Interview with MSBA Graduate with New Job

Anatole Doak took the time to speak with us about his position at World First Foreign Exchange. Anatole graduated from the MSBA program in May 2014 and has already seen great success. We are proud of his accomplishments and wish him the best in all his future endeavors. 

Anatole Doak - MSBA class of 2014

Tell us a little about the company.

I work at World First on the business development team.  World First is an international payments company.  The service we provide is wire transfers from companies here in the United States to those overseas.  We convert foreign currency and transfer the money to overseas accounts.


What do you do at World First?

My job involves lead sourcing, calling prospects, on-boarding them until they sign up and then transitioning them over to our relationship management team.


How did the CUA MSBA program help prepare you for this career?

Coming from a liberal arts background,I didn't know too much about business.  The MSBA program gave me the tools I needed to understand clients and companies and be able to develop relationships with clients. 

What stands out from the program that helped you obtain this position?

What helped me the most was definitely the networking aspect.  I met so many people and every opportunity I had was through networking; the MSBA program really stressed that.  I knew somebody who worked at my company and I was able to reach out to her.  We spoke and I was able to apply for this job.

Can you share a favorite memory?

We went bowling one night in New York and really got to know everyone in the program.  I also remember finals in the spring.  We all studied in Professor McHie's office and he would would come in and hang out with us and we'd order pizza.  It was a great experience because everyone was trying to get their stuff done and it was great to see everyone getting things accomplished.  

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CUA MSBA and San Miguel School DC

MSBA interns play a key role in helping to plan the Annual Scholarship Benefit—the school’s major fundraiser. This past year, Laura Caporaletti (’14) was assisted by Pat Fricchione (’15) in organizing the event. Over 400 people attended the fundraiser at Congressional Country Club, which brought in $250,000 of revenue. This year, both Stew McHie, Director of the MSBA program, and Mary Kate Kelly, Corporate Relations Manager, attended San Miguel School’s most successful Scholarship Benefit to date.

Catholic University’s MSBA program is unparalleled in preparing students for careers in both the private and public sectors. Firmly rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, the MSBA program instills students with the value of service—especially service to those in need. The MSBA partnership with San Miguel School is just one of many ways the MSBA program and its students embody the virtue of service.

San Miguel School was founded in 2002 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers to serve Latino boys in the greater DC area. The school is part of the larger Nativity Miguel movement, a nationwide effort of more than 50 elementary and middle schools offering a holistic and faith-based education to inner city and under-served communities. Currently, San Miguel DC teaches 65 boys, grades 6^th through 8^th, whose families live at or below the poverty line.

As an independent and tuition-free school, San Miguel raises 98% of its operating revenue from individuals, foundations, businesses, and anti-poverty programs. The development office has reached out to the MSBA program for qualified and dedicated interns to assist with fundraising efforts. MSBA students have interned with San Miguel for the last four years. 

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Esuh MSBA 2014: The Beauty of Cameroon

Mercy is a member of our MSBA 2014 cohort. Be sure to check out her blog and in the meantime, enjoy her guest post about her native country.

Esuh MSBA 2014: The Beauty of Cameroon: My name is Mercy, and I am from Cameroon (in French it is Cameroun). I love my country and I cannot wait to visit it for the first time since coming to U.S. I came to America with my grandmother, sister, and brother to join my mother. I can recall my first time in America, we stopped briefly at McDonald, and I can recollect me and my siblings wasting the hamburgers and fries my mother had bought for us. This was because our taste buds were not yet accustomed to the difference in texture and taste of the various foods in the U.S.A. We was used to eating coconut jolloff rice, fufu and eru, suya, and burning fish. Oh how I miss Cameroon by just imagining these delicious delicacies. Although most of the foods use to create these dishes are currently being imported into the U.S.A; as with every food, it is never the same as home. Cameroon is located in West Central Africa, and it has over 24 ethnic languages. Cameroon is one of the ONLY countries in the world divided by language. Half speak French and the other half speak English. Although I was born in the French side, but before I was able to articulate words fully, we moved to the English side. That is why my first language is English, my ethnic language Bakoussi, Pidgin, and then French. Cameroon is not only prosperous in its foods and languages, but the people that live there have beauty within them as with its surroundings.

Coconut Jollof rice

Fufu and Eru

Burning Fish and Meyondo with Pepper

My people are full of live, and children must always respect their elders. No matter if you are related to an individual or not, you MUST insert uncle or aunty before the individual's name. Not only that, but every ethnic group has its various customs and beliefs, but one thing that is universal is when a lady is ready to leave her mother’s house, the man in question MUST pay her bride price. The traditional wedding is what is considered marriage in the eyes of my people. Even abroad, we still respect these customs. Traditional before white wedding. 

Famous Soccer Player Samuel Eto'o Fils

An Example of a Cameroon Traditional Marriage in the U.S.A

For its landmarks, Cameroon is known for the Waza National Park in the North. Here, you will take a safari adventure to view all the wild animals in Africa. Popular cities that I recommend you visit, include Yaounde (the Capital), Douala, Mfou, and Mbalmayo. These cities have a lot to offer in things to do as well as the beauty they exude. If you need a place to stay during your stay, I recommend Saddle Hill Ranch. It is a government resort that will pertain to your needs. And if you want to relax by the beach, don't forget to stop by Limbe and sip a bottle of Top or Djino as you devour the burning fish Limbe is so famous for.

The Waza National Park

Yaounde (Capital)

An Example of  a Village in Mfou

Saddle Hill Ranch

 

Thank you for guest-posting, Mercy! How lucky we are to have students from such diverse parts of the world.

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MSBA Student Has Job at Non-Profit

Laura Caporaletti, a 2013 MSBA graduate, is a Mission Partner for the Dynamic Catholic Institute. The Dynamic Catholic Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to reengage disengaged Catholics. They create and provide world class resources to explain the Catholic faith in a simple but engaging way. 

Laura took the time to talk to us and give us some more information about her job and the ways the MSBA program prepared her for her career.

Q: Tell us a little bit about what you do in your position:

 

A: "I work on the development team – we call the it the mission team. I work more so on the donor cultivation side. My role as a mission partner is to work with donors called ambassadors who give on a monthly basis. I work to cultivate relationships with them and make sure they’re kept in the loop with what we’re doing and to make sure they know they’re part of the team as well."

Q: How did this CUA MSBA program help prepare you for this career?

A: "It did in so many ways. First of all, the internship I had while in the MSBA program is the only reason I'm qualified for this job.  I interned at San Miguel School and worked in development there. It was there that I learned the ins and outs of non-profit organizations, about the databases and software that development teams use and the language that goes along with raising money for a good cause. I learned through that internship that I have a passion and natural skill set for this type of work. 

I definitely gained a technical skill set from MSBA classes I took as well.  The year in itself taught me importance of discipline and hard work.  The MSBA program gave me the confidence to go out and get what I wanted. I followed Matthew Kelly, the CEO of Dynamic Catholic, for a long time. Coming out of undergrad, I didn’t have confidence in the skill set I had or to apply. But after the MSBA program, I knew I could do it because I knew I understood business, and good non-profits are run like a business."

Q: What stands out from the program that helped you get a job?

A: "Truly, the reason I got this job was because of the network I gained while in the program. Professor Phil Brach is so amazing and it turned out that he knew a speaker that has worked closely with Dynamic Catholic Institute.  He introduced me to the speaker, and the speaker introduced me to my boss now. You gain such an expansive network in the MSBA program and that was crucial in getting this job."

Q: What is your favorite memory from the program?

A: "The new York trip. The week was awesome and a wonderful time to bond with everybody. We had a blast. In the evenings we would socialize,  but we were working really hard during the day seeing companies and meeting higher-ups. The trip was very eye opening.  It made us feel like the world was our oyster and we could go anywhere, and Professor McHie gave that to us. That’s half the battle – people feeling limited in themselves –  and this program opened up the doors for us."

We are proud of your success, Laura, and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

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Blog feature

Awesome blog post and by current MSBA student Rachel Coffman and a great response by many of her classmates (make sure to check out her blog here). Time management is always of utmost importance, but is not always easy. It's so nice to see our cohort acting as positive influences and supporting each other. Keep up the good work, everyone!

Coffman MSBA 2014: Accounting.....: Start of a new week in the lovely MSBA program! Can we always have Monday's off? Just kidding, how could we have Quant and Leadership that way?! Sunday night was rough I think for most of us regarding the Quant homework...but I'm proud of us for making it through! I love how quickly our group chat turned into constant messages with each other. It doesn't always have to be about homework (Sunday it mostly was...) but regarding how we all communicate with each other I think we are doing really well. At least for myself I did not expect us to dive head first into this program so quickly, but I'm really glad we did. I'm already starting to learn so many new things, and lately every time a friend or family member of mine asks me about this program I always tell them the same thing. I say it is so refreshing to have all of the classes you are taking be something that you are interested in and actually want to learn. Personally, my undergrad was filled with filler courses and endless boring PowerPoint slides made up of material I knew I did not want to carry out in my career. I know in college you do have to go through those classes, however, the MSBA program is not like that. It is great to know that these classes all consist of specific goals with learning materials aiming for us to thrive in whichever aspect of business we decide to pursue. In this program we are all so motivated and you can tell we all want to succeed. I think that just pushes us that much further. Now with this accounting quiz tomorrow...I should go study...

6 comments:

1. Stewart McHieSeptember 10, 2014 at 8:17 AM

   Good
   luck on that quiz Rachel! Just remember that you can all master this
   stuff, especially quant and accounting. Simple but not easy. And the
   satisfaction you'll derive from conquering these courses will be
   immense. I've see it happen in four successful MSBA classes now.
2. Victoria CapozuccaSeptember 12, 2014 at 12:57 PM

   Rachel,
   I feel the same way! It's so refreshing knowing that every person is
   trying their hardest and it makes everyone work even harder. Also,
   working on Quant last week made something intimidating turn into a fun
   time!
3. Carissa NguyenSeptember 14, 2014 at 1:55 PM

   Hi
   Rachel! I am also very glad about the group chat that we all have
   established. It really opens up the lines of communication... Both
   educationally and socially! It feels comforting to know that I am not
   the only person feeling a little overwhelmed with the change in
   curriculum since undergrad; I am sure, however, that with each others'
   help we will all make it through!
   
   Now to send some silly emoji into the Groupme...
   
   See you in class and stay strong! Currently working on quant...
   
   Carissa
4. Caitlin TreuthSeptember 16, 2014 at 5:46 PM

   Rachel
   I really enjoy how you post the same way you talk. It makes it much
   more personable to read! I totally agree about the relevance of the
   classes! Why did I take art history in undergrad? Who benefited from
   that? No one lol. But with the program this are all useful skills (even
   though there are some I will happily delegate to some other well paid
   employee)
5. Julie BrownellSeptember 16, 2014 at 11:10 PM

   Rachel!
   I completely agree with Caitlin's statement above, in that I could
   literally hear your voice as I was reading your blurb! I like how this
   post is so down to earth. Also ironic that it is entitled "Accounting,"
   since we just spent 5 million years doing those journal entries in the
   library!
   
   See you tomorrow! Good luck at work in the morning!
6. Pilarski - MSBA 2014September 17, 2014 at 8:07 AM

   Hi
   Rachel, I really liked that you touched on how the MSBA classes have
   this goal-oriented unity to them. Already, we have seen different
   concepts like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs come up in both Managing the
   Enterprise and Marketing. Since we are taking six classes this semester,
   it is so helpful to see the same concepts reinforced throughout our
   classes, even though we might be learning about it from a different
   perspective. I often think back to orientation, when we were trying to
   put together the puzzle that had the diagram of all of our courses on
   it. It is fun to see how the classes we are taking now, are slowly
   shaping into the "bigger picture" as we are learning about so many
   different aspects of business.

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