June 11, 2006
Goodbye and How to Reach Me
So as I promised I am indeed living it up in New York City! I have greatly enjoyed my first two weeks here. I have had the best pizza of my life, mastered the subway, and already seen a play and a comedy show. My internship at ABFE and HIP is going really well, and I expect that my summer as an SEO intern will indeed change my life.
This entry is going to be brief but meaningful as it my last for MBA Diversity--at least for two years anyway. Since I'm off to Ghana and then to my first year at the Kennedy School, the abounding wisdom and insight I have to share with all of you is not the most relevant. However, it has been an exhilarating journey. I have been so thrilled to receive comments from other students of color currently pursuing graduate degrees, in the process of applying, or simply people just stopping by to give some encouragement. Although I wasn't an MBA Diversity Fellow per se, my involvement with the organization as a blogger definitely impacted my perspective while applying. On more than one occasion I stayed up late at night reading Marquis' Stanford GSB blog, gaining inspiration for my own MBA Journey. Thank you, Keisha Dawn, for providing such a great venue for students of color to draw strength, encouragement, and advice from one another.
I want to make myself available to those out there who are about to embark on the journey to their MBA--especially those applying right out of undergrad as well as to young women and students of color. Feel free to email me at Kaneisha@gmail.com and we can email back and forth or set up a time to talk (that is if you catch me before or after Ghana).
To read about my adventures in New York City, Ghana, and my first year at the Kennedy School, check out my blog at www.xanga.com/kaneisha_deeaun or click here.
I hope to hear from you. You'll certainly be hearing from me!
Posted by kaneisha at 03:00 AM | Comments (0)
May 29, 2006
New York...
I've been in New York City since Thursday, and I am having a fabulous time. Since the day I arrived, I have had to dive head in to everything that is going on, and only today have I had enough time to sit back and reflect upon it all.
My arrival was a bit rocky. I spent a ridiculous hour-and-a-half in NYC traffic in a SuperShuttle from JFK Airport. Our driver held us captive in the shuttle forever as he inefficiently drove around in circles within a 5-mile radius dropping us off at our destinations in a seemingly random order.
A little frazzled but still excited, I arrived at my Midtown East apartment-style dorm, and dumped my stuff off. Although small, the room I share with my roommate Grace has a nice view and enough room for the both of us. My biggest complaint is that we don't have a full length mirror or a trash can. Anyway, I immediately discovered the 99 cent store across the street and headed there to buy cheap hangers and other first-day purchases. It was there that I experienced/witnessed my first NYC racially charged encounter. Basically, a Latino store employee was pestering a Black woman customer who was knocking things over during her frenzy of 99-cent shopping. Within five minutes, they exchanged a slew of horrendous racial epithets, and no one else in the store seemed to notice or care but me. It honestly reminded me of a scene from Crash. It wasn't pretty.
Saturday was my SEO Orientation and it was intense! Just to give you an idea of the hours, I left my apartment at 5:45 am and didn't get home until 9 pm! However, I can honestly say it was worth every minute. We had lots of phenomenal speakers that talked to us about survival in corporate America, the key to great networking, and the cultivation of outstanding work habits. SEO has extremely high standards, but from what the alumni have told us--and demonstrated through their success--is that the SEO Way definitely works. Some examples of SEO Philosophy is that we are expected to "work harder, faster, and ask for more" than the other employees at our firms. We are to arrive at least 20 minutes early to work and to every SEO engagement. We must make it a habit to be the first in, last out at work, receptions, etc. I was thrilled about getting SEO, but after being here and surrounded with 402 other amazing students of color has made me truly honored to be a part of SEO. I know that the lessons I am learning and the experiences, contacts, and friends I will gain through SEO will tremendously improve my readiness for graduate school.
My roommate Grace and I get along really well. We laugh a lot, have fairly similar socializing habits, and have plenty to talk about. She's doing the Accounting program in SEO, so we'll have a fairly similar work schedule.
I start work tomorrow, and I'm really excited!
Posted by kaneisha at 03:18 AM | Comments (0)