Antara Mishra
Class of 2024
Hometown: Kolkata, India
Undergraduate University: KIIT University
Class Year: 2019
Major/Minor: Electronics and Electrical Engineering
Employer: Deloitte
Position: Consultant
What prompted you to return to school and earn an MBA degree?
After I had completed my undergraduate studies in engineering, I started in the corporate world as a business analyst and quickly progressed to a consulting role. Despite my success, I wanted to deepen my knowledge and understand how the business world works. I possessed the practical experience but needed to complement it with an academic foundation. I knew an MBA degree would be perfect to help me pursue my dream and career.
Why did you choose William & Mary?
I knew the personalities, backgrounds, and intelligence of William & Mary students and alumni would inspire me to dream big and strive for excellence. William & Mary is a remarkable institution with students from across the world, offering experience from the U.S. and the opportunity to gain knowledge from international perspectives. Since W&M is the second oldest university in America, it possesses an extensive alumni network with prominent figures. I was drawn to W&M's experiential learning, real-life projects, and the Executive Partners Program, and I also had an incredible interview experience with Amanda Barth in the admissions office. I was super nervous initially, but she put me at ease by making it a friendly conversation, which made me forget that I was even in an interview! She patiently answered my questions and helped me see all the fantastic aspects of William & Mary and the MBA program.
What are some highlights from your time in the MBA program?
I loved the networking aspect of the program, where W&M hosted multiple events to network with professionals and other students. One standout was casino nights, where we learned how to play gambling games using fake money. Another highlight was 'Mason's Got Talent,' which allowed students to showcase their talents. I also enjoyed the formal events, where everyone dressed nicely and enjoyed drinks and dancing. I already find myself missing these fun and memorable times.
How have you applied what you learned in the program to your internship?
During my summer internship with PPG in Pittsburgh, I applied the knowledge and skills I learned from the program to create a forecasting tool for the business unit, training materials, and Business Intelligence tools to create reports and dashboards. My MBA professors helped me develop incredible public speaking and presentation skills, which transferred well to my internship. It allowed me to confidently deliver my findings on the three projects I worked on for the company's C-suite members. They were so impressed with my presentation and approach to problems that they offered me a full-time position.
What value did the MBA degree have on your professional growth?
The MBA program has helped me develop team building, communication, presentation, and leadership skills, all of which will help me professionally and personally. The program's structure incorporated extensive teamwork and real-life business scenarios. The experiential learning and practical experience with real-world projects helped me understand how to work in teams when dealing with demanding clients. The Executive Partners Program was an exceptional way to connect with C-suite executives from various domains, providing valuable insights based on their experience and approaches to handling difficult situations. Getting my MBA degree has helped me develop new perspectives, and I now feel prepared to handle any difficult situation or problem that comes my way.
