Shanae Smith

Full-Time MBA student Shanae Smith said creating a close community was a large part of her culture while growing up in Jamaica. When she started to look for an MBA program, she knew it needed to not only have an emphasis on community but also on inclusivity.

“Throughout the admissions process, I talked to students from different schools but none of the conversations felt the same as those I had at Goizueta,” Shanae said. “Since being here, I can say that my instinct was right. I have found a great family of friends that have supported me through both tough times as well as great accomplishments.”

After joining Goizueta through The Consortium, Shanae immediately starting working with the Graduate Career Management Center to help prepare her for the annual Orientation Program. Through a professional development course, career advising, resume critique and more, Shanae quickly felt prepared to handle professional networking and interviews. “By the end of the program, I was more than prepared, and it showed in the questions I asked and the connections I made,” she said. “I was successful in securing interviews during and after the Orientation Program that I would not have been able to without the Graduate Career Management Center.”

Upon entering the MBA program, Shanae was surprised at how much she learned from class discussions in just a few months. “I have gotten ideas on different ways to look at a problem, new ways to think and how to be a better communicator – still working on that one,” she said. “I have really been given the opportunity to hone in on those soft skills and work with people in a way that I would not have been able to without this experience.”

Although she has learned a considerable amount from her coursework, Shanae will also walk away with long-lasting friendships and a close-knit Goizueta community.

“Beyond the career outcomes I hope to achieve by earning my degree at Goizueta, I also hope it will grant me friendships that extend beyond business school,” she said. “I wanted to create new long-lasting relationships that challenge my way of thinking, and I believe I have found them at Goizueta.”