MBA at Graziadio School of Business: Student Profile

TopMBA.com talks to Zhenhua Yu about his decision to do an MBA at the Graziadio School of Business and his experiences there as an international student. 

1. Why did you choose the Graziadio School?

I received admission offers from several business schools, including Cambridge and Pepperdine. I spent a lot of time researching the pros and cons of each school.  My final decision was to join Pepperdine.

Although not as well-known in China comparing to other internationally ranked business schools, some distinctive characteristics make the Graziadio School unique.  The school has one of the most beautiful campuses in the states.  The campus is close to Los Angeles where we can easily develop an effective career network with local companies. The small class size that averages 22 per class really motivates teamwork and interaction.   

2. What were you doing before your MBA?

I graduated from Tsinghua University with a major in Electrical Engineering.  I co founded a software company in Beijing, which is still running successfully.  I held the VP Operation position in Chineseall Corporation and was also the cofounder of V2 technology Inc.       

3. Did you apply for any scholarship/graduate assistantship? Were you successful?

Yes, I was awarded a partial scholarship.  I have also been working as a graduate assistant for faculty.

4. If you are an international student, what are the benefits of studying outside your home country?

The great thing studying abroad is to learn how to deal with different cultures. At Pepperdine, we have 35% international students.  Most of my project members are international students from Asia, Europe or Latin America.  Coming from China, it's been very exciting participating and experiencing totally different working and social environment.  It definitely gave me very fresh and unique perspective than when I was in China.

It is not always easy to work with others in a new environment.  I have learned to enjoy and embrace the challenges and the interaction with my multi cultural friends. In my perspective, study abroad could provide life long opportunities and benefits.

5. What are the professional and extracurricular activities that you participated in outside the classroom?

There are more than eight students held interest groups at the Graziadio School, including finance, entrepreneurship, entertainment, global business, marketing, real estate, etc. I am a member of the Entrepreneurship Club and the Graziadio Marketing Association.

Other extracurricular activities I participated include weekly guest speaker series, business plan competition, Charity for Challenge annual event at Stanford University. I will be participating in the mentorship program during my final term this fall.  My mentor is a local entrepreneur in IT industry.

There are many professional activities that are useful for personal development and networking, such as industry panels, alumni panels, networking receptions, study abroad tours...  Of course, my friends and I also take time to enjoy life outside the campus by visiting local ethic restaurants, having parties and BBQs, and travel during the school break.

6. Please briefly describe some of the projects you completed at the Graziadio School?

Wal-Mart RFID Technology Strategy Analysis: Our team members came from France, Korea, US and China. The project included a paper and two in class presentations. The paper analyzed Wal-Mart's IT strategy with the focus of RFID technology effects. Two presentations included a presentation competition with another technology research team.

Time Warner Cable Marketing Plan: Three managers and one VP from Timer Warner Cable Corporation were the member of the evaluation board. The company provided support for our research. Based on current marketing situation, our team made a proposal on TWC's market strategy as well as an implementation plan.

Organization Analysis: I selected my own company as the research project. The report analyzed the corporation organization and applied organizational behavior theories to identify existing and potential problems.  I also composed an analysis using environment factors such as market, financing, political, global economy to position similar companies in the industry. By doing the above analysis, I was able to compare real management practice and industry position to design and implement the best management style for my company.

7. How has your Pepperdine MBA helped your career?

There have been many career related events and activities since the beginning of the term.  Staff at the Career Resources office and some of my classes also provided specific skills training.

Pepperdine has a big alumni pool in Southern California and alumni connection in every major city in the world. It is essential to establish the relationship with alumni.  Skills and training I acquired from some of the classes will be very useful for my future career, such as IT analysis, marketing, presentation training.

The Career Resources office also organizes events, such as industry panels and career consortium, to help students establishing networking relationship with local companies, which often lead to internship and job opportunities.

8. Is there anything that you consider to be a "beyond expectation" experience, while you were at the Graziadio School?

The small classes are really effective for personal development, such as Organization Behavior and Presentation.  Those classes provide lost of opportunities to participate.

Also, I was very satisfied with the friendly school community.  The faculty and students are very helpful to give constructive feedback and assistance when needed.  The friendly people and environment make my intensive school life much more enjoyable.