finish

So as I sit here watching the Olympics I'm reminded that I have 8 work days left and after over 8 weeks I have to finish strong and leave a lasting impression on the "judges" aka my bosses. I've spoken a lot in the past about how great the experience has been so I won't go into that again but depending on how strong of a finish and impression I leave behind after next Friday could determine my career trajectory!

Like the Olympians who are chasing their dreams of gold I am chasing my dreams and hopefully will be rewarded in a different color ..... green. Although I did not decide to come to school just for monetary reasons I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't care about the job I got after graduation.

Last weekend I moved into my new apartment and with just a few weeks before school starts I'm excited for what lies ahead and am determined to finish strong. I may not be Michael Phelps but hopefully I will leave as strong of an impression with my managers as he has in his Olympic career.

The home stretch

So with my 7th week coming to an end it's about time to start reflecting on my summer and what I got out of it. I learned a lot about an industry I was unfamiliar with, met a number of high ranking professionals, and also managed to take a few trips in between. The most overlooked part of the summer has been the networking opportunities that I have experienced. Weather it has been happy hours with alumni, opening NASDAQ or going out on meetings with C-level executives I have tried to maximize my exposure in order to land full time employment prior to graduation.

One unexpected surprise came when I recently went to visit a friend in Miami. He had just moved there for a job and another friend and I went down to visit for a guy's weekend before his wife made the move down there as well. As we were talking and enjoying the beautiful beaches he started to try and sell me on moving to Miami after graduation. With views like this it's not a hard pitch.

So when I came back to work on Monday I was talking to my boss and it turns out that he is on the Board of Directors with another Georgetown Alumnus who runs the Private Wealth Management division in Miami. A weekend vacation might just turn into a life altering experience and it could all be aided by the amazing Georgetown network

Opening the NASDAQ

So what better way to go back to work after a holiday than to open the stock market and ring the ceremonial bell at the NASDAQ studios? You're right I couldn't think of one either. A select few of us were invited to Times Square to open the market on July 5th.

 

I'm constantly amazed at the opportunites afforded me these days because of the Georgetown brand. Now I know it's a far cry from an interview on TV or having anyone other than family and friends realize that it was me on TV over 4 networks that morning but it is pretty cool when you walk outside in one of the busiest neighborhoods in the world and see something like this:

This summer has been filled with both educational opportunities as well as unbelievable networking experiences. Both I'm sure of will help me and my classmates achieve any full time offer we choose.  I can't say I've had this much fun working during the summer in my adult life and I'm only halfway done.

 

Wall St. Alliance

So the first month of my internship is coming to an end and although I can't wait to be relaxing on the beach this time tomorrow I am in awe of how much I've learned in a short period of time. Besides learning a lot on the job I'm also learning a lot about how great our school is and how helpful they are in growing our presence in the corporate world. Just last week we had a cocktail reception with a prominent group of Georgetown Alumni that have formed the Wall St. Alliance. They have set up a mentor/mentee program for people interning in NY for the summer and there are ver 400 participants in the program this year.

One more event that I'm looking forward to and you should mark on your calendars is when we go open the NASDAQ on July 5th! A huge benefit of working for a company with strong ties to the Hoya family is that they are extremely flexible when it comes to networking with other prominent alumni. After we open the NASDAQ there will be a networking event and my managers urged me to attend and not think twice about coming in late that day. Maybe I'll get a brief cameo on CNBC which will jumpstart my TV career. I'm sure stranger things have happened but for now I'm just really excited with where this internship is leading me.

 

Until next time 

1 down 9 to go

So I completed my first week at my summer internship and I can't believe how fast it went. Alumni connections were the most integral part of me getting mine as well. The CEO, CFO and COO are all connected to me with 2/3 being MSB alumni. I can already tell that I'm going to learn a ton and that these alumni genuinely care about my success afterwards.

What better way was there to celebrate our first week being done than having brunch with a bunch of my classmates on Saturday in NYC? About 15 of us got together to catch up and share stories of our first week. So far this is just reaffirming that I made the right decision to come to McDonough. I have made a great connection with Hoyas -- old and new -- and these connections are some that will last a lifetime.