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My name is Susanna Wright and I’ll be continuing our MBA Blog for the for the next academic year.  I moved to Boulder from Ohio in June of 2016.  Before coming back to school full-time, I worked as a plant manager for an animal feed mill.  After spending seven years in the Midwest in plant operations, I was ready for a career—and location—change. 

For me personally, one of the biggest selling points about the Leeds’ MBA Program was the location.  I love being outdoors and had recently gotten interested in backpacking and rock climbing; not exactly ideal hobbies for someone that lives in the middle of cornfields.  Because of this, I only looked at high-caliber MBA programs with mountains, specifically focusing on Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.  Of these programs, Leeds was the best fit for me—it is the in Colorado, and the in the United States.  The campus visit really sold me on the program; the school vibe was relaxed (no one dressed in suits!) but the classroom discussion was intense.

Before starting the program, I took some time off and spent about a month backpacking the Colorado Trail.  It was an amazing experience and a great mental reset to prepare myself for going back to school!

Within the program, I’m focusing on a developing my skills for a future career in marketing.  I had the opportunity to work two different internships this past summer, which got me experience at a large non-profit in the tech industry, and in the Organics + Natural’s space at a startup.  Both of these opportunities came from networking throughout the year; I can’t overemphasize how important it is to network.

One thing I’ve learned since coming back to school is that I love planning events and getting people together.  There are so many things that I want to do and experience in Colorado—and since starting the program, I’ve had 90 friends to go on adventures with!  Because of this, the VP of Social Relations was a natural fit for me.  My unofficial (and more embraced title) is the official Fun Captain of the MBA’s.  I’ve been working closely with our to plan a variety of events throughout the year to get everyone together.  We’re doing some tried-and-true events, like attending a Rockies game, and also some new ones—like going hiking with llamas!  I’m looking forward to another awesome year and getting to know a new cohort of classmates.