Durham Business School, Durham University

Hanna Chrysostom, graduated 2010

My journey to Durham Business School started two years before I even dreamed of doing an MBA. I had just moved to an international organisation in Barbados, as one of its in-house counsels, when I met a colleague, mentor and now close friend who was then pursuing the Executive Durham MBA in Barbados. Whilst working on a particular project I discovered that I needed to retool through an MBA of merit and one with a program that drew from the current global business environment with relevance and resonance for candidates from any market or industry. After hearing the reviews from my friend and noting the school's global reputation Durham Business School became the obvious choice. And I have no regrets!

One of the highlights of the Durham MBA was the boardroom activity. It was an intensive yet exhilarating experience. It was a fantastic way of gaining insight into the ins and outs of a boardroom; learning how to manage competing resources and arriving at strategies that challenged and stretched a company's capabilities.

The second highlight for me was the fact that I did not have to do an academic dissertation. We were given the opportunity to self-source a business project or opt for one that the Business School sourced. The depth and scope of the business projects from the School was phenomenal, and all were interesting and challenging. I was able to apply all my knowledge, skills and tools that I acquired on the programme to the business project and it was pleasure to see the fruits of my learning in action.

It would be remiss of me if I omitted to mention the Leading Edge Programme. This (professional development) programme began with a fun-filled residential weekend and ended with the Finale Day. The co-ordinators of the programme worked assiduously to ensure that we not only had fun but that we were exposed to a rich breadth of opportunities and events such as the London City Tour (visiting businesses and organizations), the Institute of Directors meeting in London, guest speaker series, career guidance and interview skills, effective communication workshops etc. They worked closely with the very active Alumni so that we attended as many networking events as possible.

My time at Durham Business School was one filled with hard work, challenging experiences and lots of fun. I met and became friends with an amazing group of people from different countries and the time spent here was worth it. I am definitely proud to say that I am the holder of a Durham MBA!