While students in the inaugural class of the Berkeley MBA for Executives Program come from a wide variety of backgrounds, they quickly connected to the Haas School's unique culture and four Defining Principles.
In interviews for Haas online student profiles, EMBA students consistently cited the Defining Principles as playing a key role in their decision to enroll in the program while also unifying the class.
Here is just a sampling of quotes from students on how the Defining Principles resonate with them:
Barry Behnken, Technical Fellow, Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif.:
“You can’t be a pathbending leader without Questioning the Status Quo. Reflecting on my career, my greatest successes came when I took major professional risks and had the moral courage to challenge convention. It’s a very different way of thinking about problems and solutions. I love that this philosophy is a central part of the Berkeley MBA.”
Jennifer Loo, VP, Finance, Planning & Analysis, LegalZoom, Los Angeles, Calif.:
“Thanks to the Confidence Without Attitude Defining Principle, I can honestly say there are no jerks among my classmates. We all have egos, but we are humbled by each other, honored to be studying together.”
David Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder, GigaGen, San Francisco:
"One thing the companies I’ve founded have in common is the goal of helping humanity through the medium of genomics. That’s a way of going Beyond Yourself."
Carmen Palafox, Non Profit Consultant, Los Angeles, Calif.:
“For me, Students Always means realizing that you can learn from anyone, at any time. Here at Haas, I am learning from my professors and GSIs, from my classmates, and from people in the Program Office.”
Laura Adint, Senior Director, West Coast Practice Operations, Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group, San Jose:
“It didn’t take long for me to realize that I had found my tribe among my classmates. Everyone brings something different to the program, but we have a lot in common: curiosity, intelligence, passion. I love the way Questioning the Status Quo happens naturally in our classroom discussions. We will start with the textbook solution to a problem, then someone will question the solution based on his or her real-world experience.”
Peter Yang, Senior Director, Corporate Development, Corel Corp., Mountain View, Calif.:
“No other executive MBA program talks about its values and culture in the way that Berkeley-Haas talks about its Defining Principles. The kind of values-based approach is a real differentiator and was very important to me in choosing an EMBA program.”