Full-time MBA | Tiffaine Stephens

Technically, it's not NYC, but I love living in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. I live among a variety of Caribbean natives, which gives me a sense of home away from home. Although my family is only a train ride away in East Orange, NJ, it gives me comfort to know that I can walk down the street and around the corner for my favorite Guyanese meal. I'm about 10-15 minutes south of Prospect Park, which is the home of free concerts and food truck festivals during the warmer months.

My favorite class has been Leadership in Organizations taught by Nate Pettit. This is a must-take at Stern! The course is designed so that you are required to self-reflect on your leadership journey as well as discover various leadership principles through the case study method. Taking this class has made me aware of my strengths and opportunity for development as a leader, friend, and classmate.

I'm currently taking Tech and the City, which is an opportunity to support a start-up in NYC. As a group of 4, we have worked together to conduct customer listening, develop research methods, and share our point of view with our client. The in-class portion of the course is co-taught by Professor Arun Sundararajan and Albert Wenger, a managing partner at Union Square Ventures. The design of the class has exposed me to the various business problems start-ups consider and what it takes to be successful in such a competitive environment.

I've found a sense of community and support through my club involvement and through informal networks. As a Consortium Fellow, I had the chance to meet the rest of the fellowship members prior to starting school. This community has turned into a safe haven during my time here.

The highlight of my time at Stern (so far) has been getting to know my classmates outside of the classroom. From spring break in Tanzania to our Annual Passport day where students host a table that represents their ethnicity to the hilarious and talent-filled Follies Showcase - I am filled with so much pride to have the chance to know such multi-faceted people!

My biggest advice is to listen to your gut, tap into the community as much as possible (coffee chats, class visits, etc.), and go with what fits your personal and professional needs. Business school is a big commitment, and you want to make sure that you can make the most out of two years.

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