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Graduate Ambassadors Connect with current Kogod Graduate Students

The Graduate Student Ambassador program connects applicants for our on campus programs with current students to learn why they chose Kogod. Click on a profile below to read graduate student testimonials in your program of interest.

Interested in connecting with one of our graduate ambassadors? Email kogodgrad@american.edu. Be sure to include which program you're interested in, which ambassador you'd like to connect with and any questions you have for an ambassador.

FIRST year MBA Program AMbassadors

  1. Stephanie Holzinger

    Stephanie Holzinger

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown:  Boca Raton, Florida
    Undergraduate Institution:  University of Central Florida
    Degree Held: BA in History
    Work Experience:  Former AmeriCorps VISTA. Five years in the education space. Managed an academic enrichment program for middle school youth in DC.
    Career Goals:  Nonprofit management, operations, and corporate responsibility initiatives.
    What I Value About Kogod:  Kogod clearly cares about every student and their professional development. In a learning environment where personal touch matters, Kogod succeeds in creating spaces that encourage deep thought and learning with a diverse group of perspectives and people.
  1. Carmisha Louis

    Carmisha Louis

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown: Germantown, MD
    Undergraduate Institution:  The Catholic University of America
    Degree Held:  B.S. in Business Administration, Concentration in Marketing
    Work Experience: Associate Account Manager, Vivabox Solutions
    Career Goals: To continue in the marketing field, but as a Brand Manager, Product Manager or Marketing Manager.
    What I value About Kogod: My supportive and diverse cohort as well as the many resources that are available at KSB.
  1. Marie Mbaga

    Marie Mbaga

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown: Lyon, France
    Previous Institutions: University of New England; Bamako Medical School, Mali
    Degrees Held: Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Medical Doctorate (MD)
    Work Experience: Two years of medical practice as a family physician and three years of project management experience. Managed projects for nonprofit organizations, including USAID projects. Consulted for international organizations such as UN Women. 
    Post MBA Career Goals: Working in the pharmaceutical industry or going back into nonprofit management. 
    What I Value About Kogod: KSB has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. The school recognizes diversity as an added value to the business curriculum provided. 
  1. Josh Mearkle

    Josh Mearkle

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown: Everett, PA
    Undergraduate Institution: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
    Degree Held: BS in Geology
    Work Experience: Oil and Gas Industry. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals: Finance/ Wealth Management.
    What I Value About Kogod: The great cohort and professors!

     

  1. Scott Schneider

    Scott Schneider

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown: Basking Ridge, NJ
    Undergraduate Institution: Southern Methodist University
    Degree Held: BA in Markets and Culture
    Work Experience: Five years in the hospitality industry at several DC properties, focusing mainly in sales and operations management. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals:  To work in loyalty program management, ideally within the travel space. Brand marketing and product management are also areas of professional interest.
    What I Value About Kogod:  The Faculty, Career & Development, and Admissions staff are incredibly resourceful and have been extremely supportive during my time at Kogod; they truly see a path for success in every student and are willing to invest the time necessary to help them reach their goals.
  1. Trinity Sheppard

    Trinity Sheppard

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown:  Frederick, Maryland
    Undergraduate Instituion:  Stevens Institute of Technology
    Degree Held: BS  Information Systems
    Previous Work Experience: Senior Consultant, IBM. Connect with me on Linkedin
    Career Goals:  To continue as a consultant in the technology field.
    What I Value About Kogod:  My diverse cohort, and the support I get from my classmates and Kogod staff.

SEcond year MBA Program AMbassadors

  1. Kogod first year MBA Ambassador Carlos Aguirre

    Carlos Aguirre

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
    Undergraduate Institution: Louisiana State University (LSU) Baton Rouge, LA
    Degree Held: B.A International Studies & Political Science
    Experience: 3 years in Correspondent Banking and Trade Finance
    What I value about Kogod: I don't feel like a number. I've gotten to meet the faculty and staff while sharing my career goals and the ways to get me there. 

  1. Nigel Buoga

    Nigel Buoga

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Undergraduate Institution: Drake University (Des Moines, IA)
    Employment Experience: 3 yrs in the Army & 3 yrs in IT
    Kogod Decision Criteria: Prior relationship with Kogod faculty and appreciated the ease of access to professors
    What I Value About Kogod: The above and beyond effort put forth by staff and faculty to support the students

  1. Kogod Student Ambassador Mayra Medrano

    Mayra Medrano

    Masters in Business Administration (MBA)

    Undergraduate Institution: Herzing College
    Degree held: B.S. Business Administration, Concentration in Business Management
    What I value about Kogod: Approachable professors, access to professional resources, and supportive career advisors. 

  1. Kogod Student Ambassador Sarah Tebi

    Sarah Tebi

    MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)

    Undergraduate Institution: Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK
    Degree held: Communication Arts: Worship Arts
    What I value about Kogod: The small cohort, and the faculty and staff’s sincere willingness to connect with students and prepare them for success.

MS in Accounting AMbassadors

  1. Andrew Esposito

    Andrew Esposito

    MS in Accounting

    Hometown: Brick, New Jersey 
    Undergraduate Institution: American University
    Degree Held: BS in Business Administration, Accounting Major
    Work Experience: 4 years in the Marine Corps
    What I Value About Kogod: The professors and the advising team go above and beyond to enhance the student's learning experience.
  1. Madison Fishwick

    Madison Fishwick

    MS in Accounting

    Hometown:  Wallingford, Vermont
    Undergraduate Institution: American University
    Degree Held:  BS Business Administration with specializations in Finance & Accounting
    Work Experience: Audit Intern at WithumSmith & Brown. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals:  I am looking to start in public accounting, specifically audit. Open to other possibilities in the accounting/finance fields.
    What I Value About Kogod:  My favorite part about Kogod is all of the connections they offer! The faculty all have great connections to businesses in your field. Kogod also has the best networking events that have delicious(free) food!

     

  1. Lauren Lane

    Lauren Lane

    MS in Accounting

    Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland
    Undergraduate Institution: American University
    Degree Held: BS, Accounting
    Work Experience: Interned at PwC and will be joining them full time after I complete my masters degree! Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals: I hope to get my JD and LLM.
    What I Value About Kogod: Kogod is full of students and professors with different educational, personal, and professional backgrounds, which promotes a well-rounded educational experience.
  1. Sijie Song

    Joycee Song

    MS in Accounting

    Hometown: Weihai, China
    Undergraduate Institution: Shandong University of Finance and Economics
    Degree Held: BS in Accounting
    Work Experience:  Internship at Ernest&Young as an Auditing Assistant.
    Career Goals: To work at one of the Big-Four Accounting firms.
    What I Value About Kogod:  The faculty is very friendly and are always willing to provide support. In addition to help with courework, they also give career advice as well.
  1. Graduate Ambassador Rose Wu

    Rose Wu

    MS in Accounting

    Hometown: Guangxi Autonomous Region, China
    Undergraduate Institution: Anhui University
    Degree Held: BA, History
    Previous Work Experience: External Audit Intern with Xianghao Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd. for compliance audit in manufacturing and shipping industry.  Connect with me on Linkedin.
    What I Value About Kogod: Business-savvy professors, open-minded colleagues and supportive academic advising team. Kogod's inclusive community cares deeply about every student's professional and personal growth.

MS in Analytics

  1. Rui Huang

    Rui Huang

    MS in Analytics

    Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
    Degree Held: Business Administration and Management 
    Work Experience: Uber Eats on the bulk operations team, optimization and automation for restaurant onboarding processes. Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn!
    Why I chose Kogod: The location will assist me heavily in pursuing my career success. Located in one of the most international cities in the world, Kogod has a lot more to offer to the students than class itself. As an international student, the diversity here makes me feel like this is my home away from home. The harmonious atmosphere in D.C. always makes me feel welcome as well as comfortable with being myself.
    What I value most about Kogod: The professional and diverse backgrounds of the faculty members are definitely an invaluable resource. Their business-minded methodologies inspire me to stay open-minded and to be more socially-responsible.
  1. Aneesh Antal

    Aneesh Antal

    MS in Analytics

    Hometown:  Chandigarh, India
    Undergraduate Institution: Punjab Technical University
    Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication
    Work Experience: Before coming to US for my Masters I worked as an Android Application Developer. I started working in a Startup then later moved to Freelancing. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    What I value about Kogod: Tthe flexibility of choosing your courses, access to amazing resources such as Kogod Excellence Fund, and friendly faculty and staff.

 MS in Finance

  1. Sara Alkhodair prof. pic

    Sara Alkhodair

    MS in Finance

    Hometown:  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
    Undergraduate Institution:  American University
    Degree Held:  BS in Finance and Minor in International Relations
    Work Experience:  Intern at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Egypt, Finance Trainee at Golden Eagle Development, and experience in the Product Development Department of AlMarai conglomerate Company. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals:  Consulting, Financial Services, Real Estate, and open to different opportunities in the Finance and Accounting industry.
    What I Value About Kogod:  Kogod School of Business is unlike any other school at American University. There is something different about the glass doors that bring you into Kogod from the outside world. Almost like a portal taking you back home. Greeted by familiar and smiling faces, Kogod's students, faculty, and staff become family over the months. At Kogod, everyone is ready to help you and teach you tips and tricks! That is what makes Kogod so special, it’s ability to make you feel as if all of the students and faculty are your family. Helping you, pushing you to succeed, and making you grow into your best self.
  1. Solomon Okehi

    Solomon Okehi

    MS in Finance

    Undergraduate Institution: Southern New Hampshire University
    Degree Held: BS in Economics & Finance
    Work Experience: 5+ years as an accountant/income auditor in the hospitality industry.
    Why I chose Kogod: The DC location is great. The school is a renowned and highly regarded academic institution that has produced several successful alums like Gary Cohn, former president of Goldman Sachs, and Robert Kogod, a famous real estate investor in the DMV region.
    What I value most about Kogod: Experienced professors who worked on wall street as investment bankers and hedge fund managers, who therefore have first hand experience of what they teach . The professors and very friendly, approachable and always ready to help students with their work.

 MS in Marketing

  1. Barbara Nadolna

    Barbara Nadolna

    MS in Marketing

    Hometown:  Warsaw, Poland
    Undergraduate Institution:  Sewanee, The University of the South
    Degree Held:  BS International and Global Studies
    Work Experience:  1.5 yrs as Digital Marketing Assistant in the entertainment industry.
    Career Goals:  Long-term growth opportunity at an international company in the marketing consulting branch such as Deloitte or McKinsey.
    What I Value About Kogod:  Inclusivity. Kogod's diverse community and network is very helpful when it comes to enhancing personal or career focused relationships. The small cohort makes it easier for faculty to engage with everyone on a personal level making sure Kogod provides personalized opportunities for everyone's professional development.
  1. John Mulberger

    John Mulberger

    MS in Marketing

    Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia
    Undergraduate Institution:  Fairleigh Dickinson University
    Degree Held:  BS in Business Administration
    Work Experience:  Pride Products, Business Development intern. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals:  To use my MS Marketing degree to make contributions to the marketing efforts of an organization to achieve its objectives and make a contribution to society.
    What I Value About Kogod: Professors that have years of experience within their field and are ready to pass along their knowledge. Kogod's reputation stands out amongst others as a global leader in business education. The MS Marketing program allows me to achieve a masters in less than a year.

MS in Real Estate

  1. Rodrigo Diaz

    Rodrigo Diaz

    MS in Real Estate

    Hometown: Bolivia
    Credentials Held:  Bachelors Degree in Economics, Argus Enterprise Certification
    Work Experience:  9 years at Murillo Malnati Group, a Washington DC real estate development company.  Owner of Cofla Services LLC. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    What I Value About Kogod:  The personalized learning experience due to the low faculty to student ratio and the diversity of the student body.
     
     
  1. Robert Ladov

    Robert Ladov

    MS in Real Estate

    Undergraduate Institution: American University
    Degree Held: BS in Business Administration (in progress at Kogod)
    Work History: Summer Associate at The KRE Group in Jersey City, NJ. Marketing and New Business Development at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in Washington, D.C.
    Why I chose Kogod:  Located in Washington DC while still having the feel of a traditional college campus. I also appreciate the program flexibility and wide breadth of majors, minors, and specialization options available to me.  
    What I value about Kogod: The dedication of our academic advising team. They are always willing and able to bend over backwards to ensure that you get exactly what you want in terms of your degree and overall education experience. 

MS in Sustainability Management

  1. KSB Grad Student ambassador Kira Austin-Dumaine

    Kira Austin-Dumaine

    MS in Sustainability Management

    Undergraduate Institution: University of Delaware
    Undergraduate Degree: MS in Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management
    Employment Experience: 11 years with Hyatt Hotels, 2 years self-employed, 3 years with World Resources Institute
    Kogod Decision Criteria: I have a drive to combine sustainability and business management. Kogod is the perfect intersection of these fields, with the important addition of in-person classes and real connections. 
    What I value about Kogod: Access to knowledgeable and passionate professors, and introductions to industry leaders working with corporate / social responsibility. 

  1. Andrea Villagomez

    Andrea Villagomez Martinez

    MS in Sustainability Management

    Hometown:  Mexico City, Mexico
    Undergraduate Institute:  Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico City
    Degree Held: BA in Psychology
    Work Experience: Sustainable Projects Coordinator at Fundación Azteca, one of Mexico’s leading non-profit foundations. Mainly developed alliances and partnerships to promote the conservation of the Lacandona Rainforest in Chiapas. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals: To work with public & private organizations to achieve ambitious sustainability goals that ensure environmental conservation.
    What I Value About Kogod:  The professors and staff are always ready to help. The networking opportunities provided within AU and with organizations in DC.

     

  1. Clara Maria Iglesias

    Clara Iglesias

    MS in Sustainability Management

    Hometown:  Santa Fe, Argentina
    Undergraduate Institution: Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)
    Degree Held: BA, Chemical Engineering; BA, Music Education.
    Work Expereince: ABInBev, Inventory and Warehouse Analyst focusing on continuous improvement in the warehouse and KPIs analysis. Research Assistant at INCAPE (UNL-CONICET), in nanomaterials' optimization regarding environmental and economic sustainability. Connect with me on Linkedin.
    Career Goals: Becoming an entrepreneur and developing an innovative sustainable product or service to drive change in our society.
    What I Value About Kogod: Challenge for innovation and up-to-date knowledge in every subject. Numerous opportunities to network.
  1. Kogod Student Ambassador Jessica Chapman

    Jessica Chapman

    MS in Sustainability Management

    Undergraduate Institution: American University
    Degree Held: International Relations/Environmental Studies 
    Employment Experience: I am currently the General Manager of the Davenport Coffee Lounge in the School of International Service, where I am always working to incorporate new sustainable business practices. 
    What I value about Kogod: I value the professors and their commitment to our development, as well as the networking opportunities and curriculum. 
     

  1. Maverick

    Maverick Perez

    MS in Sustainability Management

    Hometown: Elizabeth, NJ
    Undergraduate Institution: Kean University
    Degre Held: Bachelors, Global Business
    Work Experience: Key Account Manager for a Global Logistics company.
    What I value About Kogod: The supporting tools and resources they provide to help you become the best version of yourself.

 MS in Taxaton

  1. john duggan

    Jonathan Duggan

    MS in Taxation

    Undergraduate Institution: The University of Georgia

    Degree Held: B.S.F.C.S. in Financial Planning
    Work Experience: I am a Senior Associate, Financial Planner at Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney. I hold the Certified Financial Planner™ certification.
    Kogod Decision Criteria: I desired to further my abilities in the integration of tax planning and wealth management at a school that would rapidly expand my network, challenge my technical capabilities, and assist me in developing an innate, conceptual understanding of taxation. 
    What I Value Most About Kogod: Accessibility. I consistently have opportunity for direct and meaningful dialogue with both my peers and professors. 
  1. Matt Radford

    Matthew Radford

    MS in Taxation

    Undergraduate Institution: Penn State University
    Degree Held: B.S. in Accounting
    Work Experience: 12+ years at CohnReznick LLP. Currently a Partner in the Notional Tax Dept. Also a licensed CPA in Maryland.
    Why I chose Kogod and what I value most:  I decided to attend Kogod in order to augment the knowledge that I’ve acquired on-the-job over the past decade. Although my job provides me with ample opportunities to work on challenging and highly technical issues, I appreciate that the MST classes broaden my horizon and expose me to tax concepts and issues that don’t occur frequently in my client base. Further, I’ve found that even in the courses where I have substantial background knowledge due to my client experiences/career, I still learn new concepts and develop a better understanding of concepts that I thought I already fully understood. It’s this general experience (i.e., the classes always have something to offer no matter how familiar one may be with the subject matter) that I find most valuable.