Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California

Bianca Cornelio loved finance and working with numbers, so financial-management consulting with IBM upon receiving her bachelor’s degree seemed ideal. However, Bianca had a dream to fulfill -- getting an MBA. “I liked consulting but it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do, so I was looking for an opportunity to expand my skill set,” Bianca said. “Also, I was thinking I would stay in finance but I wanted to broaden my perspective; that’s what I expected from an MBA.”

Only one school offered all the opportunities she was looking for. After an undergraduate education at The College of William & Mary, one trip to Los Angeles and meetings with Marshall students and faculty cemented Bianca’s decision. “I loved everyone that I met at Marshall,” Bianca said. “I had never lived in Los Angeles but I loved my visit. Also, the connection to the Pacific Rim and the PRIME program are unique – PRIME was the only mandatory study-abroad MBA program I found when I was looking at schools.”

Once on campus, it didn’t take Bianca long to learn two more advantages of the Marshall experience – flexibility and the Trojan Network. Despite a budding career in finance, Bianca took interest in Marshall’s marketing program. Quickly determined to land a top marketing internship, Bianca experienced the power of the Trojan Network, ultimately connecting with three Trojan alumni at Nestle to prep for interviews with the food giant.

“Marshall gave me the mentors I needed to help prepare for the interview at Nestle,” Bianca said. “I started the process in August, got my interview in October and was offered an internship in November.” Through her internship, Bianca landed a full-time job at Nestle. It’s exactly what she wanted out of her MBA.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever thought of what my dream job would be, but this comes pretty close to what I wanted going into the program.”