Texas Evening MBAs are a highly-motivated and inspired group of rising managers and seasoned professionals seeking a flexible path to an MBA that will give them the knowledge and expertise necessary to become leaders in their industry. Get to know them through the profiles below and find out what it is like to be an Evening MBA student at McCombs.
Explore a sample of our Evening MBA class by clicking on one of the photos to the left.
Sya Farahmandi,
MBA '14
Hometown: Austin, Texas; Originally from Caracas, Venezuela
Current Job: Latin America iPhone Project Manager, Apple, Inc.
Undergrad Degree: Electrical Engineering with Diploma in Telecommunications, Universidad Metropolitana
"There has already been an impact in my perspective and my long-term ambitions. I’m building awesome relationships with amazing people. There is definitely a continuous hunger and a responsibility for me to persevere and succeed at a very high level. We are given an opportunity to learn now so we can later lead and change the world for the better."
Email Sya at Syavash.Farahmandi@mba14.mccombs.utexas.edu
Amber Lyons,
MBA '13
Hometown: Richardson, Texas
Current Job: Supervisor of Business Operations, TOLA, EMC2
Undergrad Degree: Criminology & Psychology, Drury University
"There are many resources available to me as a student, and the program staff is constantly working to develop and ensure these programs are doing all they can for the students. These programs stretch from career management to the social clubs created by the students, such as Texas Evening Entrepreneurs, that all play a big role in the skills I am developing as a McCombs student."
Email Amber at Amber.Lyons@mba13.mccombs.utexas.edu
Ali Mirjahangiri,
MBA '14
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Current Job: Account Manager, ePlus Technology
Undergrad Degree: Business Economics, University of California, Riverside
Why McCombs?
"Austin is a great town to be in. When I set foot on UT's campus for my interview, I knew that this was the school I wanted to go to."
Email Ali at Ali.Mirjahangiri@mba14.mccombs.utexas.edu
Charlie Biedenharn,
MBA '15
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Current Job: Entrepreneur; Owner of Bakery Lorraine
Undergrad Degree: University of the Incarnate Word
Why McCombs?
"As a small business owner I am involved in every aspect of running a business from daily operations to bookkeeping. I chose McCombs because I wanted to further my competency of every aspect of my businesses as I continue to grow existing concepts and pursue new ventures."
Email Charlie at Charles.Biedenharn@mba15.mccombs.utexas.edu
Jenna Gelgand,
MBA '13
Hometown: San Diego, California
Current Job: Business Manager, Austin Music Hall and The Electric Company
Undergrad Degree: The University of Texas at Austin
Why McCombs?
"McCombs professors are unparalleled. They provide a perfect mix of theory and real-world application that prepares you for nearly any business challenge. Their genuine interest in our success means they take the time to challenge us to become better professionals, before, during and after the program!"
Email Jenna at Jenna.Gelgand@mba13.mccombs.utexas.edu
Whitney Pirkle,
MBA '13
Hometown: Briarcliff, Texas
Current Job: Senior Associate, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Undergrad Degree: History, The University of Texas at Austin
"The Texas Evening MBA experience challenges you to think and approach problems differently. The program rewards you with a new perspective, as well as the perspectives of your extraordinary peers. Perhaps you are not destined to be a master of multicollinearity or a wizard of WACC, but you will know what and who to ask. Ask questions. Take chances. Share. Through collaboration, contemplation can turn into implementation. Have you heard of UShip? Qcue? Phurnace? TEMBA dares you to dream big and prepares you to learn from failure. Everyone fails. Learn to fail well."
Email Whitney at Whitney.HamnettPirkle@mba13.mccombs.utexas.edu
Karthik Bollepalli,
MBA '15
Hometown: Hyderabad, India
Current Job: Applications Engineer, Raven Industries, Inc.
Undergrad Degree: Electrical and Communications Engineering, Osmania University
Grad Degree: Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston
Why McCombs?
"I chose McCombs for the following reasons: (a) Excellent faculty and one of the best (top 10) ranked part-time MBA programs. (b) Very comfortably suited in Austin, one of the fastest growing cities in the US. (c) Programs like MBA+, Texas Venture Labs, Tech-Ops Challenge that give students a hands-on experience along with academic excellence."
Email Karthik at Karthik.Bollepalli@mba15.mccombs.utexas.edu
Nathan Cliver,
MBA '14
Hometown: Lakeland, Florida
Current Job: Project Manager, Google, Inc.
Undergrad Degree: Finance & Marketing, University of Central Florida
"What I enjoy most are the stories and debate with my classmates on the different practices at our companies. The diversity across backgrounds and industries gets me excited about the ideas I can bring back to my own organization. This intertwined with case discussions and industry knowledge from the professors make for an educational experience that you cannot get from reading a book."
Jarren Wenderlein,
MBA '14
Hometown: New Braunfels, Texas
Current Job: Attorney, Texas Department of Insurance
Undergrad Degree: Government, The University of Texas at Austin
“I am really impressed by the quality of professors and both depth and difficulty of the material presented in classes. Coming into this program with a previous graduate degree, I was initially curious about both the nature of subject matter completely new to me and the rigor with which it would be covered in a part-time program. So far, this program has absolutely held my attention and challenged me both personally and intellectually above my initial expectations.”
Email Jarren at Jarren.Wenderlein@mba14.mccombs.utexas.edu