First Year Perspective: Consortium Fellow and Beyond!
About Jessica: Jessica Naves (’24) was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors in Sociology. After graduation, Jessica worked in various marketing roles from marketing assistant in theatrical brand marketing at NBC Universal to social media coordinator at a non-profit called Fulfillment Fund. Most recently, Jessica worked as a marketing manager for a marketing and advertising agency that specialized in outreaching multicultural audiences. At Anderson, she seeks to pivot her career to product marketing for a streaming service such as Disney+ or HBO Max. Jessica is interested in being an advocate for diverse representation in the entertainment industry and she becomes a marketing leader in the space.
As I reflect on my time at Anderson thus far, I can say that my experience has truly been enriched by being a Consortium fellow. From getting an opportunity to network with top employers during the annual Orientation Program (known as OP) to making life-long friendships with my Anderson-Consortium family, here is why my experience as a consortium fellow at Anderson has been so rewarding:
The Consortium Orientation Program
In early June of last year, I attended OP, an event for all the new fellows to meet and network with alums and corporate partners. OP took place in Aurora, Colorado, and for five days, we got to attend career development workshops and connect with top employers and consortium fellows from other business schools. At OP, I connected with recruiters from companies such as Amazon, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. From my connection with Microsoft at OP, I was able to secure an interview for a product marketing MBA internship which I later received an offer for in the fall. Although I ultimately did not accept the offer, OP allowed me to start practicing my 30-second pitch and getting comfortable speaking to employers. However, the most fun part of OP was meeting my Anderson-Consortium classmates and building friendships before school started. We all hung out in the evenings, either in the lazy river, hot tubs, or the sports bar in the hotel we were staying in. In those five days, we all bonded and formed our Anderson-Consortium family.
Anderson-Consortium Family
A lot is going on during your first year, from classes to applying to summer internships and preparing for interviews. It can sometimes feel overwhelming but having a community you can rely and lean on makes all the difference. For me, that community is my Anderson-Consortium family! During the summer quarter, when we were taking accounting, we had study sessions led by one of our friends with a background in accounting. Those study sessions were super helpful as we went over practice exams and problems which helped all of us who had not taken accounting before. As we were searching for summer internships, we would also share internship opportunities and help each other by reviewing resumes and conducting mock interviews.
Aside from supporting one another in our classwork and recruiting, we also make sure to have fun! We have group dinners, gone bowling, tailgated for the UCLA vs. USC football game, gathered for holiday potlucks, and come together to celebrate each other’s successes. I am super grateful for my Anderson-Consortium family; my Anderson experience would not be the same without them.
Suppose you are applying to business school and have demonstrated a commitment to the Consortium’s mission through community activism, professional involvement, and/or life experience. In that case, I highly recommend you apply for the Consortium Fellowship. Not only will you get financial support to cover tuition and access to top employers, but you will also meet incredible people who will become an extension of your family.
Student Blogger: Jessica Naves ‘24
Undergrad: UCLA (’16) – B.A. Sociology
Pre-MBA: Marketing Manager, Wicked Bionic (Marketing & Advertising Agency)
Leadership@Anderson: Director EDI, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Corporate Relations, Entertainment Management Association; Director of Admissions, Alliance for Latinx Management