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View past entries: April 2, 2009 November 4, 2008 Last week was a long one, back from Spring Break. I know you must be wondering about the trip since I've mentioned it a few times. So much about the trip was amazing that I could write pages. Don't worry-I won't. I'll just give you the highlights. We packed a lot in: 52 students, 2 buses, 2 Security guards, 1 security car following us, 9 days, 3 cities, 2 Egyptologists (yes, that is a real position, and they know EVERYTHING about Egypt!) My favorites: pyramids (day and night), Egypt museum in Cairo (it had a mummies exhibit and tons of King Tut jewels), climbing Mt. Sinai to catch the sunrise, hanging out on the beach in Sharm el Sheikh. Other than the sites, the best part was reconnecting with friends and classmates and meeting new ones. We had a great group, and a few brought significant others. I brought my cousin who lives in NYC. She reads my blog, mostly because I make her, and for this one she wanted to write about her experience on the Trek. Egypt with Amber Jones: There are no words really to describe how miraculous it is see the pyramids, tombs & temples and be in such close contact with history. It was hard to wrap my mind around how people just like you and me had the manpower, mind and faith to create such amazingly beautiful...and heavy things! Though the sites were amazing...nothing makes a trip like the people you travel with! Talk about instant family! The Stern students are AWESOME!!! What a group of fun, creative and outgoing people! I was nervous going and not knowing anyone but my cousin and thinking I wouldn't fit in, but I couldn't have been MORE WRONG!!! They really made my experience and kept me laughing the whole nine days. If I had one ounce of a business mind I would transfer in a heartbeat.....but since I don't...I'll just anxiously wait and sign up for the next trip!! Back to Nicole: Other than reminiscing about Egypt and having assignments due in every class, I start my internship with a digital media start up company this week. Before Spring Break, my Professional Responsibility class ended (side note: Roy Smith was a fantastic professor). Since I knew I would have Tuesdays and Thursdays completely free, I decided to look for an internship. I’m pretty excited about this one because the entrepreneurs have launched a few businesses before, and they are in the process of launching two new websites within the next month. I'm going to be helping them with their 3-year strategic plan, since they will be meeting with investors within the next 6 months. I'll tell you more about it, as I get more involved. Over the past week, I've been able to reconnect with some classmates that I haven't seen in awhile. Another classmate and I met up with a 2008 alum for coffee. He recently started working at Accenture, where we will be working in the fall. We met to catch up and get the inside scoop on his experience thus far, as well as tips for what we can be doing now. A few of us from our original MBA 1 study group got together for lunch to catch up, and I also recruited a few new people to explore the sites of NYC with me. You know…all those things I said I would do when I moved to New York but haven’t done yet. Some recent alums are in town, so a group of us are meeting for brunch on Sunday. There are tons of delicious brunch spots in NYC, and I've only just started going! What was I waiting for??? Wait, you know what? I just realized these social events are all surrounded by food!!! We really need to get more creative. This weekend, Stern is hosting Stern Perspectives, the annual Diversity Weekend. It’s a time when candidates come to NYU to learn more about the MBA program, talk to current students and have their Stern Interview. AHBBS is hosting a dinner for prospective students, and quite a few members are volunteering for the various events of the weekend. I remember attending, and it was sooo helpful to be able to talk current students before the interview. From what I can see, these smaller interview weekends are very popular and helpful for prospective students. I just finished the second week of classes. My first two weeks have been pretty light since I’m taking two night classes that haven’t started yet. That’s not such a bad thing, because it took me a while to adjust to the time change and weather after my trip to India! This semester, I’m taking Decision Models with Juran, Valuation with Damodaran (one of my favorite professors) and Professional Responsibility with Smith. My two night classes are Brand Strategy with Galloway and New Venture Financing with Ljungqvist. So far, I am really enjoying all of my classes and professors. Last night, we had a mini DBI India reunion at a restaurant/lounge near school. It was great to catch up with everyone and hear who’s still falling asleep at 7pm! Naturally, we created a facebook group, and everyone has been posting their pictures. There are a few people who still aren’t on facebook, but we’re working on them. There are soo many pictures, but it’s really fun to go through all of them. Hopefully last night’s reunion was the first of many to come. Break out your bathing suits…tonight, AHBBS is having a Welcome Back pool party. No, that wasn’t a typo. It’s winter in New York City, and we decided to have a good 'ol fashioned pool party. There is a hotel in midtown that has a cool indoor pool and lounge, complete with a DJ and bar. We thought it would be a nice spot to have an event so students, alumni and friends can reconnect with each other. The winter party is usually a fundraiser for a non-profit organization, and this year, AHBBS is donating the proceeds to the Opportunity Network, an organization that partners with underserved high schools to provide college preparation and career development programs. Well, that’s all folks. Have a great weekend! December 10, 2008 The end of the semester is here, and it has just flown by. This week alone, I had 2 cases and 2 final papers due, one of which was a full business plan. I won't go into much detail, but know that I had very early mornings and very late nights completing the work. But after this week, I am done with two classes!! Next week...finals! Outside of classes, I had a meeting for the Doing Business In (DBI)…India program that I mentioned earlier. This was a chance to learn more about the city, school and classes. One of my classmates from India spoke briefly about what to expect on the trip, as well as travel tips. A good portion of the discussion surrounded security concerns. Given the recent attacks in Mumbai, the school is assessing the situation to see if the program will be cancelled. I'm really looking forward to this experience, so my fingers are crossed (please you do the same). I pray it isn't cancelled and that no other attacks occur. Last week, student organizations were collecting deposits for spring break treks. Each year, various student groups coordinate spring break trips for their members and students at large. We're not talking about the Cancun, South Beach or Jamaica trips from undergrad. We step it up a little with the locations. This year, there are trips to Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, 2 to Peru (one focuses on volunteer work), Israel, Dubai and Egypt. The Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS) is partnering with Stern In Africa (SIA) to plan the Egypt trip. I know it seems early, but it’s a bit of a process organizing a group trip. There is a group of us working on the trek, and we hope to have the details finalized and the deposits collected before the break. Though we work very hard, we also learn how to treat ourselves! Well it was fun thinking about travel plans but…back to the books for me. November 24, 2008 The Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS) sponsors several events each month geared toward either recruiting or socializing. On Sunday, AHBBS had their “Final Fridays” event. I know, I know, it was the 3rd Sunday, but how many people will be around the Friday after Thanksgiving? This month’s event was the first annual AHBBS Thanksgiving Potluck dinner, complete with food, music and dominos. It was fantastic! It was a great opportunity for people to showcase their cooking skills...or food purchasing skills. There was tons of food and dessert, and I must say, my classmates can cook pretty well. In the midst of all the madness of school assignments, it’s great to take a break to socialize with old friends and make some new ones. In the span of a few days, New York went from 65 degrees to 30 degrees, and that’s before wind chill!!! That is why I ab-so-lutely cannot wait to going home to sunny Miami for Thanksgiving. To those of you who celebrate, I wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving. And if you don’t celebrate, enjoy your long weekend! November 10, 2008 This has been an entrepreneurship-filled week, and I feel ready to take over the world, starting one business at a time. For my Business Start-up Practicum class, each team has to write a business plan. The first part was due last Monday, and my team and I spent the past week working on our new venture summary and developing the business model. Each team will meet with Professor Okun during our next class to get feedback and direction as we work to complete more of the business plan. This has been my favorite class because our assignment gives us very tangible tools needed to develop a business. Later in the week, a few classmates and I tried to convince a friend to start a wedding planning business. She has helped with a few weddings, and the pictures I’ve seen are beautiful. We met with her to discuss her personal goals and vision, and then talked about value proposition. Though initially skeptical, she eventually realized it was a viable business opportunity. For now, she is working on the business plan to flesh out her idea! I’ll keep you posted. If it seems like I am always going to a speaker series or workshop or something….that’s because I am! There are so many cool events that Stern and NYU put on. This time last year, I was so busy juggling classes, recruiting and clubs that these types of events often fell in priority. This year, I am taking full advantage of them. Saturday afternoon, the Entrepreneurs' Exchange Club (EEX) held a workshop entitled “Become a Web-entrepreneur.” I must admit, I debated attending because it was Saturday and raining! But I am so glad I went. Two young and successful women led the workshop. It began as a visioning session and then moved to a more tactical conversation about strategy and monetization options. In addition to unleashing my inner entrepreneur, it also gave me the chance to meet Stern Part-timers, Executive MBAs and alumni, many of whom have already started successful businesses. As I reflect on this past week, I can summarize it like this: I live in an exciting city with a supportive network of classmates and alumni, and I am taking advantage of events that complement the practical tools I’ve learned in class. Until next time… November 4, 2008 In addition to exams, last week was also Halloween! I hope you all found some great costumes and had a chance to celebrate. The Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS) started a monthly social event this year called Final Fridays. For the event kickoff, one of the AHBBS board members hosted an early Halloween party at his apartment near school. Afterwards, we went to the annual Halloween Parade in the village. It is supposedly the biggest and best Halloween parade in the country. We ended the night at a costume party that was sponsored by the Stern Student Corporation (SCorp) and Entrepreneurs Exchange (EEX). I had a great time, especially since I was studying for a mid-term on Halloween last year. (Thankfully that wasn't the same for MBA1s this year.) I hope you had a Happy Halloween!!! October 16, 2008 The entire Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS) Board has been working very hard the last few months planning our annual conference. The conference is this Friday. So we are working on all the little details. We have a great day planned, check it out and join us if you are interested: www.stern.nyu.edu/ahbbs. Friday evening, the Management Consulting Association is sponsoring their annual Alumni Mixer. Overall, Stern alumni remain involved and are also very accessible. The same is true for the MCA. There are Stern alumni at consulting firms small to large, domestic to international. We invite those who are in NY to the mixer so they can not only catch up with their old friends but also meet current students. It should be fun. Well, I’m off to study. It’s that time of the year…mid-terms. September 30, 2008 Classes started about three weeks ago, yet this past week was my first week with a full course load. I am taking two night classes, which typically start a little later. As a second-year, I can take all electives. I plan to specialize in Finance and in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. I'm also taking a few classes that MBA2s and alumni insist everyone takes regardless of specialization. This semester I am taking Managing Growing Companies and Business Plan Practicum (both with Professor Okun, a must-take professor), Financial Statement Analysis, Investment Strategies and Restructuring Firms and Industries. My schedule is the envy of many classmates. I have no morning classes…yes, you read that correctly. Since classes started, I have been using that time to not only prepare for classes, but also to do some work for the clubs in which I am involved and sleep in after hanging out with classmates. While I am a member for several student organizations, I hold a leadership position in two student organizations, the Association of Hispanic & Black Business Students (AHBBS) and the Management Consulting Association (MCA). AHBBS is having their annual conference on October 17, so the entire board is working hard to finalize details…stay tuned. On another note, New York City and Stern seem to always have some interesting event going on every week. Last week, the Stern Alumni Council Finance Committee sponsored an event titled, “Chats with Financiers: A Conversation with John A. Paulson”, where Professor Edward Altman interviewed Mr. Paulson. They spoke about the current financial crisis, and gave their perspectives about how it happened and what level of involvement the government should have. Mr. Paulson made a ton of money for his fund with his investment strategies and by tons I mean billions. Google him if you get a chance. Well, that’s all for now. Talk to you soon! 
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Nichole Jones, Class of 2009
