Part-Time MBA Student Profile Jorge Rodriguez, ’18
Senior Analyst, Programmatic Strategy, Cars.com
City of Residence: Chicago, IL
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Jorge Rodriguez: 00:06
I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I am an Evening student at Booth and I am part of the Chicago Business Fellows Program. That is the program for early career candidates. It's been a great experience. I’ve met some amazing people through that program already, which is nice because we're all at similar life stages being in our mid-20s. Really nice group of people to start this journey with. I work at cars.com.
Jorge Rodriguez: 00:31
Before Booth, I did not consider myself to be a particularly quantitative person. That’s why I've appreciated so much learning in an environment where that is woven into all of the material. It’s been really cool to take these classroom ideas and watch them take place in the workplace.
Jorge Rodriguez: 00:52
I’m looking forward to taking more of an analytical approach to my job. I’m one of the seven founders of the Coalition of Minorities in Business, which is a student group that serves to create a community for minorities within Booth, and also to support those minorities in their professional development.
Jorge Rodriguez: 01:13
Diversity is important for me because I think that it’s a conduit to really unlock the entire potential of a group. Those cultural experiences are lenses that you always have on. They influence both explicitly and implicitly everything that you take in. I think that’s the way that one becomes a better thinker. I think that's the way that one becomes a better student, a better employee, and just a better member of your community.
Advice to Anyone Considering Business School
Take the plunge! Because master’s programs aren’t perceived to be required, like bachelor’s degrees, everyone who’s in your classroom is there because they want to be. This creates a really unique environment that facilitates participation and discussion. Your ability to view lessons from different people’s perspectives will help you to grow so much.
What Surprised You Most About Booth?
The sense of community at Booth. I expected a top-MBA program to be rife with competition. Instead, what I’ve found is an environment of collaboration and support. I’ve formed friendships here that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Student Group Membership
Coalition of Minorities in Business (co-chair), Booth Social Impact, Booth Marketing Club, Corporate Strategy and Management Group