Diverse applicants get taste of B-school at Johnson Means Business weekend

By Linda Myers

These days, it can be challenging to persuade gainfully employed 20-somethings to leave behind jobs that pay well and go for an MBA degree to further their careers instead. That fact is doubly true of members of minority groups already working in the business world.

Renee Brown, left, a human resource generalist with IBM, and Johnson School MBA student Desi Agu attend a banquet that was part of the school's Johnson Means Business hosting weekend Oct. 12-14. Brown, who stayed at Agu's apartment, was impressed with the caliber of students she met during her visit and has since decided to apply to the Johnson School. Charles Harrington/University Photography

To ensure that its current pool of qualified applicants remains diverse, Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management contacted a range of young people, minority members whose professional backgrounds and goals hinted that they might make good MBA students. Twenty-four were invited to visit campus Oct. 12-14 as part of the school's Johnson Means Business hosting program. The visitors -- some traveling from as far away as the West Coast and Hawaii -- were hosted by 19 current Johnson School students.

They were given tours of Sage Hall and the Cornell campus, attended classes, social events and seminars on how to apply and get financial aid, heard from minority alumni and talked -- sometimes late into the night -- with current students. The Johnson School covered transportation costs. The program, a first for the school, was launched and run by the school's Office for Women and Minorities in Business and sponsored by Citigroup Corp.

Renee Brown, who is from Jersey City, N.J., and is a human resource generalist with IBM, wanted to return to school to get an MBA but worried that the Johnson School might be too isolated and far from home. The visit allayed her concerns. "Ithaca was breathtaking -- the waterfalls, the grounds. The view was incredible, and the students awesome. I was impressed with their backgrounds and experiences prior to coming to Johnson. And they were all fun and down to earth. That is what clinched it for me."

Adaezennaya "Desi" Agu, who hosted Brown, said that while many factors go into the decision to attend a business school, usually it's the people one meets who make the difference. "I wanted to show her that the people here at the Johnson school are special and welcoming to newcomers," she said. Following a banquet dinner at the Johnson Museum Friday night, then drinks and dancing in Collegetown, the two stayed up late talking about business school and life in general. Agu also offered Brown tips on polishing her application essays. "We had a lot of fun and hit it off so well that she asked me to come visit her in New York City," Agu said.

"The weekend was a unique opportunity to get to know the Johnson School," said Alejandro Borgia, who works as director of business development for MusicMatch in San Diego, Calif. "It was fun, informative and gave me a special glimpse into the lives of current Johnson students, who went out of their way to spend time with us and help us feel welcome. By Sunday morning, we almost felt as if we were Cornell students already. Most of us are now definitely going to apply" as a result of the visit.

First-year MBA student Dan Shur gave Borgia a tour of the Johnson School, with stops in the library, the Career Services Office and the Parker Center for Investment Research, and invited him to sit in on an accounting class. "I walked him through the syllabus and some representative assignments, showed him some of our online resources and pointed out what makes Johnson a great school." One discovery of Shur's: "Alejandro happens to work for a small company that makes the Mpeg player, which is very popular with my friends."

Shur also hosted Simon Ng'ang'a, who is from Minneapolis and is a tax specialist for American Express Financial Advisors. Ng'ang'a first heard of the Johnson School and its hosting program when he was invited by a former student last year to send in his resume. The visit was his first to an Ivy League school. "The splendor of the campus took my breath away," he said. Breakfast with the dean, a finance class with Professor Charles Lee, a rugby session and a venture capital pep talk all led to his decision to apply to the school, which is now his number-one choice.

Chia-Lin Simmons hosted Heidi Bacote, a collateral analyst for the First Union Bank from Charlotte, N.C., and Jennifer Hodges, a software engineer with Spirent Communications from Honolulu. Simmons volunteered because "minorities and women are underrepresented in the executive ranks," and she wanted to do her part in helping that change. She described her visitors as "amazing women" whom she believes "will both achieve success."

A single parent, Bacote found time to talk with Angela Noble-Grange, director of the school's Office for Women and Minorities in Business and a former student herself (MBA '94), who reassured her that the school would be responsive to her special needs.

While the visitors were impressed with the range of activities that comprised the weekend, "I don't think anyone expected the profound kindness" that was extended to them from staff and students, said Bacote. Current students "were gracious, humble and hands-down sharp. None of us could stop talking about it. It was apparent that the environment [at the school] is one of community."

For information about Johnson Means Business, which is planned as an annual hosting event, contact Kristina Nance, program manager, at 255-5774.