Wharton Stories

Crayon Politics: Simplifying Complex Policy for Young Voters

Third-year Chuby Madu, along with fellow Wharton students, launched Crayon Politics, a student-run platform dedicated to providing Gen Z with easy-to-understand data to be more informed voters.

What specific experience motivated you to start Crayon Politics?

I started competing in congressional debates in middle school. While competing, one thing I often noticed from researching current events was that social welfare cases that were highly desired by the public were often still shot down in Congress. So, in a way, I have always been aware of a disconnect between politicians’ policy and what constituents want.

Where did the name come from?

The name Crayon Politics stemmed from our site’s goal of portraying political information in a simple, digestible way. When thinking about simplicity, my mind went to elementary school. From there, I started thinking about the different elements of elementary school until I started thinking about crayons. Crayons worked perfectly because they symbolized simplicity while also being multicolored. Politics isn’t just red and blue.

Why did you decide to initially focus on the Israel-Hamas war, climate change, and reproductive rights?

In politics, there are millions of issues. Since the goal of the site is to make politics more digestible, we aimed to unpack three key issues that voters care about. We went about this by interviewing over 200 Penn students on what key issues they thought mattered the most this election and showcased the results on our site.

We plan to expand the scope by continuously changing the topics showcased on the site based on data from our users on what they believe are the biggest issues in our current political climate. We also have a newsletter that will unpack current events and topics across all topics.

How do you avoid oversimplifying complex topics and misinformation?

The goal of our site isn’t to be the final destination for acquiring political information but rather the first step in the right direction. To engage most people in taking that first step, our information has to be simple and digestible. Our goal is to teach people to become data- and fact-driven voters rather than defaulting to their voting biases (for example, race, gender, political affiliation). To assist voters to be more research-driven, we link out debates and governmental resources towards the bottom of our website that users can explore.

We limit bias and misinformation by focusing on candidates’ past actions and current stances through direct quotes. Data that is shown on our site is confirmed information of what a candidate has either said and/or voted on for a particular issue.

How has your time at Penn contributed to your ability to create a product like this?

My time at Penn has opened my eyes to the power I have as an individual. I’ve taken a couple of entrepreneurship courses like Social Entrepreneurship that emphasizes creating with social benefit. That culture and drive to innovate while assisting people is what I brought to this. By going to Penn and taking entrepreneurship courses, exploring Venture Lab, and meeting entrepreneurially minded people, I’ve learned that startups/businesses have the power to make a difference in critical issues.

What are your long-term goals for Crayon Politics?

Our long-term goal is to push people to become more informed voters. By having more informed voters that leads to more informed voting decisions which ultimately puts better people in positions of power, creating better policy. We think young people especially have the power to lead this change, so we are focusing on Gen Z voters.

As we expand, we want to include more Penn writers and students interested in politics. We are considering expanding it as a club where students can volunteer. We’re hoping to onboard writers from other schools by recruiting them from their school newspapers.

—Alex Zhou, W’25, C’25

Posted: October 31, 2024

Wharton Stories

A Conversation on Mental Health during your MBA

“We work on clarifying core values, realigning with our strengths, and reconnecting with why students originally applied to Wharton. Ultimately, this helps students build confidence around individual recruiting plans.” – Maria Halpern, W’03

As students prepare for the anticipated rigor of the Wharton MBA program, one aspect often overlooked is the profound impact mental health can have on career outcomes—especially during the high-stakes recruitment process. We sat down with Maria Halpern W’03, Well-being Coach from Wharton’s Office of MBA Career Management, to discuss the intersection of well-being and career success. With a unique perspective as a Wharton alum, Maria sheds light on how stress, anxiety, and burnout can affect even the most promising job searches, and how prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical health can empower students to make meaningful career transitions.

Maria Halpern, W’03, Well-Being Coach in the Office of MBA Career Management (Image: Maria Halpern)

MBA Admissions: Can you tell me how you came into your role as a Well-being Coach, and what your goals have been since joining the MBA Career Management team?

Maria Halpern: The importance of well-being is something that is very personal to my own professional journey. When I was a Wharton student (many years ago!), my dream was to be a marketing executive. After graduating, I landed a great job at American Express and was ultimately promoted to Chief of Staff supporting the Head of Global Advertising and Brand Management. I was the epitome of a “successful” Wharton graduate and on the path towards my dream job, but the reality was I didn’t have the tools to help me manage stress and anxiety and I developed many unhealthy coping habits. I also have an autoimmune condition that is triggered by stress, so I was frequently getting sick and began reflecting on whether the corporate environment was the right fit for me. I realized how much I enjoyed helping others thrive in their careers, and that led me to become a career advisor at Wharton and for companies like Shift.org and IDEO where I was also supporting high-impact career transitions. While these roles were rewarding and I had left the corporate world, I was still struggling with anxiety and putting so much pressure on myself to be “perfect” that it took a serious physical toll. That’s when I decided to get educated on how our mental, emotional, and physical health is interconnected, so I became a health & wellness coach, certified through the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching. I was thrilled when Wharton’s MBA Career Management team hired me back as the team’s dedicated well-being coach because as a former career advisor (and student), I knew how valuable this new resource could be. My primary goal is to help students see their well-being as a key aspect of the recruiting process and provide them with the support and tools they need to focus on their mind, body, and authentic self.

MBA Admissions: How do you work with MBA students? What kind of issues can students discuss with you?

Maria: Students can sign up for well-being coaching the same way they sign up for a career advising appointment. These sessions cover a wide range of issues and students will often book several sessions to build some accountability towards the goals we set. Some students schedule time to discuss developing healthy habits around nutrition, movement, and sleep. Others want to think through strategies for managing stress and anxiety or prioritizing time across academics, community-building, and recruiting. Staying motivated, combatting imposter syndrome, and being true to your own sense of self throughout the recruiting process are also common topics.

MBA Admissions: What unique mental health challenges do students struggle with during networking and job recruiting?

Maria: We often liken the recruiting process to an endurance sport because it requires resilience, stamina, and a growth mindset. Students dedicate a lot of time to drafting resumes, networking, applying to jobs, and interviewing and in each of these stages, there will inevitably be some setbacks. Whether it’s not getting selected to interview, not hearing back from an alum you were hoping to connect with, or ultimately not getting an offer from a company you had your heart set on, those feelings can be hard to navigate. There are also marketplace challenges that are out of the student’s control, so it ultimately comes down to understanding what we can control… which is our mindset and the story we tell ourselves. We use research-backed positive psychology exercises and practices to help build resilience and motivation. Recruiting can also feel overwhelming if students are unsure of what direction they want to take or if students feel pressured to pursue a path because they see others doing it (we call this the “herd mentality”). When students pursue opportunities that are not aligned with their own interests, strengths, and values, they experience more stress and may end up in roles that are ultimately not right for them. This is another way well-being coaching can be helpful. We work on clarifying core values, realigning with our strengths, and reconnecting with why students originally applied to Wharton. Ultimately, this helps students build confidence around individual recruiting plans.

MBA Admissions: How can students maintain their mental health as they transition from 2 years in an academic environment back to their career?

Maria: The post-MBA career path is often associated with things like performance reviews and promotions, which places a lot of emphasis on outcomes and results. While I’m all for achieving career goals, when we focus too much on outcomes, we tend to get caught up in worrying about the future or ruminating about the past (i.e. Will I ever make it to the next level? Why didn’t I perform better in that meeting?) and we lose sight of the process itself, which is where all the learning and enjoyment tends to live. So, I’d encourage students to build consistency around a ritual that provides an opportunity to get back to the present and connect with themselves, or with a trusted person or community. Perhaps it’s a standing FaceTime call with a long-distance friend from childhood, or a simple meditation or journaling practice. Ideally, this is something that also helps connect you to the larger whole of life. For me, running in fresh air helps me feel more connected with the world around me and the intense physical activity forces me to stay grounded in the moment!

 

Posted: October 28, 2024

Wharton Stories

Write Your Own Story: How the Moelis Advance Access Program Unlocks Opportunity for Students

The Moelis program “gives someone who thought they had to check a box for their business-school application a different opportunity,” says Ken Moelis W80 WG81.

Patricia Tang WG26’s admission to Wharton’s Moelis Advance Access Program changed her career trajectory. Tang, who began her MBA this fall, had planned to follow a traditional path to business school after graduating from Northwestern University: She would spend a few years as a consultant before pursuing her graduate education. But the program, which enables students to defer admission to Wharton’s full-time MBA program while they work for two to four years after college, “motivated me to think about different paths and what I truly wanted to do,” she says.

The Moelis program, which selected its first class in 2018, was established with philanthropic support from Ken Moelis W80 WG81 and Julie Taffet Moelis W81 to offer students a sense of professional license early in their careers. “It gives someone who thought they had to check a box for their business-school application a different opportunity,” Ken Moelis explains. In a sign of quick growth for the program, Tang and other Moelis Fellows — as students in the program are known — make up about one-tenth of the School’s newest full-time MBA class. “Part of the appeal is the assurance that you can do the things you care about. For some, it’s an opportunity to gamble, because they know they have their Wharton acceptance,” says program director Jake Kohler.

Tang’s self-reflection following her admission to the program ultimately led her to transition from a role in consulting to a post at online clothing reseller ThredUp, whose social mission fit with her own ambitions. “I was starting to think about how I could pursue a more impact-focused career in parallel with the fact that I had the MBA in my back pocket,” Tang explains. “The MBA was the push I needed to pursue my passion for sustainability.” Her product-management job at ThredUp also provided foundational on-the-ground experience at an up-and-coming organization, which affirmed for her that she wanted to fund rising businesses herself someday. Now while at Wharton, Tang is also an investor at Virta Ventures, a venture capital firm founded by Russell Sprole WG11 that backs companies working on climate-technology solutions.

Read the full story at Wharton Magazine.

— Braden Kelner

Posted:

Wharton Stories

Customizing My Wharton MBA: From Innovation to Inclusion

Image: Courtesy of Pexels
“Add on a major that terrifies you (quantitative finance, anyone?) Get to know your professors and the amazing work that has brought them to the University of Pennsylvania. And most importantly: go beyond the Wharton bubble and get involved in the greater Philadelphia community that boasts a rich history and dynamic population.” — Chelsea Perry, WG’24

One of the unique features of being an MBA student at Wharton is the opportunity to specialize and choose one or more concentrations (majors) in academic coursework. When applying to Wharton, I elected to study Entrepreneurship & Innovation if admitted. Prior to Wharton, I was a product development manager at CVS Health where I led efforts to disrupt the progression and treatment of chronic kidney disease impacting millions of underserved communities. Though I had laid the foundation for an incredible career, I was aware of technology’s unrelenting influence on disrupting and reforming the healthcare industry and knew I needed to evolve my skillset and business acumen as rapidly as healthcare delivery was changing before my eyes.

As a first-year student at Wharton, my company interests ranged from digital health startups such as TruePill and Cityblock Health to large tech companies with healthcare subsidiaries such as Amazon Health Services or Google Health. Choosing the Entrepreneurship & Innovation major seemed like a natural fit because it would allow me to develop acumen in technical and strategic functions such as financial modeling, decision-making analytics, and growth marketing to identify megatrends and opportunities in the burgeoning post-COVID digital health landscape. For these reasons, I was eager to explore Wharton’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation in and out of the classroom. Courses offered in the Entrepreneurship & Innovation major such as New Product Development and Healthcare Entrepreneurship, would equip me with the analytical tools and field project exposure to pitch product ideas in addition to gaining access to Wharton’s global entrepreneurship network. Little did I know that I would pick up an additional major in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in my second year at Wharton.

Discovering My Favorite Courses: A Deep Dive into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

During my third semester at Wharton, I took a slight detour from my Entrepreneurship and Innovation coursework to study a topic I was deeply passionate about: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This was the first year the DEI major was being offered and I was keen to explore topics such as workplace discrimination, gender equality, and the historical economic exclusion and its consequences for marginalized ethnic groups in the United States. Having experienced the impact of structural discrimination and racism on the healthcare system in America, I looked forward to learning more broadly about the relationship between corporate firms’ performance and their purported endeavors to dismantle such injustices in a post-George Floyd society. Taught by Dr. Corinne Low, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy, Economics of Diversity & Discrimination was the litmus test and class that ultimately led me to pursue DEI as a double major.

Another popular course and major requirement for DEI majors at Wharton is Reforming Mass Incarceration and the Role of Business. This class is the brainchild of Dr. Damon Phillips, a leading researcher and social justice expert acclaimed for his former leadership of Columbia University’s Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and current leadership of Wharton’s Coalition for Equity and Opportunity. His unique course offering introduces future leaders to mass incarceration in the U.S., its effect on employment and entrepreneurship prospects for formerly incarcerated people, and how the business community can contribute to the success of those impacted by the criminal justice system. One highlight of the course is the “Re-entry Simulation”: a virtual simulation that places MBA students in the shoes of someone who was just released from prison. Students experience how frustrating and near impossible it is for formerly incarcerated people to get on their feet post-release. Simple tasks, such as obtaining an ID card, visiting a parole officer, navigating public transportation, and adapting to new technology—all while managing on a limited budget—highlight the minimal structural support available to those reentering society after serving time. Many students who take this class and simulation end up enrolling in a follow-up experiential course wherein student volunteers serve as professional mentors and teach inside SCI Chester, a medium-security, all-male correctional facility in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Erin Guder, WG’24, Simone Hinson, WG’24 & Joshua Blatt, WG’24 after teaching a class on entrepreneurship and innovation at SCI Chester. Photo: Chelsea Perry

Seeing my friends and classmates become instructors actively engaged in lifechanging prison education inspired me to get more involved. I enrolled in the experiential course and joined the recruitment, education, and marketing team, helping coordinate efforts to expose more Wharton students and members of the Penn community to Professor Phillips’ incredible work. One of my favorite memories as a DEI major was visiting SCI Chester and observing a student-led course on tech entrepreneurship and innovation. Walking through the facility and learning from the brilliant course participants left a profound impact on me. In April 2024, I was also able to volunteer at the Business Case for Second Chance Employment Conference hosted by the Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity. Co-sponsored by JP Morgan Chase and the Eaton Corporation, the conference brings together business leaders, academics, administrators, state leaders, and justice-impacted communities for discussions on creating pathways to sustainable employment for individuals who are formerly incarcerated.

Guest speakers at The Business Case for Second Chance Employment Conference hosted by the Wharton Coalition for Equity and Opportunity. Photo: Chelsea Perry

Overall, graduating Wharton as a dual major in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and DEI was a transformative experience that I will look upon fondly for years to come. As a Wharton student, I was fortunate enough to be put in positions to shed light on the privilege it is to be a student at this illustrious institution. My advice for current and future students: don’t take it for granted. Add on a major that terrifies you (quantitative finance, anyone?) Get to know your professors and the amazing work that has brought them to the University of Pennsylvania. And most importantly: go beyond the Wharton bubble and get involved in the greater Philadelphia community that boasts a rich history and dynamic population. Don’t squander an opportunity to leave this place better than you found it and unlock new interests and passions along the way.

Chelsea Perry, WG’24

 

Posted: September 20, 2024

Wharton Stories

Making Moves

Image: Courtesy of Sami Goel
Sami Goel, W’25, balances her love for dance with her interest in business.

Wharton students may wear a lot of hats, but for Samica Goel, “musician” was never one of those.

“My mom put me in piano when I was four years old but I hated it. I was a really energetic kid and I wanted to move around. I was really hyper,” said the Old Bridge, New Jersey native.

However, when watching “Shake It Up” on the Disney Channel, four-year-old Sami found a way to channel her energy into dance. She started with ballet and “hated it so much” that she quit for two years, until she met a street dancer from California who introduced her to hip-hop at his dance studio.

She ended up enjoying the energy of hip-hop and joined a dance company in high school, training for hours in all dance styles. After years of dancing at the competitive studio, her agent had an urgent request for any available dancers. Joe Jonas was performing with DNCE at the Red Bull Arena, and eight dancers were sick.

She and three of her friends performed on stage with Joe Jonas and DNCE in her junior year of high school. She had to be flexible: “I auditioned and learned all the dances on Friday and then performed Saturday.”

Changing Focus

Image: Courtesy of Sami Goel

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sami choreographed eight- and nine-year-olds’ dance recitals since teachers were unable to come to the studio, but her own dance career was interrupted at a crucial time since dance tryouts were paused. This sparked introspection over the role she wanted dance to play in her future, and Sami refocused on her passion for  academics.

“I knew I wanted to dance in college, but I didn’t want to major in dance,” she said.

During the pandemic, she worked with a local congressman’s campaign-finance team and interacted with businesses of all sizes. As a choreographer, she found a natural link between business and the arts. “I think the one thing that stuck between dance and business was that I like building things from the ground up.”

Between both fields, Sami found herself drawn to the self-reliant nature of entrepreneurship: that everything “was a result of her own actions” and she could see tangible results from her dedication.

In her first days at Penn, Sami met the captain of Penn Masti, a South Asian co-ed Bollywood fusion dance team, who also happened to be her Wharton 1010 teaching assistant. She immediately felt the desire to follow in her footsteps and was happy that Penn had a vibrant performing arts scene.

After going to one of Penn Masti’s recruitment events, Sami says she fell in love with the team and its representation.

“I grew up in a community that wasn’t really diverse, and when I went to the event, it felt really nice,” the fourth-year said. “They were all talking about Bollywood movies and speaking in Hindi, and I was like: ‘Wow, I actually never grew up with people like this.’”

Not only was the club an opportunity to get closer to her cultural heritage, but it was also a chance for her to gain exposure to a wide network of friends and mentors.

“I loved the people I auditioned with, and they actually helped me get involved with a lot of the other organizations  on campus.”

Image: Courtesy of Sami Goel

Sami became the club’s assistant choreographer. The team went to Nationals, and she was elected as the artistic captain, which means developing the choreography, music, and set design for the team. She credits her unique background and willingness to step outside her comfort zone as a choreographic asset: coming from a hip-hop background, she had ideas that wouldn’t have been traditionally explored from a Bollywood/Indian dance background.

Making a Tangible Impact

Last summer, Sami interned at a private alternative investment firm and loved that the company was smaller and woman-run – a creative and representative vision that she wanted to be a part of. She’ll return to the New York-based company after graduation, and she sees herself eventually pursuing a law degree or MBA and working with startups. As a choreographer, she drives the vision for a dance, and as a businessperson, she sees herself driving the vision of a company.

Like her time at Penn, Sami sees her future as an intersection between the arts and business. Last summer, she was still able to choreograph and teach at her old dance studio during her internship. When she graduates, Sami hopes to join a dance company that provides performance opportunities for people working full-time.

For now, she’ll do her final year with Penn Masti and third one as their artistic captain—choreographing the annual South Asian Society show, preparing and rehearsing for campus performances, and traveling around the country for competitions—all while balancing being a Wharton student.

—Alex Zhou, W’25, C’25

Posted: September 19, 2024

Wharton Stories

New Wharton Academy Welcomes Undergrads from Around the World

Image: Wharton finance Professor Michael Roberts lectures the Academy. (Melissa Kelly Photography)
“Not only did I get to dip my toes into the world of high finance, but I also gained a community of individuals who provided me with new perspectives,” – Veronica Rubio, Wharton Academy student

This summer, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania took an important step toward the future of business education with the launch of Wharton Academy.

The two-week residential Academy, during which students live on Wharton’s Philadelphia campus, serves an education niche for visiting undergraduate students and recent graduates from various backgrounds and majors, notes Serguei Netessine, Wharton’s senior vice dean for innovation and global initiatives and the Dhirubhai Ambani professor of entrepreneurship and innovation.

“Wharton Academy is for students who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and are looking for ways to experience the best business school in the world, or maybe they have already graduated and are hoping to upskill or reskill,” says Netessine, who led the creation of Academy with Eli Lesser, Wharton’s senior executive director of innovation and global initiatives.

It is a new way to learn in person at the Wharton School, adds Lesser, noting that students earn a Wharton certificate of completion with a digital version. “The opportunity to combine an existing undergraduate degree with skill-based credentials from Wharton will give these young people a chance not only to differentiate themselves in a competitive career marketplace but also to acquire skills and knowledge that will equip them to be today’s business leaders,” he says.

Lesser emphasizes the Academy goal of making Wharton content and learning accessible to a wider range of students, beyond those admitted to the Wharton School: “The mission of Wharton Academy is guided by Dean Erika James’s Wharton Way strategic plan to deliver a Wharton business education to more people as a way of driving greater influence and progress in the world.”

Summer 2024 Finance Program

Wharton Academy piloted its first two-week program, Fundamentals of Corporate Finance and Valuation, from June 10 to June 21, 2024. Led by Wharton finance professor Michael Roberts, the initial cohort of 25 students explored the core concepts of finance, including company financial statement analysis, inflation, interest rates and business decision-making, financial modeling, capital structure, company valuation, private equity and mergers and acquisitions. A second cohort of nearly 40 students attended the Wharton Academy from July 9 to July 19.

Wharton Academy students engage with active learning during a classroom discussion. (Image: Melissa Kelly Photography)

During the finance program, case studies and real-world examples help to put lecture theory into practice, culminating in a capstone group project assessing the accuracy of company valuations. The approach models the framework of a Wharton class, incorporating case studies, tools, and the application of those tools. The program also features workshops, panel discussions with industry experts, and ongoing group activities.

“The Wharton Academy students are getting something unique and, I believe, very valuable,” observes Roberts, who designed the curriculum that delivers key finance fundamentals. “They are getting a two-week executive education program that distills many of the essentials of two Wharton courses: Core Finance and Corporate Valuation. The material and delivery are such that students can leave the program not only with new knowledge and skills, but also with increased confidence because they have applied the knowledge and skills to practical applications and case studies throughout their experience.”

How Wharton Academy is Growing New Community Roots

Roberts felt a “real sense of community” among the first summer 2024 classes of Wharton Academy students, whom he describes as “intelligent and engaged.” The cohorts, which were recruited from Wharton partner institutions and programs, represented 11 countries and 20 higher-ed institutions.

Many of Wharton Academies’ inaugural students have since praised their two weeks of immersive learning as “exceptional,” broadcasting their Wharton campus highlights on social media and displaying their digital certificates. Their reflections have confirmed a core Wharton Academy value: a significant part of the learning – in addition to the academics — comes from the people you are with and the relationships you cultivate. “Not only did I get to dip my toes into the world of high finance, but I also gained a community of individuals who provided me with new perspectives,” said Veronica Rubio, a student at the University of Miami, on LinkedIn.

Image: Melissa Kelly Photography

Anika Rao Thakkar, 19 and a sophomore at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, enrolled in the first Wharton Academy class. She was eager to spend at least part of her summer getting hands-on experience in finance, ideally in a smaller-group learning environment.

“I have only had introductory finance courses at Cornell and thought it would be helpful to go more in-depth into financial topics,” says Thakkar. “The content was both challenging and engaging. Professor Roberts was able to dissect the harder financial topics and make them very accessible and digestible for all of us.” Among her favorite lessons was a mergers and acquisitions case study involving luxury goods companies LVMH and Tiffany, her first exposure to the world of M&A.

“It was really nice to be on a different campus and to immerse myself in the material,” adds Thakkar. “I still talk to many of the students from Wharton Academy; we became close living on campus together. It was cool to meet people from different universities and to hear about their experiences and their processes recruiting for internships. I learned so much from them and feel like I have developed a network for life.”

For the Love of Learning

Wharton Academy is meeting a market need for in-person, skills-based training, suggests Lena Elguindi, director of partnership programs for Wharton Academy.

“The more we can expose students to different learning styles and content, the more competitive they’ll be in the job market,” she says, adding that she believes this summer’s students began to think differently about higher education. “Whether you’re already studying finance or majoring in English, you can explore finance concepts in a new way. There are no grades or quizzes. You are learning for the love of learning. Many of our students expressed that this was a refreshing approach to higher education.” 

An Academy student looks on during an in-class group discussion. (Image: Melissa Kelly Photography)

Elguindi and her team are working to expand Wharton Academy beyond the initial finance focus, with plans to offer one-week programs in January 2025 while undergrads are on winter break. Those programs include AI for Business and Society with Wharton’s Sonny Tambe, an associate professor of operations, information and decisions, and Personal Finance and Valuation with Michael Roberts. The application process for January classes launched on September 5, 2024 and runs through November 15. Applicants can submit by the October 15 priority deadline to hear back sooner on November 1.

In addition to the signature finance course, the roster of summer programs, beginning in early June 2025, will include a social entrepreneurship class taught by Tyler Wry, a Wharton associate professor of management. Summer Academy applications open on November 1.

“While the team anticipates strong demand, the program is not eyeing expansion simply for the big numbers,” cautions Elguindi. “We want to carefully manage the growth of Wharton Academy to ensure the quality and tone of the programs align with Wharton’s values,” she notes. “This is an important program to show that Wharton can be for everyone in a variety of ways. We are one impactful stop on the journey of a lifelong learner.”

Send questions to the Wharton Academy team at AcademyPrograms@wharton.upenn.edu

– Diana Drake

Posted: September 10, 2024

Wharton Stories

Studying Finance in Dubai

Fatima Figueroa discusses her experiences on the winter break Global Modular Course: Finance in the UAE.

What motivated you to take this course?

During my time at Penn, my interests in emerging markets, capital structures, and ESG have grown significantly. This curiosity expanded during my semester abroad in Singapore, where I was exposed to the dynamic business environment of Southeast Asia. Seeking to deepen my understanding further, especially in my final year, I was drawn to the Finance in the UAE GMC as it provided an excellent opportunity to explore a rapidly growing region. I was particularly interested in understanding the pivotal role the UAE plays in both the regional and global economy, its efforts to diversify beyond oil, and its new-age strategies being implemented in the region.

Image: Fatima Figueroa

How did the course enhance your learning?

Instead of learning concepts theoretically, we had the chance to apply them in real-world scenarios under specific cases. For instance, discussions about the implications of free zones in Dubai felt more tangible when we were actually sitting in one. Working on finance projects in the UAE provided hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of financial markets in the region. Being taught by Professor Kevin Kaiser, whose expertise is unmatched, provided valuable insights that went beyond textbook knowledge. This immersive experience not only deepened my understanding but also challenged me to question and formulate my own educated opinion about what we were hearing and seeing.

Could you share a memorable experience?

One memorable experience was speaking to alumni at the Abu Dhabi Louvre. Whenever anyone reflects on their time at Wharton, they often say that the best experience is the people they meet and I definitely agree. We have such a great alumni pool, and while on the GMC, we connected with local alumni in the area, many of whom are prominent figures in their industries. Hearing about their experiences and career trajectories was incredibly inspiring. It was fascinating to learn about how they navigate the complexities of less mature financial markets or how they decided to innovate and become entrepreneurs. This experience not only broadened my professional network but also gave me insights into alternative paths available.

What was surprising or unusual about the experience?

One of the most unusual aspects of the experience was the opportunity to connect with MBA students during the course. As an undergraduate student, I don’t typically have these interactions, but they turned out to be incredibly rewarding. Simply spending time with them on the bus between sight visits or over lunch allowed me to learn from their experiences, and they even helped me decide between two job offers.

Did this experience influence your perspective on global business practices?

Through visits to local businesses and interactions with industry leaders, I gained a deeper understanding of how cultural factors might influence business practices in the region. For example, the emphasis on hospitality and relationship-building in UAE business culture was evident in our every interaction. Additionally, discussions on social issues such as gender equality and immigration caused by different conflicts in the region shed light on the challenges and opportunities they are facing. Yet, witnessing the efforts being made to address these issues also highlighted the interconnectedness of business and social responsibility.

How might you use the knowledge gained from this course?

In the age of globalization, it’s crucial to understand the interconnectedness of our world. This course deeply enhanced my understanding in both technical and soft terms. I learned about emerging economies like the UAE and how they seize opportunities, attract talent, and differentiate themselves while also maintaining partnerships. Learning how they used their culture and history to implement solutions, which can be applied as case studies in other emerging markets, such as Latin America, was invaluable. These insights will be invaluable as I pursue my academic and professional goals, bridging my background in BEPP with the world of finance.

What advice would you give to students interested in GMCs?

These courses offer a unique chance to gain practical experience and build invaluable connections. Reach out to students who have taken the course for advice and definitely plan to stay a day or two before or after the course to explore the region further, as it offers a deeper cultural understanding and networking opportunities.

—Sara Hoover

Posted: September 3, 2024

Wharton Stories

Penn Masala’s Olympic Performance

Image: The Penn Masala a capella group sang in two performances in the India House location at the Olympic Games in Paris. (Courtesy of Penn Masala)
“It was just unreal. You put all your time into making a mix, and then you put it on Spotify, and you go to Paris.” – Ajay Kilambi, W’25

Penn was represented at the Olympic Games in Paris by singers as well as athletes.

The South Asian a capella student group Penn Masala performed two shows at the India House in the Olympic Village. The 13 group members flew in from all over the world, some arriving with suitcases in hand just in time to perform and leaving right after appearing on stage to get back to their internships and jobs.

Hundreds of poeple attended the Penn Masala performances, including several Penn alumni. (Image: Courtesy of Penn Masala)

“We have a fusion of both Hindi Indian music and very popular American English songs; they’re mashed up together,” says fourth-year Ajay Kilambi, who is president of Penn Masala. “It was just unreal. You put all your time into making a mix, and then you put it on Spotify, and you go to Paris. Then people know your mix, and they’re singing along to it, standing up and dancing. The energy was crazy. It was a very, very lively event.”

Kilambi, who is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a finance major in the Wharton School and is pursuing an accelerated master’s degree in bioengineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science. “It is just an incredible experience, and you’re doing it with your best friends,” he says.

One of several countries that had locations in the Olympic Village, the India House featured a variety of performers and traditional Indian food during the Games.

Read more at Penn Today.

Posted: August 26, 2024

Wharton Stories

At Wharton, Penn, Move-In Coordinators Ease Transitions

Image: Move-In Coordinator Liam Burke, W'27. (Eric Sucar)
“The people on campus are really very friendly. There are a lot of new people and new experiences in the city, so I think that’s really great to be involved with.” – Liam Burke, W’27

Penn’s Move-In Coordinator (MIC) Program is here to help put incoming students at ease. Operated out of Residential & Hospitality Services, the program is staffed by 49 second-year, third-year, and fourth-year students—veterans of the University’s Move-In process—who assist the 6,000 or so new and returning Quakers with getting their PennCards, checking into their College Houses, and answering questions to expedite the endeavor.

The coordinators come to campus a week early to prepare for Move-In. This year, they arrived on Monday, Aug. 12, and went through an extensive training session on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Afterward, they were out and about, putting up signs, setting up tents, learning how to drive golf carts, and partaking in additional essential actions that will allow them to hit the ground running when Move-In begins on Monday, Aug. 19. Once Move-In concludes on Sunday, Aug. 25, the coordinators operate in reverse, taking down signs and tents, storing golf carts, and collecting rolling box carts.

Liam Burke, W’27. (Image: Eric Sucar)

Liam Burke, a rising second-year in the Wharton School, is in his first year as a Move-In coordinator. A native of Pearl River, New York, he says he was interested in being a coordinator because, in part, they get to return to campus early. He received an email a couple months back advertising the coordinator position and jumped at the opportunity.

“I really enjoy campus and felt I was away for too long,” he says. “I like being in Philly. I really enjoy how it’s a campus environment. It feels very connected, but at the same time you have access to the city. Also, the people on campus are really very friendly. There are a lot of new people and new experiences in the city, so I think that’s really great to be involved with.”

Moreover, he says his own Move-In last summer was “great” and “enjoyable,” and he wanted to provide new and returning students with that same sense of joy.

“It doesn’t feel like that long ago,” he says of his 2023 Move-In. “I moved into the Quad. Moving into college is a very stressful process and you expect it almost to be very difficult, but I found it to actually be a very seamless transition and easy experience.”

Read more at Penn Today.

Posted: August 21, 2024

Wharton Stories

First-Year Advice: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Image: Weining Ding, W'27
Rising second-year Araash Ahuja, W’27, gives incoming students his advice to help them navigate their first year at Penn.

Having just wrapped up my first year, I can share some advice I wish I had paid more attention to as an incoming student. Club events, career treks, interviews, and study sessions frequently shaped my first year. It’s was a rewarding time and that excites me for the coming fall.

Academics: Your classes are what you make of them

MGMT 1010 Recitation (Image: Araash Ahuja)

MGMT 1010 Recitation (Image: Araash Ahuja)Wharton offers a wide range of classes, and as a first year, your class selection is crucial. I started with Professor Thomas Donaldson’s LGST 1000 and Professor Xu Han’s MGMT 1010, both of which gave me a taste of Wharton’s disciplines and helped me identify my interests. For instance, Professor Donaldson’s class sparked my interest in business ethics and company values.

All Penn first years must take a writing seminar class, so choose a topic that fascinates you. We have writing seminars on diverse topics like the NBA and language death. Use this opportunity to explore your interests.

Your classes are what you make of them. For the most part, attendance and engagement are on you. You should build a routine and stick to it. Nothing works better than habit. I recommend using Google Calendar.

Classes are not just about academics but also a great way to make friends. Don’t hesitate to strike up conversations with your classmates from the beginning. Everyone is in the same boat, eager to make friends but often unsure how to initiate. Some of my closest friends are from my fall-semester classes. These friendships started with class projects and study groups and evolved into Center City meet-ups, spike-ball hangouts, and even a coordinated Winter Break ski trip. So, don’t underestimate the social aspect of classes.

Lastly, plan your classes. Talk to multiple upper-level students. Use Penn Course Review and Penn Course Plan, platforms designed by Penn students, to make the scheduling experience easier. Your schedule should be a product of informed decisions. I suggest taking at least one class per semester that covers something different than what you may be inclined to. This fall, for example, I’ll be taking Professor Duckworth’s Grit Lab, a foray into the psychology of perseverance.

Clubs: Apply to ones that cover an array of your interests

PEVC’s Warburg Pincus visit (Image: Araash Ahuja)

Just a handful of clubs are enough to learn all you need and more. Dedicate yourselves to the few you get into, and make sure you apply to clubs that cover an array of your interests. Clubs are far more than finance related.

Clubs have notoriously cumbersome and competitive application processes. Shoot for the ones that interest you. Stay encouraged if you do not get in. Join the club’s GBM (general body member) program and reapply in the spring. If you get in, awesome! There is a mountain of information to learn and upper-level students to get advice from. You have a lot ahead of you.

Adopting a very systematic approach to clubs worked well for me. I calmly accepted my rejections and happily celebrated my admissions.

Some of my favorite clubs included Wharton Undergraduate Private Equity and Venture Capital Club (PEVC), Reach at Penn, and Wharton Investment & Trading Group (WITG). At PEVC, I learned finance and accounting principles and worked on automated-email sending and other tasks the Corporate Outreach team. I also attended our career trek to NYC (before then, I could not even recount the last time I woke up at 4 a.m.). Reach is a great marketing club with consulting opportunities, too. The environment and people are equally uplifting. My involvement with WITG has taught me a lot about fundamental real-estate-specific technicals and opened up my PMs (project managers) as invaluable mentors.

Dorm Life: Living with people my age

How my Lauder room looked on my move-in day (Image: Araash Ahuja)

With no past boarding-school experience, I was excited about living with people my age. Luckily, I received my first choice house, Lauder College House. I live in a suite with three other roommates. Establishing a cleaning schedule, getting to know my roommates-turned-friends, and befriending other Lauder residents was a process and not quite straightforward, in all honesty. Still, everything worked out well.

Lauder offers a balance of social life and independence. Understanding this balance and recognizing what you might envision preferring in a college dorm experience is crucial.

When it comes to building your housing preference list, here are some factors to consider: proximity to planned classes (e.g., a Stouffer resident will have a considerable walk to Engineering classes), social life, dorm amenities, and roommate preference (I roomed with my friend from high school and two randomly assigned roommates).

General Advice: Don’t chase normalization

Trying a Moroccan restaurant with friends (Image: Araash Ahuja)

Most first years have a set of expectations as they enter college. I want to study these majors, join these clubs, have these careers, be friends with these kinds of people, etc. What only one year at Wharton has revealed, though, is never to let these initial, often unfounded assumptions for college be self-fulfilling. That’s a hard ask — many first-year students succumb to this rat race of getting into traditional finance clubs and following the associated internship and job pursuits. This is precisely what some want to do, which is perfect. Others may not be sure, yet this ultra-competitive funneling present early in the fall molds them to follow “coveted” industry standards.

My most crucial advice to you is this: don’t chase normalization. Some of the best experiences and friendships I’ve made at Wharton came from stepping outside my comfort zone. I formed a close bond with a friend from Jordan after taking a course on Asian-American Activism out of sheer interest. I found a mentor in a graduating senior by approaching him in Managerial Economics. I discovered my vast interest in options markets and began a trading group only after talking about markets with a classmate. It’s wonderful to work towards something together as long as your motives for doing so are inherently yours.

—Araash Ahuja

Posted: August 14, 2024

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