BranchOut! Meet co-presidents, Rebecca and Roy!
Rebecca Teresa Garcia – Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Why WashU – Olin FT MBA? I’ve wanted to attend WashU since touring schools at 15 for undergrad. While I ended up staying in my hometown for school, living in St. Louis now made it a no-brainer to attend such a quality program that met all of my qualifications: two year full-time, emphasis on globalization/cross-cultural exchange, ability to customize your experience, access to experiential learning, an opportunity to advocate for your student population via organizations and leadership, and a balanced cohort. I’m excited to be part of a program that is supportive and accepting of a queer, Latinx woman.
My Background Prior to my full-time career the majority of my internships were abroad, primarily in Seville, Spain (a youth exchange program,) and at a small franchise consulting outfit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I attended Indiana University-Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business (also my hometown) where I studied Marketing, International Business, and Portuguese. My background is in tech where I started at a customer success software startup in a rotational role for two years. After, I moved corporate to a telecommunications company in customer success operations working on large systems management. Late 2020, my boyfriend and I moved to St. Louis for our careers, and I joined an economic development non-profit and helped run an annual startup competition that provides nondilutive funding for early-stage founders.
We Should Connect! I’m currently recruiting for internships in summer ‘24 in Supply Chain/Operations and would love to speak with anyone doing the same, or who has experience in the process. As co-president of BranchOut: We want to hear from you! Want to learn more? What kinds of events are you interested? Is there any way you’d like to feel more supported? How could we collaborate on a project or an event? We’ll be having our first General Body meeting late September – email me at Garcia.r.t@wustl.edu or follow our Instagram @olinbranchout for more information!
Roy Ejiakuekwu
Hello fellow MBA and Olin cohort, my name is Roy Ejiakuekwu, a first-year MBA candidate, McDonnell Scholar, ROMBA fellow, and the co-president of Olin Business School’s BranchOut student organization. Personally, I enjoy photography, working out, and playing soccer and rugby. I am excited to share part of my journey with you all both as an MBA student and in my personal life.
Originally from Manchester, England, I spent most of my life playing sports. Although my family moved to Nigeria for six years when I was two, it was here that I found my passion for Track and Field. Upon arrival back to the UK at the age of eight, I joined a local club (Sale Harriers) and began training three times a week. By the age of 16 I became the youngest member of the Great Britain relay program and went on throughout my career to represent Great Britain on multiple international stages such as European and World Championships, both at a junior and senior level. In 2016, I was awarded a full Track and Field Scholarship to the University of Arkansas where I received both my Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Master of Science in Operations Management (Industrial Engineering.) During those four years, I was fortunate enough to compete as a Division 1 track and field athlete and couple this with my interest in marketing by getting a Brand Management internship with Nike. I graduated as a six time All-American, SEC and NCAA Champion.
In 2019, I retired from athletics and began focusing on my professional journey as an Industrial Engineer for FedEx Ground here in St. Louis, MO. My first project was supporting the planning and execution of the largest FedEx sortation facility in the USA. Six months later, after a successful opening, I became the lead engineer for 15 additional buildings throughout three different states. I spent the next two years optimizing these facilities while building strong relationships with all managers. I also allocated time to mentor floor workers and managers who were interested in transitioning their career in a similar path of mine. After three years in this position, I believed it was time for a change and the opportunity to continue to build on my current foundation – and I decided to pursue my MBA.
I am looking forward to utilizing the experiences of my classmates and teachers while also sharing my expertise in navigating the operations industry and my personal experiences as a member of the queer community. Finally, I am thrilled to continue working with the LGBTQ+ community by leading our professional, social, and educational organization to drive change and promote inclusion and diversity within the future of corporate America. Please reach out to me if you are looking to network in any of the topics mentioned, I’m still currently recruiting and would love to exchange experiences!
