Essay: Introduce yourself.

How are you a good fit for the USC Marshall MBA
community? The Trojan Network is highly regarded worldwide; how do your
professional and personal goals add value to this expansive and collaborative
brand?
I grew up in a family of Indian Air Force Officers where I was inculcated with values that definea soldier:
integrity, loyalty to your institution, determination, and upholding your values in the face of adversity. I
joined the High Tech sector, as it is the fastest growing sector in India with limitless opportunities for
innovation.Throughout my career I have strived hard to make a difference in the businesses of clients,
who spanned diverse industries such as shipping, sports, automotive, finance, and employee benefits, by
making software applications and processes as simple as possible. Whether as anentrepreneur, a
Technical Lead at a high-tech firm, or a lead volunteer for social causes, my work has been characterized
by an approach to solve problems, perform end to end analysis, and a penchant for innovation.
I believe I can fit well in the Marshall MBA community that has people who are exceptionally smart,
driven,and have tremendous leadership potential.One aspect that appeals to me is how tightly knit,
collaborative, and down to earth the Marshall community is. Through my interactions with current
students Vanessa Wong, Amanda Yodowitz and Siddhartha Reddy, I was amazed to know how
passionate and loyal alumni are to their alma mater and how they go out of their way to help students by
taking out time for mock interviewsand case practice, as well as connecting them to industry elite. I have
always believed in giving back to the community and helping people, most importantly in a time of crisis.
I led teams of volunteers in the relief and rescue operations following severe flash floods in Uttarakhand,
India. Residents of the town of Uttarakashi were rescued by installing zip lines across a river and were
then given shelter in a Temple where food, clothing, and medicines were provided around the clock. I
helped negotiate with authorities to provide generators and supply food and other critical items, even as
the roads had been decimated.

After completing my MBA from Marshall, I would like to work in an Operations Management role at a
high-tech firm. I am attracted to the innovation occurring within the high-tech industry. Existing products
are being updated frequently and new revolutionary and game changing ones such as Google Glass are
being introduced. I find the journey of the product, from concept development to the end user experience,
to be fascinating. On a personal level I would like to improve my interpersonal, presentation, and multitasking skills. I believe the Marshall MBA program will give me the tools to fully understand the
relationships between different functions within a business and allow me to achieve my long-term goal of
working in a leadership position at a high-tech firm.
By achieving the above goals, I would be better equipped to contribute to the highly respected Trojan
Network and add value to it. In class I can present a multi-pronged view of how different industries
approach a business problem and my classmates will greatly benefit from my diverse experiences. I can
also guide students who want to start a venture by highlighting some of the challenges an entrepreneur
faces and how to assemble an efficient cross-functional team of professionals with diverse expertise. As a
student and future alumni, I would like to strengthen the USC Marshall brand in India by organizing
information sessions and coffee chats where alumni can educate prospective students about the Marshall
MBA program. Upon graduating from Marshall, I would educate my peers in the industry about the
strength of the Marshall Program in different business functions, and would encourage them to recruit for
these roles and thus making Marshall a prominent force in business. I would also like to make the alumni
network in my country more cohesive by strengthening the USC Marshall Alumni India chapter so that
alumni can reach out to each other for business opportunities and share their expertise and knowledge
with one another.