Full-time MBA graduates Antonia Freire and Jordan Friedman represent the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in Poets & Quants’ MBAs to Watch Class of 2022.

“I let things happen and the jobs came to me. I did not seek them,” that’s what Richard O’Neill says about his path to success.

My Smith education has been an exceptional resource for me throughout my career. Smith is essential to enhancing soft skills as much as imparting core curriculum. Classes like business strategy and negotiations have been extremely important to my career as a management consultant, and then later as an entrepreneur.

The Smith MBA program gave me the flexibility to get a degree without specialization. My focus had been finance and strategy, but as I worked at different roles within banking, the advanced courses in accounting and marketing that I’d taken in earlier semesters really helped.

After graduating from Smith I met several Smith alumni, both in the U.S. and China. Some of them helped me with work issues, some offered me jobs and still others connected me with business opportunities. There is a natural trust among Smith alumni. I’ve been amazed by how much the Smith Alumni Network has grown in China.

During my time with the Smith MBA program, I dreamt of being a consulting partner and I’m happy to have realized that dream. My goal is to mentor CFOs – especially those with start-ups – to help their companies progress and become profitable quickly.

On April 19, 2022, the Smith Analytics Consortium proudly kicked off its third annual Datathon sponsored by Deloitte, one of the consortium’s closest industry sponsors. The 9-day-long, data-focused competition provided University of Maryland students the opportunity to use their problem-solving, analytical, and data visualization skills.

When I graduated with my MBA, companies would ask me what I would like to do long term? I said I’d like to start my own company one day, but at the time it was only a pipe dream. As I approached my 40’s I realized it was now or never, and I started Simplotel. In that sense, I’m where I wanted to be with my career. My goals are to make Simplotel a global SaaS provider for hotels.

In this edition, first-year MBA Meg Gesner shares with us what it's like to work as an MBA intern at JP Morgan in Washington, D.C.

In this edition, first-year MBA Frances Ampah shares with us what it's like to work as an MBA intern at Verizon.