Hi Dylan –
FEMBA has flown by. Here are my five top memories from FEMBA.
1) I learned to drive a stick shift for the first time – in Finland. Robert Schneider, James Biskey and I were all visiting our GAP company, Primoceler, when I told them I’d never driven a stick shift. They immediately pulled over, handed me the keys and made me learn the hard way. They had a natural Good Cop/Bad Cop approach – Robert expressing his fatherly disappointment at all the gear grinding and James with his usual enthusiastic encouragement. I now know how to drive a stick – and with confidence!
2) Santiago Chile – after a long restless week of meeting with copper executives, the sharpest financiers in Latin America, Government Economic Officials, Artists, and many other friends of Professor Sebastian Edwards we took a trip to the Chilean Andes for some horseback riding. Not only was this a breath-taking once in a lifetime experience, but it was a great opportunity to relax, drink wine, and really open up and get to know both FEMBA and Full Time Classmates. It was on this trip that I met Neil Mahoney and Robert Schneider for the first time. 6 Months later when we were forming GAP teams, the initial “Dream Team” I attempted to form fell apart and I became a GAP orphan looking for a team – it was Robert and Neil that took me in.
Here we are, L-R, Neil Mahoney, Robert Schneider and me.
Robert Schneider and me.
The local scenery.
When in Chile, eat like the locals.
3) Giving a proper Power Point Presentation – not only was McCann and Dylan’s class fun and entertaining – the content was both extremely useful and immediately applicable. I had the opportunity to give a presentation at my company’s corporate office several weeks after the course finished and went all out with relating to the audience, hooking them into my presentation and using good, convincing power point slides to make my case. I told Dylan that I felt like I was somehow cheating because this course gave such an advantage.
4) Self Validation – my undergraduate academic experience was somewhat of a rocky one. I definitely took full advantage of the “optional essay” to explain what a changed man I was and how hard I’d work if given the chance to come to Anderson. I was just as surprised as I was overjoyed when I got the phone call telling me I was accepted and have viewed the opportunity to come here as an academic re-birth. 3 years later I’m graduating top 15% Anderson Honor Society and GAP Fellow. I can honestly say I went all out and definitely left it all on the field! The work ethic, confidence, organization and “make each day your masterpiece” mentality will definitely stay with me as I approach the next phase of my life and career.
5) Just because life gets busy does not mean that the most important things in life come to a halt. While the days of coming home from work, cracking open an ice cold beer and plopping down on the couch to watch the Padre game without a care in the world are long long long gone, my wife Rose and I have made many new friends both in and out of the FEMBA Program and reached many life milestones – most important of which was when we welcomed our daughter Clara into this world last year. Things definitely became very stressful, but the funny thing was that many of my classmates were hitting the same life milestones, and dealing with the same stress – there was always somebody else to talk to that knew exactly what it felt like to juggle parenthood, work and school. It was a tough, rigorous and exhausting experience and we are all stronger because of it!
Graduating is bittersweet! Thank you for being part of such a wonderful program and life experience.
Adam Schleyhahn
[Dylan: Thanks Adam. Sorry it took me all week to post this. We released admission decisions today. And, it was worth it to wait for the family photo. Save the best for last! Congratulations and enjoy Commencement tomorrow!]
Dylan Stafford, Assistant Dean 