Pardon the Introduction

In this post I'd like to provide a short introduction of myself.  If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me.

My name is Nhiem Cao, and my background is in process engineering.  I have a degree in chemical engineering.  Most of my experience has been in the paper manufacturing industry.  I've made many different types of paper from inkjet printing papers, to grease resistent papers, to linerboard (the outside part of cardboard). 

I had always wanted to get an MBA from the time I got out of school.  However, when I got out of school I was a little burned out on school so I went to work.  All the while, I had the nagging desire to get my MBA.  I realized that my career options were getting more and more limited as I progressed along the career track that I was on.  That was when I decided it was time to get that MBA, so here I am.

I picked Walton over other schools for a variety of reasons.  The location is ideal, being so close to Walmart headquarters.  I knew this would provide many opportunities in the form of jobs as well as networking.  I also liked the relatively small class size (35-40 students) of the MBA program.  The facilities and faculty are also key points to why I am here. 

I'm only in the first semester of the program, but I can already see that I made the right decision.  I enjoy my classes, and the class is bonding quickly due to the relatively small size.  I've had many unique and very cool experiences since arriving on campus that I will chronicle in later posts.  Up to this point, I would have to say it's been a good time.  College has been much better the second time around.  I'm taking advantage of all the things I took for granted the first time. 

Opportunities

There are unique opportunities that arise from attending the Walton College of Business.  For example I recently had the opportunity to meet John Tyson, Chairman of the Board of Tyson Foods.  He came and spoke at one of my professional development classes.  There were only about a dozen students in this class, so this was truly a unique experience.  He greeted each of us individually and spent a couple hours answering our questions.  I doubt I could have an experience like this at any other business school.

John Tyson is in the front center in the white shirt.  

The location of the Walton College of Business also provides opportunities to work with many Fortune 500 companies due to the proximity of Walmart headquarters.  Many of the MBA students will be interning with these companies this summer.  

If you're thinking about getting your MBA, think about the opportunities that are unique to each institution.  These opportunities are part of the reason I chose Walton.

Hello World!

Well it's spring break for us and it's raining outside. The weather has been terrible this week. Our spring break is over half way over. It's been a roller coaster ride weatherwise. It started with snow last Saturday, which was also the first official day of spring. The snow continued through Sunday. Monday and Tuesday were pretty nice then the rain started yesterday.

Aside from the weather, it has been a nice break. We had our first round of midterms during the three weeks prior to spring break. It's been a while since I took a test so I had to learn how to study all over again. I'm just about back to form I think. The tests really weren't so bad. In the coming weeks we have several projects due then it'll be time for finals. Time seems to be flying by, I can't believe our first semester is almost over.

In upcoming posts I'll try to recap some of the highlights of this semester. I'll talk about some of the interesting events and aspects of the program. If there is anything in particular you would like to hear about just shoot me an email.