Last Friday, June 5, MBS students enjoyed the fourth installment of Virtual Friday: MBS Alumni Career Stories. We were joined by three MBS alumni who took time out of their schedules to join and share their unique experiences with over 50 attendees. Fun Fact: Each alumnus is a double graduate of Rutgers, having obtained both their undergraduate and graduate degrees from the university! Keep reading to learn more about the speakers.

It was a semester full of challenges but also great events! Through a series of three “Virtual Fridays: MBS Alumni Career Stories,” students had the opportunity to connect with MBS graduates who shared advice and spoke about their career journeys.

In spring 2020, seeking to develop my professional skills and diversify my resume, I decided to join the MBS Externship Exchange, a program that pairs student teams with industry partners to tackle practical, real-world issues through completing company-sponsored small projects—thus giving students the opportunity to garner professional experience (not as an employee of the company, but as a representative of Rutgers University). All externs receive guidance and feedback from both a company mentor and an MBS advisor.

This year’s MBS graduation ceremony was unlike any other! Nearly 600 guests tuned in to the virtual event, held on May 14,  to watch a ceremony that was buzzing with excitement, energy, and a musical soundtrack of Rutgers’ greatest hits! We hope that this year’s graduates feel honored and celebrated, as they certainly should be—they crossed the finish line of their MBS education with honor and grit, and surmounted multiple challenges and obstacles—COVID-19-related and otherwise—with aplomb.

On May 1, 2020, Abbe Rosenthal hosted another fantastic session of “Virtual Friday: MBS Alumni Career Stories,” where MBS graduates Dera Okafor, Vishwa Shah, and Suleiman Ali Shakir joined to lend students their valuable insight.

At MBS, we all go by the saying “leadership is leading your own ship.” On April 15, 2020, MBS students learned how to lead our own ships when pitching ourselves in a workshop led by Abbe Rosenthal, PCC, Assistant Director/Head of Corporate Partnerships, Employment & Professional Development, and Executive Coach.

Many of us are worried about job security; we may know people who have lost their jobs, and it is hard to not be unnerved by the most recent unemployment statistics: according to the U.S.

On Wednesday, April 8, 2020, Dr. Paul Takhistov from the Department of Food Science at Rutgers led a discussion regarding food safety, food availability, and biosecurity in light of COVID-19—an issue that MBS students had identified as a major concern and/or interest via a survey in the March 2020 MBS Community Connectivity Initiative.

We all learn from reflecting on our experiences. While we can share our wisdom and insights with others, they may only fully appreciate the true value of our words when they experience something similar. On April 3, 2020, the MBS team provided a platform for experienced alumni and a soon-to-be alumna to share their teachings with current students as they prepare for their post-MBS futures.

MBS students were taken through a journey of mindful breathing, positive affirmations, and calmness as they attended the two-part virtual Mindful Coaching session led by Susan Favale, owner of Honor Yoga in North Brunswick, on March 25, 2020, and March 31, 2020, respectively. Amidst the current unprecedented times, these sessions helped students reinforce self-love, inner strength, and positive thinking.