On Friday, May 23, about 500 students in the Full-Time and Evening & Weekend MBA programs will celebrate the end of their studies at Haas at 2 p.m. at the Greek Theatre. The number of graduates is evenly split between the two programs.
Commencement speaker Cathie Lesjak, MBA 86, CFO of Hewlett-Packard, will share the story of her rise within HP and discuss her experiences helping to lead one of the world’s largest tech companies.
During the ceremony, outstanding MBA students will receive awards for excellence in three areas: academic achievement, for the student with the highest GPA from each program; community service, for the Beyond Yourself fellows who contributed the most volunteer hours; and service and leadership, for full-time MBA students who made the greatest lasting impact in improving their community and the school.
Haas also will announce the winners of the Cheit teaching awards for faculty and graduate student instructors during the MBA commencement ceremony. (Please see related article about Cheit Award winners)
The job outlook for this year’s graduating class is strong, says Jennifer Bridge, director of MBA recruiting. “We continue to see demand from employers with new job opportunities in the technology, health care, and real estate industries,” Bridge says. “In the increasingly popular startup space, offers can take longer to materialize. Students need to dig deeper into their networks and be patient for the right opportunity to present itself.”
Bridge adds, “Some students are receiving multiple offers and accepting right away, while others are declining offers and holding out for the perfect opportunity; they’re interested in making the right decision, even if it means they have to wait a little bit longer.”