May 15, 2006
Class of 2006 Reflects on McCombs
Experience and Shares Future Plans
- BBA '06: Lauren Gilstrap
- BBA '06: Ion Gumeniuc
- BBA '06: Karim Meijer
- PPA '06: Lina Dimachkieh
- MPA '06: Cesar Guerra de León
- MBA '06: Emily Durrett
- MBA '06: Nick Bhavsar
Lauren Gilstrap, BBA '06
Lauren Gilstrap is a pro when it comes to time management. With
three rigorous majors—pre-med, business honors and Plan II—and a
full slate of extracurricular activities and internships, Gilstrap
graduates this month knowing she got as much as possible from her
college experience.
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“I came to the university thinking ‘medicine,’ mostly because of
my experience with biology in high school,” she says. “But I like
the idea of not being a typical doctor, and I hope to someday do
health care policy or manage a hospital—which is where my business
education comes in.”
Her work for two different Texas legislators reinforced her passion
for economics and policy-making. Gilstrap interned during the 78th
Legislative Session in the spring of 2003 while also working at The
University of Texas School of Public Health. She was the Health and
Human Services assistant for Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso), where
she learned the “nuts and bolts” of senatorial work—juggling lots of
projects and making connections whenever possible. During the 79th
Legislative Session, Gilstrap worked for Sen. Judith Zaffirini
(D-Laredo), contributing to a bill expanding telemedicine, a program
that brings big-city experts into rural communities using the latest
technology.
But that’s not all. Gilstrap maintains a full schedule by dedicating
her free time to Orange Jackets, Student Government, the Senate of
College Councils, honors and pre-med organizations, and volunteering
at Brackenridge Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Austin.
“It’s about finding a balance inside and outside the classroom,” she
says. “To be happy you need intellectual stimulation but also all of
those other extracurricular activities and hobbies.”
While some may see such diverse interests as a study in contrasts,
Gilstrap knows just how to marry the fields.
“I see business, liberal arts and the sciences as the three corners
to my educational triangle,” Gilstrap says. “Science teaches me what
I need to know to become a physician. Liberal arts has taught me to
think logically and creatively, and business teaches me how to work
with people and how to communicate clearly and effectively to
accomplish my task.”
After graduation, she will intern with the Harry Truman foundation
in Washington, D.C., a result of having won the prestigious Truman
Scholarship in 2005. This fall, she will enter a joint MD/Master of
Public Policy program at Harvard Medical School and the Kennedy
School of Government. She plans to use her medical, political and
economic experience to bridge gaps between the three professions.
“Doctors, politicians and economists can’t talk to each other,”
Gilstrap explains. Her wide array of studies will help her act as a
translator to help find solutions to the barriers between them.
As school winds down, Gilstrap knows she has the foundation she
needs to pursue her goals.
“I am leaving UT with a world-class undergraduate education,” she
says. “There is no where else in the world I would have been given
the same tremendous breadth of opportunities I have been afforded
here.”
Even after all of her hard work at the university, she still gives
credit to her mentors.
“So many people have done so much for me over the last four years,”
she says. “I only hope to one day make them proud of their
investment.” —Amy Lavergne and Kate McCann
International student Ion Gumeniuc says he always feels like he’s
running out of time.
“Sometimes I can’t sleep at night because I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god,
there’s so much stuff to do!’ I just turn the light back on and
start doing something,” Gumeniuc laughs. “I have so many plans and I
feel like there’s not enough time to realize them. I have this huge
battle, like World War III—me versus time.”
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His class schedule for the spring 2006 semester is a testament to
that—he took a total of 33 class hours. Gumeniuc graduates from The
University of Texas at Austin this May with three degrees—in
finance, mathematics, and economics—and a minor in accounting.
As a Romanian citizen who was born and raised in the Republic of
Moldova and attended a Turkish high school, it is no surprise that
Gumeniuc is fluent in four languages (Romanian, Russian, Turkish and
English). After graduation, he followed the lead of some of his
friends who were pursuing an education in the United States, and he
ended up at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota.
From the beginning, Gumeniuc planned to transfer to another
university, and knew he had to maintain excellent grades to do so.
Gumeniuc kept himself extremely busy, taking no less than 24 hours
per semester and maintaining a 4.0 GPA at Bemidji.
In addition to the staggering class load, Gumeniuc worked full time
to pay for his tuition. There were times when he could only afford
one meal a day, despite the many hours he worked at a variety of
jobs, from working in a casino and computer proctoring to food
service work and being a resident assistant at the university, to
name just a few.
After three years of strenuous work at Bemidji, Gumeniuc saved
enough money to transfer to The University of Texas at Austin. He
says he made the move for a simple reason—to attend the McCombs
School of Business.
“I knew that eventually I wanted to be in New York, and I knew that
a lot of recruiters came to UT because of the Ford Career Center,”
he says. “I have definitely learned a lot in Austin. I got much more
out of Austin, McCombs, and UT because of the curriculum and the
professors who have become my advisors and good friends.”
Gumeniuc currently works as a teaching assistant for the EDS
Financial Trading Center, helping undergraduates and MBA students
with their finance assignments and tutoring students on using
several financial database platforms, including Bloomberg, FactSet,
StockVal and Reuters.
Last summer, he completed an investment banking internship at
Merrill Lynch in New York City, which extended into the fall. He has
also co-founded an investment fund called K&G Investors Group, which
he operates with an MBA student at Syracuse University. During the
little free time he has available, Gumeniuc fuels his obsession with
cars—specifically BMWs—by test-driving them frequently. He also
enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his girlfriend, Rie.
According to Gumeniuc, there is little incentive to pursue a college
degree at home in Eastern Europe where education is expensive,
unemployment is high and college graduates often earn the same
salary as those without an advanced degree. But he credits his time
in the U.S. with strengthening his work ethic and increasing the
value of education in his eyes.
“In high school, I couldn’t see the purpose of education because I
couldn’t see where it was going to lead me,” he said. “But when I
came to the U.S., I really saw that a strong, broad education is
critical. That is why I’m taking all these majors and I’m trying to
do the best that I can.”
His parents have always offered Gumeniuc all the support they could.
“I was raised in a middle-class family, and Moldova is not a wealthy
country. We couldn’t afford a lot of things,” he says. “But since my
childhood, my parents told me that only hard work could bring me
success. I was raised with the belief that success is 95 percent
hard work and 5 percent talent. Therefore, I give it all I have.”
All of the hard work has paid off. Ion recently accepted a
prestigious job offer from Citigroup Investment Bank and will return
to New York City to begin work in June. Ever ambitious, he plans to
start a business on the side soon after moving to New York and to
pursue his MBA at Harvard in a few years. Eventually, he would like
to return to Europe.
“Overall, I would say that since I came to the U.S., I’ve become
very familiar with coffee,” Gumeniuc laughs. “I have my coffee mug
that I carry around all the time.” —Laura Griffin
Facing the rigors of classes can be a daunting task at times for
any student, let alone a student athlete on the varsity football
team. Karim Meijer, a business honors senior, has handled the unique
challenges of balancing a work-intensive honors program and the
steep time commitment of varsity sports with remarkable aplomb.
As a BHP, finance and pre-med student with a Spanish minor, Mejier
has been incredibly busy over the last five years. Meijer admits
that with such an arduous schedule, it’s easy to get behind.
“Time management was the key,” said Meijer, who worked for the
past three-and-a-half years at The University of Texas Learning
Center, teaching students “the essence of time management” and
applying those same principles to his own life.
For incoming student athletes, Meijer offered this advice: “Study
for two to three hours a day, no more and no less. Also, try to
study in the same place. This way, you form a routine and keep on
pace for school.” Sound advice from a decidedly busy, and
successful, student athlete.
Despite the load, Meijer acknowledged that he might not be where he
is today without the “structure and discipline” required for
football. He recounted five life skills football had taught him:
“how to manage my time, how to handle pressure, how to deal with
failure and adversity, how to handle the physical load, and how to
work within a team environment.”
He thought these skills, combined with the business honors degree,
had done a wonderful job of preparing him for his future. The
demanding professors and classes of the Business Honors Program have
helped him focus more on “real-life situations and events” than
grades, a focus that has allowed him to appreciate the big picture
rather than just his report card.
Crediting his mother and father as his two biggest influences,
Meijer said they have provided distinct, yet complementary life
views.
“The most loving and kind woman I have ever known,” he said of his
mother. She gave him an openness to experience people, and a
willingness to listen and counsel others in their times of need.
Practical and hardworking, Meijer’s father espoused hard work and
focus. Constantly ringing in Meijer’s head is his father’s
oft-spoken principle, “Keep your head down, your nose clean, and
stay focused.” Perhaps even more important to Meijer, and all
college students for that matter, was the piece of advice given to
him by his father on the first day of college: “Manage your time,
manage your money and manage your life.”
Meijer will be attending The University of Texas Southwestern
Medical School in the fall. He plans on becoming an orthopedic
surgeon specializing in sports medicine. In the meantime, he is
looking forward to some time off to travel before entering medical
school —Keaton Shuttlesworth, courtesy of the Business Honors
Program newsletter.
Lina Dimachkieh, PPA '06
The world is wide open for Lina Dimachkieh, including the doors to
Harvard Law School, which she’ll be entering next fall. You might
say that kind of achievement probably comes naturally to Dimachkieh,
who has a reputation for academic excellence and a tendency to excel
in just about everything she tries. But she says she had a definite
edge over other law school hopefuls—the McCombs Professional Program
in Accounting.
Originally dead-set against studying accountancy, Dimachkieh was
surprised at how much she enjoyed her first accounting course. The
signs of the economic times were also a factor in her change of
heart.
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“My classmates and I entered the program at a time when there was
a bit of a market turndown after September 11, so accounting was
seen as a ‘safe’ avenue,” she explains. PPA coursework is also an
excellent preparation for the CPA exam, Dimachkieh adds.
As a student in both the Business Honors and the PPA Programs,
Dimachkieh had the opportunity to take case-based courses that
examined relevant, timely topics. “In both programs,” she says, “I
learned to take a case and examine how it might be applicable to
other situations—which is exactly what law school is all about.”
And as a corporate attorney with an accounting background,
Dimachkieh says she will leverage her ability to understand how
underlying transactions might affect a case—a consideration that
might be lost on other attorneys.
Dimachkieh is certain that her experience in the PPA Program was the
deciding factor in her acceptance to Harvard. “Coming from a program
that allowed me to take graduate courses as an undergraduate and
obtain a master’s degree really set me apart from the other
applicants,” she asserts.
And what of life beyond law school? She has her sights set on
becoming a partner in a law firm, or spending time on the bench. “I
think it would be really interesting to be a judge.” Not a
far-fetched notion for a woman whose world is wide open. —Dorothy
Brady
César Guerra de León exudes excitement and enthusiasm, meeting
everyone with a friendly face. It’s no surprise that he’s a favorite
among his classmates, who have chosen him to speak at this year’s
MPA commencement ceremony. But he doesn’t consider himself all that
special.
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“I consider myself more as a student who has taken advantage of the unlimited possibilities that the McCombs School and the university have to offer,” he says.
De León is one of the first graduates of the McCombs Mexico Joint
Academic Program with the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios
Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM). The program brings a select group
of ITESM students to McCombs to pursue an MPA degree and prepare for
professional accounting certification in Texas. In turn, McCombs
students pursue graduate studies at ITESM.
Guerra De León intensified his MPA experience by studying in both
the managerial and the financial reporting and assurance tracks.
“I’ll never forget the impressive faculty and the challenging
environment they create to encourage students to give their maximum
effort,” he says.
He has also made lasting friendships through his involvement in the
student organization MPA International Connections where he mentors
newcomers who have joined the MPA program.
Guerra De León also organized the first intramural MPA softball
team. “We didn’t do well in the tournament, but we had a lot of
fun,” he laughs.
It’s a thrill and an honor for him to be asked to speak at
commencement. “In my address, of course, I want to thank my
professors, parents and friends,” he says. But along with that debt
of gratitude, Guerra de León will also express his commitment to
paying off what he calls his social mortgage.
“Not everyone has the advantages we have, the privilege of going to
school and getting a great job,” he says. “As we begin our careers,
I want to encourage my classmates to give back to society through
volunteering, fundraising and other types of community service.”
He has a head start on his own “payments,” having put in more than
800 volunteer hours teaching Spanish and math to children in rural
areas of the United States.
After graduation, Guerra De León plans to continue serving the
community. He has landed a job with Deloitte’s Enterprise
Risk Services Department in New York City. While at first glance his
new job may not seem particularly community-service oriented, Guerra
De León believes his future career will go hand-in-hand with his
desire to make a difference in the world on a larger scale.
“Working hard in my professional life will open up opportunities for
me to grow, which in turn will open up opportunities to give back to
society,” he says. —Dorothy Brady
Emily Durrett, MBA '06
After spending five years as an analyst and senior analyst for American Airlines, no corner of the world had been out of reach for Emily Durrett, MBA ’06. And, even after collecting countless passport stamps with the company, Durrett realized that despite her early success, her career momentum would soon slow.
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“I observed that those with MBAs from leading schools frequently
earned promotions and held many senior level positions,” says
Durrett. “An MBA was on my radar for quite some time.”
Choosing to return to the same school where she earned her
undergraduate marketing degree, Durrett has found that being an MBA
at McCombs is different for her.
“Because MBAs are required to have work experience prior to
enrolling at McCombs, I often learn as much from my classmates as I
do my professors,” explains Durrett. “I also feel like I’m part of a
tight community.”
One of her favorite MBA experiences has been participating in the
Global Connections program, not surprising for a student who loves
to travel. Last year, she went with the program to study South
American cultures, economies and businesses while working on a
project with Chilean MBA students from Pontificia Universidad
Catolica de Chile. This year she will travel to Johannesburg and
Cape Town, South Africa with the program.
In addition to her coursework, Durrett served as the president of
Graduate Women in Business, where she had the opportunity to sharpen
her leadership skills, perform under pressure and gain real-world
experience.
“These experiences are important because they will help me
contribute more to my future employer when I graduate,” Durrett
said.
As for the future, her goal is to assume a high-level, senior
leadership role at a marketing company. With one more semester of
MBA coursework and interests that range from sports to designing
clothes, she is leaving her prospects open to any of her passions.
—Kate McCann
After earning his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, Nick Bhavsar, MBA ’06, put his undergraduate education to use as an intern for Intel Corporation. But after spending a year and a half in Seattle and two years in Portland designing servers, Bhavsar decided to pursue something closer to his real passion.
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“I’ve always wanted to start my own business,” Bhavsar says.
“After working at Intel for four years, I wanted to get some
business background.” After examining many options for business
school, the Houston-native chose to return home to Texas.
As a first-year student, Bhavsar designed his own project through
the Plus Program. After sifting through many ideas, he homed in on
an idea for a company that would help home buyers find real estate
offerings that were specific to their own tastes. In trying to bring
this idea to fruition, he got a taste of running his own company. “I
wanted to see what it was like to start a business,” he said. “With
the Plus Program, you at least get in front of people and start
talking about your idea. You figure out if it could work or not.”
Bhavsar’s second venture began as a 60-second pitch at the McCombs
Pitch Party—where he earned third place. After the event, many
people approached Bhavsar and encouraged him to produce his product,
a durable cover for laptops decorated with various logos such as the
Longhorn.
“After the pitch party people kept coming up to me, saying, ‘if you
ever come out with these things, let me know and I’ll buy one,’” he
says. The following semester, he workshopped the idea in his
Opportunity Identification class, smoothed out the kinks, and put
the project into production last summer. Bhavsar now sells Laptop
Lids online at www.laptoplids.com and at various retailers around
Austin.
After he graduates, Bhavsar wants to stay involved in small
business. “I’ve enjoyed working for big companies like Intel, but my
heart is in my own ideas. I want to find a local start-up where I
can keep my hand in things.” —Asher Garonzik
For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.
