Jani Pierre enrolled in the One-Year MBA program sight unseen.
The Bimini, Bahamas, native knew she wanted to pursue an MBA after completing undergraduate
studies in Maryland. She was intrigued by the one-year program offered by the Palumbo-Donahue
School of Business and contacted the admissions team.
Jani was drawn to the program鈥檚 curriculum, travel opportunities and emphasis on experiential
learning. She confirmed her place in the incoming class having never visited Duquesne
or Pittsburgh.
With just a few days off between receiving her bachelor鈥檚 degree and starting the
graduate program, Jani鈥檚 nerves began to build. Luckily, her family traveled to the
United States from The Bahamas to attend her college graduation, and they took the
trip with her from Maryland to Pittsburgh.
鈥淚 was accepted and had a moment of realization that I had to move,鈥 said Jani. 鈥淚
have no family in Pennsylvania; I don鈥檛 have a car. I was very nervous but found a
community of people who took care of me.鈥
Jani bonded with her cohort and appreciated the time and effort they gave to ensure
that she felt at home. They helped her look for an apartment, gave her rides to off-campus
activities and invited her to lunch and other social events. Jani quickly learned
that these were the types of supportive, inspiring relationships she hoped to gain
throughout her professional life.
鈥淭hey took away that scary feeling of being here by myself,鈥 said Jani. 鈥淭hey helped
me feel at home, at peace and stable.鈥
As she became comfortable in Pittsburgh, Jani found that David Fortna, professional
development coach for the One-Year MBA students, was always in her corner, and she
relied on his guidance and support. Together, they set Jani鈥檚 goals鈥攐ne of which was
to put herself out there more and to say 鈥測es鈥 more often.
鈥淚鈥檓 shy and reserved,鈥 said Jani. 鈥淥ften I鈥檇 rather be in the background and in my
comfort zone.鈥
When an opportunity arose to consult with VELO.ai, a start-up that promotes situational
awareness for cyclists using an audio and visual alert system, Jani had a chance to
trust in her potential and say yes.
鈥淎t first I wondered if I was capable of doing this by myself,鈥 said Jani. 鈥淏ut I
told myself I had to give it a go.鈥
Jani worked closely with the team on market forecasts and strategies to help them
reach new target markets. She even partnered with them throughout their run in the
Duquesne New Venture Challenge, an entrepreneurship competition awarding cash and service prizes to help start-ups
jumpstart their businesses. The VELO.ai team placed third out of more than 130 entrants.
Jani gained additional consulting experience through a partnership with international
client Henkel Company. She was tasked with creating company-wide initiatives to raise
awareness about sustainability.
鈥淲e worked with different people and on cross-functional teams,鈥 said Jani. 鈥淎 big
part of the experience was teamwork, navigating how to work with others and being
part of a different culture.鈥
Alongside classmates, Jani traveled to Henkel鈥檚 offices in Croatia to share her recommendations.
Jani鈥檚 presentation was a success, and she cheered on classmates as they presented
to international clients in Italy and Slovenia.
鈥淕etting to see how things work on a different side of the world was a really good
experience,鈥 she said.
Following graduation, Jani hopes to work in marketing consulting and research in Pittsburgh.
鈥淚 really don鈥檛 want to move again,鈥 she laughed. 鈥淚 think I鈥檒l stick around for a
while longer.鈥
Jani encourages others to pursue the One-Year MBA at Duquesne and to take advantage
of the many opportunities that have enriched her life over the past 12 months. 鈥淚t
seems like I鈥檝e done a lot in a year, but it鈥檚 been a lot of good stuff in that time,鈥
she said. 鈥淚 feel like I just got here.鈥
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