As part of Scheller’s Graduation 2020 Profiles series, we interviewed a few soon-to-be graduates from our Undergraduate program to learn about their backgrounds, why they chose Scheller College, and what they plan to do after Spring 2020 graduation.
Your Name:
Aiman Shahab
Where did you intern/co-op during school?
Apple Community Representative -2017
Stackfolio Marketing - 2017-2018
Coca-Cola Procurement Analytics - 2018-2019
Deloitte Human Capital Consulting - 2019
Where will you be working after graduation?
Accenture Strategy in New York City!
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
I ultimately chose Scheller College of Business because I wanted a holistic college experience, academically, professionally, and socially. I walked into Tech as a Pre-Health Psychology Major for my parents’ wishes but was secretly creating a path towards a career in Organizational Behavior because of my interest in people, businesses, and workspaces. I also had an idea that I wanted to apply to law school in the future and work in the interdisciplinary field between business, law, and development, and I knew Scheller could offer me opportunities for that.
Who was your favorite professor (and why)?
My favorite professors have been Karie-Davis Nozemack and Marius Niculescu, and of course, the legend Gary Jones.
Professor Nozemack teaches with passion, and she leads by example as a strong female in “big” law-- she has become a role model for me. Professor Niculescu is intelligent and compassionate; he manages to take a technical subject such as Information Systems and makes it relevant to all sides of the business and, really the world. Finally, Professor Jones was one of my favorites, because he truly invests in his students. All three of these professors have a clear passion for teaching and students. It has made me love Scheller all that much more.
What was your favorite course (and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it)?
My favorite course at Scheller has been Foundation of Strategy, taught by Eunhee Sohn. This class pushed me on how to translate the academic material I was learning to the real world; I also enjoyed the open discussions facilitated in the classroom.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Programs such as the Denning Technology & Management Program and class projects such as data analytics to improve the carbon footprint of a classroom are just a couple of the academic examples that allow business students to delve into technology without fear, something that is unique to Scheller. Scheller professors offer the opportunity to think futuristically with data and technology. Given we are in the heart of Tech Square and around startup incubators, this pushes so many business students to work in tech-focused companies and offer a different edge than other business schools.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
My biggest piece of advice for Scheller students is to research, network, and get involved. As a “transfer” into Scheller, I realized there were so many things (scholarships, professors, extracurriculars) to get involved in. I urge every interested incoming student to research these opportunities and see how they can contribute to Scheller’s thriving environment.
What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?
I think the biggest myth about Scheller is that every student is “one of the same.” I’ve met incredibly eclectic, diverse, and passionate pockets of people at our school-- entrepreneurs, activists, artists, athletes coming from different backgrounds and upbringings. All it takes is a little conversation to see the melting pot that Scheller has started to become.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? (A parent? A teacher? A role model?)
I was most inspired by an older pal and role model back in high school, Angela Jiang. She was always passionate about activism and civic engagement, determined to make a change within sustainability. She headed into her university’s business school, wanting to learn the right skills and resources to make these changes. This showed me that B-school can be a road to anything.
What activities were you involved with on or off-campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
On campus, I was involved with a number of initiatives regarding sexual violence prevention and gender equality including planning Take Back the Night, working at the Women’s Resource Center, leading the SGA committee for sexual violence prevention, and speaking at TEDxGeorgia Tech about these topics. I was also a Residential Advisor for three terms and was involved with A-Town Showdown, a South Asian organization that hosts an annual large-scale dance competition on campus and with hosting and planning a few of the Scheller undergrad podcasts!
Off-campus, I was involved with a few NGOs revolving around survivor support, civic engagement, and the arts including Raksha, PADV, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and The Bakery ATL.
In all of these roles, though none were traditionally B-school extracurriculars, I applied the value of servant leadership and management. Organizations are not too different from businesses. I learned so much about organizational management, financing/budgeting, and optimization to work with groups and events. My business education also significantly improved my public speaking and communication skills, which translated into increasing my involvement in organizations.
How did the Career Center assist you with your job efforts? Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?
I was lucky enough to intern for two of my dream companies (The Coca-Cola Company and Deloitte) and secure a full-time job in my dream position as an Analyst in Accenture’s Strategy Consulting Division. All my work experiences have been so different, and I’m thankful for Scheller for equipping me to be adaptable. The Career Development course is incredibly valuable, and I suggest everyone take it earlier rather than later. One class allowed me to meet employees from Deloitte, which helped me better understand the company culture. That experience helped me interview on a more personal level. Stan Broome also connected me to folks who then connected me to other folks in The Coca-Cola Company department I co-oped in.
Did you participate in any hands-on/experiential learning opportunities? If yes, which projects/companies did you work with and how did you help them?
One of the coolest projects I was able to work on hands-on was the Carbon Reduction Challenge (CRC), which challenges students to work with a company to help them find real solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. I completed the CRC while working at Coca-Cola. I observed current carbon usage patterns, tracked data, and ultimately delivered two recommendations: the reduction of coolers around their headquarters (HQ) and encouraging recycling through modern signage around HQ. This also led me to lead a presentation and panel at Coca-Cola about sustainability alongside Scheller professor Dr. Beril Toktay and Scheller alumni/Coke leader Dr. Ben Jordan.
What concentration did you pursue and why? How this helped prepare you for your future?
After two years of thinking about it, I chose Finance as my concentration. I knew I didn’t necessarily want to work directly within a Finance department, but I knew this concentration would give me a strong cohesive backbone to fields I am interested in including law, economics, strategy, and development. I believe more women of color should be allowed to study and understand finance, both personally and professionally, so I am glad to have had the opportunity.
Fun fact about yourself:
I am a member of the Yelp Elite squad! (The Yelp Elite are a “squad” of Yelpers who are super active on Yelp!).
Hobbies:
Painting, spoken word, exercise (lifting weights, yoga, hiking), learning to play the guitar quite terribly, trying out new recipes and restaurants (and Yelping about them, of course), and spending quality time with my friends and family.
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be… (Complete sentence)
Most likely studying Economics and International Affairs and getting involved with global development work. I’d also most likely be applying to law school right after undergrad school instead of working first.
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
This is a hard one, but I think my top two bucket list items are:
- To sell hand-made greeting cards and home-made jams at a farmer’s market around the US.
- Create a program for women in Pakistan to advance themselves with professional and financial literacy.
In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you?
I’d like my peers to remember me as someone who lived well and worked hard with a passion for people in my heart.