Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business students come to learn, explore, and build community. As they move forward in their careers, they take everything they've learned and use it to power innovation in industries and businesses across the globe. In celebration of Spring 2023 Commencement, we sat down with a few students to learn about their experiences and the wisdom they've gained in the process.
Meet Meah Konstanzer, who is graduating with a concentration in Information Technology Management and a minor in Computing and Business from the Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program.
Where are you from?
Howard County, MD
Where did you go to high school?
Reservoir High School
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?
When I was applying to college, I did not have a clear vision of what I wanted to do “when I grew up.” My older brother, Ryan, had pursued a business major in college and I saw the flexibility that it gave him to have the time to explore his interests while building skills he could transfer across careers.
I am so glad that I decided to pursue business because my classes, internships, and extracurricular involvements helped me find my passions and led me to a career I’m excited to start.
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
There are three main reasons why I chose Scheller. The first was the location. Scheller is in the heart of Atlanta, giving students access and exposure to Fortune 500 companies. My future employer is located just across the street! The second was the community. When I came to the Dean’s Scholarship event as a high school senior, I was struck by the inviting and vibrant community at Scheller. The school seemed to emphasize collaboration over competition among students, and the faculty appeared to have a genuine interest in supporting and encouraging students. The third was that Scheller emphasizes being business smart and tech savvy. In the ever-changing, tech-driven world, I saw the importance of a business program that gives one the technological skills and background companies desire in their employees.
What concentration did you pursue and why?
I pursued a concentration in Information Technology Management, which is the required concentration for the Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program’s Computing and Business minor. I pursued this combination of concentration and minor to step outside my comfort zone and build my technical skills. I also knew this would enable me to differentiate myself as a professional. Moreover, I knew this concentration would leave me open to a wide array of career paths because information technology is ubiquitous in today’s business world.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
My advice would be to show your passion, willingness to learn, and leadership. There is no “right box” to check or one involvement that you need to have on your application. Whether you are a captain of a sports team, started a small business, or are involved in a volunteer activity, be able to tell your story. No matter what you do, you can let your passion, willingness to learn, and leadership shine through as you describe your involvement(s). The same advice goes for interviewing for student organizations or jobs. Do not worry so much about doing the right thing; just focus on how you tell your story.
What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?
The biggest myth is that there is one “right path” to success. Comparing yourself to the success of others may be tempting, but there is not just one way to excel at Scheller or beyond. The right classes, extracurriculuar activities, and jobs are the ones that excite you and fit your skills and interests.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Technology is woven into the business curriculum with every class, shaping Scheller students into being the business professionals of the future. Whether it’s classes that build technical skills like data analytics and programming or those that develop a conceptual understanding of technology and communicating technology, an emphasis on bridging the gap between business and technology is everywhere.
What was your favorite course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it?
My favorite course was Emerging Technologies taken with my T&M cohort. Through this course, I learned how to analyze new technologies and consider what factors could help or hinder their adoption. I enjoyed learning about the technologies themselves and engaging in class discussions. A second favorite of mine was Legal Aspects of Business. I loved learning about and discussing the cases and my professor, Lucien Dhooge, had fascinating anecdotes to share from his career as a lawyer. Law is such an important aspect of business, and this class was a unique part of my educational experience.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
My favorite professor was Bill Todd, who taught Management in the Healthcare Sector in the fall of my fourth year. First and foremost, Professor Todd cares deeply about all his students and takes it upon himself to support them in their future pursuits, whether that be writing medical school recommendations or facilitating networking connections. You can also tell how passionate he is about his class and students by the initiative he takes to set up introductory meetings with students before the course even begins and meets with students one-on-one during the semester to learn about them. Beyond this, he is a professor of the practice, with 40 years of career experience focused on health care and technology. This experience means he has a wealth of knowledge and has many anecdotes to share. Lastly, he is very well-connected and through his connections, he offered the opportunity to learn from the incredible speakers he brought into class.
What activities were you involved with on or off campus, and did your business education impact those activities in any way?
I was involved in the Scheller Business Ambassadors program as the president in my fourth year, vice president, Membership Development in my third year, and chair, Membership Development in my second year; Society of Women in Business, executive vice president in my fourth year, and outreach project manager in my third year; Alpha Phi sorority, director of sisterhood in my second through fourth year; a member of the Consult Your Community Executive Round Table; and Student Government Association, FreShGA (First-year Leadership Organization).
Through these activities, I gained friends, mentors, and mentees, grew as a leader, learned about business, and developed my professional skills. My business education served as a complement to these activities. In my leadership roles, I was able to implement what I had learned in the classroom to improve the organizations I was involved in. Moreover, while in Consult Your Community organization, I was able to apply my business skills to help an Atlanta small business.
Where did you intern/co-op during school?
I interned for The Arbor Company as a data management intern, Adventist HealthCare as an IT department intern, Fire Bee as a marketing intern, and Accenture in their Consulting Development Program as an applied intelligence analyst.
Where will you be working after graduation?
I will be working for Accenture as a strategy analyst in the Atlanta office.
How did the Scheller College undergraduate career education program assist you with your job efforts? Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?
Through my GT 1000 and Career Development classes, I received support with important aspects of job recruitment from writing my resume to learning networking best practices and how to communicate my experience during job interviews. These resources were critical in preparing me to seek out and secure my internships and eventually my full-time job with confidence and poise. Additionally, I consulted with Scheller’s career advisors regarding challenges I was facing during internship recruitment and how I could work to overcome them.
During fall recruitment of my third year, I focused on securing an internship with a company I could see myself working at full-time. Using what I learned, I was able to secure an internship with Accenture and received an offer for a full-time position after graduation. I know that the support of Scheller’s undergraduate career education program empowered me in my recruitment efforts, and I am so excited to be working for one of my top choice companies after graduation.
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?
My English class during my first year at Georgia Tech was part of Tech’s Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLC) initiative. The class focused on food literacy, so we partnered with AgLanta, a local urban agriculture organization, to help them with communications and outreach. Additionally, through the student organization, Consult Your Community, I worked on a team providing pro-bono consulting services to a small business in Atlanta. We worked for Hippie Hibachi, a vegan food stall in Chattahoochee Food Works. We analyzed their sales data to optimize their menu offerings and researched potential second restaurant locations. Through the Denning T&M Program, I worked on a capstone project for one of their corporate sponsors, Steelcase. For this project, my team and I investigated how Steelcase could leverage collaborative robots in its operations and built a business case around our findings.
Who would you most like to thank for your success?
My parents, who taught me the value of a good work ethic, instilled in me a passion for learning and giving back, and always believed in and encouraged me!
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I started a blog and Instagram page focused on food, fitness, and fashion when I was 13. When I was 14, developed recipes for Eggland’s Best and created promotional posts to go along with the recipe e-book I created for them. It was the first time I signed a business contract, and the company representative was surprised to discover that I was not an adult when I asked if my mom would have to sign too!
What are some of your hobbies?
Cooking and baking, working out, photography, researching the best restaurants and events happening in the area, walking around cities exploring, and drinking lots of iced coffee!
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
I want to take a paella-making class and go salsa dancing in Spain and see the lavender fields in full bloom in Provence, France!