A Week in the Life: Ellyce Shulman
One of the most frequently asked questions from prospective students is how current students successfully balance academic, professional, and personal life during the three-year Evening MBA program. What’s a week in the life of an Evening MBA student really like? We asked one of our third year students who is a master at the work hard/play hard philosophy to share with us highlights from a typical week.
Ellyce Shulman, Evening MBA Class of 2017
Ellyce Shulman is currently a member of the Foster Evening MBA Class of 2017 and a Senior Consultant at Lenati, a marketing strategy consultancy. Her studies have emphasized marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship, and she has participated and won awards in many activities outside of class including the Business Plan Competition, the Health Innovation Challenge, and the Venture Capital Investment Competition. She has also built community by serving as the Honor Council Representative for her class and organizing everything from study groups to brunches with current students and alums. In her spare time, Ellyce enjoys training for triathlons, biking the backroads of Washington with her husband, and exploring the world through travel.
Working with Microsoft
My client is Microsoft, so I spend a lot of time out there. Many folks who work on Xbox are in the same building. Minecraft is a popular title for Xbox and PC gaming.
Working with Foster Alums
This is Eric Shuai, Foster MBA ’12. We worked together to launch Microsoft Rewards, a new loyalty program that allows you to get free movies, apps, games and more when you search and shop with Microsoft. Foster’s alumni network is exceptional, and it’s always a treat to work with fellow Fosterites (yes that’s a word).
Growth Mindset
We learned about the importance of the growth mindset in Crystal Farh‘s Management and Leadership core class. These frameworks are in use today at companies like Microsoft.
Jazzed about Entrepreneurial Finance
One of my favorite classmates, Edward Galloway, and I are taking Entrepreneurial Finance (ENTRE 557) this quarter with Lance Young. I’ve gotten so much out of my classes through study sessions with classmates like Edward.
Student Life
Typical class setup: name tag, water bottle, printouts of slides, and lots of colorful pens to take notes. Not pictured: dinner from PCC Deli. Yes, everyone is usually eating during lecture- our professors know we just finished a full day at work when we walk into class, and they are supportive and understanding.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Students pictured: Rita Jabbouri, Ellyce Shulman, Chris Edelbrock, Phil Christy, and Logan Fouts
We do a ton of group projects at Foster. These provide an opportunity to get to know your classmates, as well as bring diverse perspectives to the work. This is my team for Consumer Marketing and Brand Management with Professor Mark Forehand (MKTG 512). The best part about courses at Foster is that we are encouraged to apply what we learn in the classroom in real-time. In Professor Forehand’s class, we did several “live cases” that challenged us to solve branding problems for real companies. Working well as a team is essential to not only delivering high quality work, but also learning as much as possible and having fun along the way. We got to present to judges with extensive agency backgrounds and gleaned valuable insights.
An Athlete’s Life
For the past 4 years, I’ve trained for and competed in triathlons. After a busy week of work and school, one of my favorite things is the 90-minute Masters swim workout at my gym on Saturday mornings. I love the challenge of pushing myself athletically and the social nature of swimming with pool and tri friends. No matter how busy you are, it’s so important to carve out time for the activities that energize you. Being an athlete has made me more resilient in my academic and professional life.
Leadership All Around
This is Coach Bob. He is one of the most inspirational leaders I’ve ever met. He has this amazing ability to see your potential – far beyond what you may even see – and unlock this potential while he’s pushing you and cheering you on – literally. I’ve PR’d in the 100 and 200 as the direct result of swimming with Coach Bob. Foster has allowed me to grow and develop my leadership skills, as well as recognize great leadership when I see it.
Always Smiling
Students like Ellyce don’t just survive the program, they thrive. Why? She has a relentless positive attitude and is willing to push herself to learn and grow every day to meet the challenges ahead, stopping along the way to “smell the roses” with classmates, professors, friends, family, and mentors.
Wondering if the Foster Evening MBA Program is the right fit for you? To make an appointment with the Foster MBA Programs Office, call 206-543-4661 or toll free at 1-866-778-9622, or email us at [email protected].
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