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 Fall 2024 Commencement, we sat down with a few students to learn about their experiences and the wisdom they've gained in the process.
Meet Emily Schroeder, who is graduating with a concentration in Operations and Supply Chain Management.
Where are you from?
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
Where did you go to high school?
I went to Druid Hills High School.
Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college?
My dad influenced my decision to pursue business because he reminded me that I didn't need to have everything perfectly figured out when I was a second-year student considering switching my major. A lot of my peers at the time were studying computer science or engineering and seemed to know exactly what they wanted to do, and I was stressed that I didn't feel the same way.
My dad encouraged me to look into studying business because of my diverse interests and the ability to apply a business degree to a variety of different areas. Even though I still don't have it all figured out, studying business at Scheller opened many doors for me to be able to try a lot of different things through various opportunities and experiences related to my degree program.
Why did you choose Scheller College of Business?
I didn't come to Tech as a business student. I started off as a Computational Media major in the College of Computing, but after my first year I realized that coding was not for me, so I decided to make the switch. I have interests in many areas, so I wanted to choose a major that would give me the foundation and flexibility to be able to explore those areas without feeling too restricted to one field or another, and Business Administration seemed like a great fit. I like the idea of owning my own business one day as well, so I thought a business degree would be useful.
What concentration did you pursue and why?
I chose Operations and Supply Chain Management as my concentration largely because of my interest in sustainable business and wanting to learn more about how global supply chains work.
I attended a "Lunch and Learn" sustainability talk during my first co-op rotation at Delta Air Lines, and Ashish Gadnis, the co-founder and CEO of Banqu Inc. was one of the speakers. He talked about how his company uses blockchain technology to help lift people out of extreme poverty by connecting them to the global supply chains that they participate in and make supply chains more transparent and equitable. His company's story instantly inspired me to want to pursue a more in-depth understanding of how global operations and supply chains work so that I can be a more informed business leader in my career.
What is your best piece of advice to an applicant hoping to get into Scheller College?
Be a self-starter! If there's something you're passionate about, take the initiative and try to make something out of it. Reach out to people on LinkedIn who inspire you and ask to learn more about what they do. You'd be surprised by how receptive people are.
What is the biggest myth about Scheller College?
The biggest myth about Scheller College is that it's easy. Yes, we are not building robots or doing thermodynamics, but we're solving different problems. Business requires you to problem solve without using a formula, so you have to be able to think outside the box because there isn't one "right" way to solve business problems. Also, ask anyone and they will tell you that the accounting classes at Scheller are no joke.
As a business student in the heart of Tech Square, how do you think Scheller College embodies the intersection of business and technology?
Scheller College is unique because students receive an education that allows them to understand both the technical and people sides of business. For example, many Scheller students excel in leading group projects and making compelling presentations but can also code in Python and do SQL and R analytics.
To me, being a Scheller student is like a Swiss Army knife. We're pretty adaptable when it comes to our skillset, which is due in part to the range of exposure we get from our classes throughout our degree program.
What was your favorite course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it?
Despite not being a Marketing concentration, my favorite class at Scheller was Intro to Marketing (MGT 3300) with Professor Michael Lowe. The class was very interactive and hands-on and was centered around a group project where we had to come up with a marketing idea for a real-world company.
My group chose Victoria's Secret, and we ended up coming up with a fun idea that intersected sustainability with a customer loyalty program. The biggest insight that I gained from that class is that you need to know and define your target audience.
Who was your favorite professor and why?
My favorite professor was Jacqueline Garner because you can tell how passionate she is about finance and how much she genuinely cares that her students understand the material. She always has the best attitude and even though it was my last class of the day, I would look forward to her class because she made lectures fun and engaging. I found finance to be pretty intimidating at first with lots of words I wasn't familiar with, but her teaching style made the subject a lot more approachable. Also, she always has the best outfits with fun patterns and colors, which inspires me to express myself in how I dress even in professional settings.
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 Technique newspaper as opinions editor, which involved having to coordinate with members of the editorial board as well as my own staff to get the paper published every week.
All four years at Tech, I was a tree tour lead with Georgia Tech Trailblazers, which means I would give organized group tours around campus to educate the Tech community about the different trees in our campus arboretum.
I was also a part of Electrify GT as vice president of education and the project lead for the EV chargers team, and my business education helped me with my presentation, team organization and coordination skills in both of those roles.
Where did you intern/co-op during school?
I completed a co-op at Delta Air Lines in the Network Planning/Scheduling department. I had an incredible experience learning about how airline operations work and now I consider myself to be a bit of an airline geek. I had the opportunity to shadow other departments as well, such as Global Sustainability, Legal, Corporate Security, and Revenue Management.
Delta was my first experience at a big corporation, so it was cool getting a taste for what work culture looks like. I also had the privilege of taking advantage of the flight benefits offered to Delta employees, which was an amazing experience for broadening my global perspective.
Where will you be working after graduation?
I will be an aviation consultant at Ricondo & Associates, Inc. in their Atlanta office.
How did the Scheller College undergraduate career education program assist you with your job efforts?
I remember when I got an email to interview with Delta Air Lines for a co-op I was freaking out because I felt unprepared and overwhelmed given Delta was one of my dream companies to work for.
Even though I hadn't even taken his class yet and he had no idea who I was, Michael Dutcher, the current director of undergraduate career education, was kind enough to meet with me and gave me great advice for how to prepare for the interview, and I ended up getting the job. Whenever I ever had any questions or needed career advice, I was always able to talk to someone from the undergraduate career center and get guidance and support.
Did you end up working or interning for one of your top choice companies?
Yes. Delta Air Lines had been a dream company for me for a while because of my love of travel, so I was thrilled to be able to gain professional experience there during my time at Tech.
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?
I participated in the Carbon Reduction Challenge (CRC) during my third co-op rotation at Delta Air Lines. The CRC is a voluntary competition over the summer where students work with an organization on a project that proposes how to reduce carbon emissions and yield cost savings.
My project explored how Delta can incorporate regenerative agriculture into its onboard meals supply chain to reduce Scope 3 emissions. My project focused on meat sourcing for the braised beef short ribs meal served in first class and Delta One flights. It was a lot of work, but I ended up winning third place overall!
Who would you like to thank most for your success?
I would like to thank both of my parents for my success and for believing in me. Their love and support have meant the world to me, and I'm so grateful for everything they've done for me over the years to help me get to where I am today.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
I spent five weeks this past summer traveling solo for the first time. I went to England, Wales, Scotland, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Budapest and met so many amazing people!
What are some of your hobbies?
I love Latin social dancing (salsa and bachata) and language learning. If someone had told me my senior year of high school that I would come out of college knowing how to dance and speak Spanish, I think I would have looked at them crazy, but here we are. College is cool like that.
What are the top two items on your bucket list?
My top two items on my bucket list are to become a polyglot and travel to every continent.