A Shared Sense of Ambition

By Amelia Anderson, Full-time UST MBA student,
Class of 2008

"When I visited St. Thomas, I got a sense of ambition and vision from the administration that wasn't present at other schools," says Daniel Cohen, Full-time UST MBA student, class of 2008.

Cohen graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., with degrees in sociology and media studies. Not sure what he wanted to do after graduation, Cohen took the first steps on a career path in service and hospitality that would lead him around the country and the world.

Immediately after graduation, Cohen ran a summer tennis camp. At the end of the summer, he moved to Montana, where he managed a catering service outside Big Sky. His career prospects here were limited. He accepted a position with Four Seasons Chicago in a management training program -- a 9-15 month program that focuses on building recent college graduates into effective managers. The program combines job learning and�management classes with management-specific techniques for Four Seasons. After a year with Four Seasons, he knew that he had two choices: work his way up slowly or leave to pursue new experiences. A chef, Michael Tsonton, knew of a newly opening restaurant in Chicago. As a result, Cohen left Four Seasons to help open a new restaurant, called Copperblue. Cohen was actively involved at all levels of opening the new restaurant, including budgeting for the opening, hiring the staff, developing and implementing a marketing campaign, and teaching the staff the policies and sequence of service for the restaurant.

While working on the restaurant venture, Cohen decided that he wanted to pursue business school. He recalls, "While�my experiences thus far had taught me a great deal, my time at Four Seasons and Copperblue�awoke�me to the realities of�corporate America and�business development. I�realized that I lacked some of the underlying skills that were vital to my success, regardless of where my career would take me." Before starting school, however, he took one more opportunity to expand his experiences: a three-month marketing internship at a winery in Bordeaux, France. Cohen landed this internship opportunity after meeting the owner at a dinner party. After discussing his interest and experience in the food service industry, the owner mentioned the possibility of visiting his winery. After a series of follow-up conversations with the director of the vineyard, Cohen was offered an internship. As Cohen reflects, "This was a great experience that showed me a successful company�in an industry that�has�remained relatively unchanged. It also allowed me to look at the US marketplace from the outside and quantify the challenges that international firms face in penetrating the US market."

"I was always drawn back here," Cohen says of Minnesota. He appreciates the Twin Cities area for its diversity and activity, while he feels it also maintains its Midwest appeal. Attracted by the prospect of returning closer to home, Cohen was also impressed by the drive UST exhibited. "Other schools are established and seem to be sitting on their laurels," he said. "UST has a greater interest in the success of its students."

As a member of the Full-time UST MBA community, Cohen shared this interest in the success of the program. He was elected as a first-year class representative in the Student Association and hopes to actively participate in the growth of the program. One of his goals as a class representative is to strengthen the ties between full-time students, part-time students in the evening and executive MBA programs, and alumni. "The alumni represent St Thomas' lifeline to the business community," Cohen says. "Ideally, they are a learning tool for current students and can provide us with insight into how to manage our careers, find quality jobs, and identify career goals. We need to create an environment that is welcoming to our alumni, continue to expand forums�for current students to talk with alumni, and instill a sense of gratitude in current students so that when they�become alumni they will want to contribute to the growth and success of the university."

Academically, Cohen is pursuing electives in marketing, new venture strategies, and entrepreneurship. Cohen recently enjoyed a summer internship with Diageo, a large beverage company based in the United Kingdom, traveling to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, to work with their marketing team on expansion efforts there. After graduation he hopes to work internationally, but suspects that he will gravitate back to the Midwest later in life.��He hopes to stay involved�with St Thomas, in an effort to help the next generation of�MBA students.

Visit the Full-time UST MBA Program

A great way to get an in-depth look at the Full-time UST MBA is to attend one of our scheduled Information Sessions. An Information Session is an opportunity for you to learn more about the curriculum, career services, student life, financial aid and admissions requirements. Here is our schedule of Information Sessions for the Academic Year 2007-08:

Please RSVP to attend »

Fall Admissions Deadline Approaching: Dec. 15
The second application deadline in the 2007-08 admissions season is swiftly approaching. Contact the Full-time Admissions Team with questions regarding your online or paper application! You can reach us at (651) 962-8800 or ustmba@stthomas.edu.

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Thinking about visiting campus? Sign up for an Information Session!

Upcoming session:
Thursday, December 6
Minneapolis and St. Paul sessions available

Validated parking is available in Minneapolis at our 11th Street and Harmon Place ramp.

Personalized Visits
We also provide personalized on-campus visits. To set up a classroom visit or a personalized informational meeting with an admissions professional or a professor email or call us at (651) 962-8800 or (800) 328-6819 (ext. 2-8800).

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