One-Year MBA Student Builds Confidence, Expands Horizons

The Bimini, Bahamas, native knew she wanted to pursue an MBA after completing undergraduate studies in Maryland. She was intrigued by the one-year program offered by the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business and contacted the admissions team.
 
Jani was drawn to the program’s curriculum, travel opportunities and emphasis on experiential learning. She confirmed her place in the incoming class having never visited Duquesne or Pittsburgh.
 
With just a few days off between receiving her bachelor’s degree and starting the graduate program, Jani’s nerves began to build. Luckily, her family traveled to the United States from The Bahamas to attend her college graduation, and they took the trip with her from Maryland to Pittsburgh.
 
“I was accepted and had a moment of realization that I had to move,” said Jani. “I have no family in Pennsylvania; I don’t have a car. I was very nervous but found a community of people who took care of me.”
 
Jani bonded with her cohort and appreciated the time and effort they gave to ensure that she felt at home. They helped her look for an apartment, gave her rides to off-campus activities and invited her to lunch and other social events. Jani quickly learned that these were the types of supportive, inspiring relationships she hoped to gain throughout her professional life.
 
“They took away that scary feeling of being here by myself,” said Jani. “They helped me feel at home, at peace and stable.”
 
As she became comfortable in Pittsburgh, Jani found that David Fortna, professional development coach for the One-Year MBA students, was always in her corner, and she relied on his guidance and support. Together, they set Jani’s goals—one of which was to put herself out there more and to say “yes” more often.
 
“I’m shy and reserved,” said Jani. “Often I’d rather be in the background and in my comfort zone.”
 
When an opportunity arose to consult with VELO.ai, a start-up that promotes situational awareness for cyclists using an audio and visual alert system, Jani had a chance to trust in her potential and say yes.
 
“At first I wondered if I was capable of doing this by myself,” said Jani. “But I told myself I had to give it a go.”
 
Jani worked closely with the team on market forecasts and strategies to help them reach new target markets. She even partnered with them throughout their run in the Duquesne New Venture Challenge, an entrepreneurship competition awarding cash and service prizes to help start-ups jumpstart their businesses. The VELO.ai team placed third out of more than 130 entrants.
 
Jani gained additional consulting experience through a partnership with international client Henkel Company. She was tasked with creating company-wide initiatives to raise awareness about sustainability.
 
“We worked with different people and on cross-functional teams,” said Jani. “A big part of the experience was teamwork, navigating how to work with others and being part of a different culture.”
 
Alongside classmates, Jani traveled to Henkel’s offices in Croatia to share her recommendations. Jani’s presentation was a success, and she cheered on classmates as they presented to international clients in Italy and Slovenia.
 
“Getting to see how things work on a different side of the world was a really good experience,” she said.
 
Following graduation, Jani hopes to work in marketing consulting and research in Pittsburgh. “I really don’t want to move again,” she laughed. “I think I’ll stick around for a while longer.”
 
Jani encourages others to pursue the One-Year MBA at Duquesne and to take advantage of the many opportunities that have enriched her life over the past 12 months. “It seems like I’ve done a lot in a year, but it’s been a lot of good stuff in that time,” she said. “I feel like I just got here.”