The past three months have been a defining period in my MBA journey, marked by academic challenges, career breakthroughs, and personal milestones. Academically, I navigated a mix of engaging and frustrating courses while finalizing my Spring electives. On the career front, my internship search tested my patience, but persistence paid off as I secured a coveted Amazon PMT internship and an in-semester role at an AI startup. Beyond school and career, I took on new leadership responsibilities, deepened my social connections, and celebrated a major personal milestone—getting engaged to Aminah. With the stress of recruiting behind me, I’m now focused on making the most of the MBA experience.

Academics & Course Experience

Fall B was a mix of highs and lows. Marketing was easily my favorite course, blending qualitative and quantitative problem-solving in a way that resonated with me. Finance was useful but felt unnecessarily stretched over a full semester, while Business Communications was the least valuable course for me—I was relieved when it ended.I also finalized my Spring electives and successfully enrolled in:Deep Tech Innovation and Entrepreneurship, where I’ll collaborate with engineering and law students to consult for Outer Rim Exploration, a company focused on sustainable earth and space exploration technology.Corporate Innovation Sprint in Amsterdam, a hands-on opportunity to work with corporations in the Netherlands, marking my first visit to the country.Ethical AI Design, a subject I’ve been eager to explore further.With the start of Spring, Operations and Macroeconomics became my new core courses. While Operations turned out to be underwhelming, Macroeconomics has been engaging, offering practical insights with real-world applications. Both courses demand a lot of work, but I’m pushing through.

Career Development

This quarter was an emotional rollercoaster in my internship search. November was filled with anxiety as I faced two final-round interviews, each with three back-to-back sessions—six interviews in a single day. Despite solid conversations, I didn’t receive offers. I kept pushing, refining my pitch through mock interviews, and doubling down on applications and networking.By December, frustration set in. I advanced past the first round with Apple’s Siri Invocation team, but my pipeline dried up. Microsoft and ServiceNow had positive feedback but no open roles, adding to the uncertainty. The process was exhausting, and I was just hoping for a breakthrough.That breakthrough finally came in late January when I landed an internship with Amazon as a Sr. Product Management - Technical Intern. The relief was immense—not just because of Amazon’s prestige, but also because it meant I could finally step away from relentless job applications and focus on preparing for the role.Additionally, I took on an in-semester internship with Rumi Labs, a startup working on indexing streaming video content for AI training. The founders are incredibly smart, and I’m excited to gain hands-on experience in AI infrastructure and decentralized computing.This quarter tested my resilience, but I came out of it with two great opportunities—something I couldn’t have imagined just a few months ago.

Leadership & Personal Milestones

Outside academics and recruiting, I took on new leadership responsibilities. In November, I was elected VP of Technology for the MBAA (MBA Student Association), a role that will allow me to drive tech initiatives within the program while sharpening my leadership skills.Socially, I found myself shifting away from large MBA parties, preferring smaller, more meaningful gatherings. Thanksgiving was a highlight—I spent it with Nigerian classmates and professionals in the Bay Area, reinforcing the value of community.December was a standout month for many reasons. After securing my UK visa, I flew to London on Christmas Eve, unknowingly stepping into one of the most life-changing moments of my MBA journey. I was lucky to get upgraded to business class, but the real highlight came when I proposed to Aminah—and she said yes! Getting engaged made this one of the most memorable months of my life.January was a month of travel, football, and rediscovering old passions. I fulfilled a childhood dream by visiting Anfield to watch Liverpool FC play, explored London Business School for a potential exchange program, and got back into coding—something I hadn’t done in a while but enjoyed again, thanks to AI-powered coding assistants.

As I returned to Berkeley, I made a conscious effort to spend more time with friends and strengthen my relationships, now that the weight of internship recruiting is behind me.