MBA FOR PROFESSIONALS
Meet Our New MBAA President
Larina Ma, President of MBAA (3rd from the right)
Matthew Chu, CFO of MBAA (on the right)
Kenneth Li, Internal VP of MBAA (on the left)
Finn Huang, Internal VP of MBAA (3rd from the left)
Ivy Zhou, External VP of MBAA (2nd from the left)
Caroline Haseke, External VP of MBAA (2nd from the right)
The MBAPs took a well-deserved break from study and work in the Christmas Party last December
Larina Ma, a marketing manager in the insurance industry, never thought that she would someday be a student leader. After being elected President of the MBA Association (MBAA) for the 2019 part-time weekly cohort, Larina and the team of professionals with the same passion and devotion have kicked off a series of enriching and fun activities that bring together the class of more than 100 students from 17 different countries.
"Do more than just an MBA” is the team's motto. "l hope everyone will take the initiative to contribute and fully experience the MBA program so that we will graduate with more than just a degree," Larina explained. It is no easy task to coordinate with more than 100 brilliant professionals with various interests and priorities, but with such a strong team, the newly formed MBAA is definitely well equipped to make the MBA journey a more rewarding experience for the class of 2021.
The MBAA now has 27 members representing diverse industries like consulting, finance, accounting, private jet, infrastructure, etc. They oversee a wide range of areas from career, alumni and sports to culture, external relations and marketing communication. Larina believes that the MBAA's diversity and passion are the best drivers for serving the needs of various classmates and offering them a greater variety of high quality and enriching activities.
On a normal Christmas Day, Larina would spend the time with her own family, but last Christmas was different. A bigger MBA family got together in the party organised by the MBAA to celebrate their achievements and gratitude for the year. Larina was grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with her beloved classmates.
Alumni giving back to the community by sharing their professional insights with current students
Through regular networking events, the bonding among the cohort is strong
"As the class is divided into two cohorts, we rarely have the chance to meet classmates from the other cohort during ordinary class days. I was jazzed to see everyone enjoying themselves and getting to know each other more through the party. The bonding among us is even stronger now," Larina said.
What’s more, the MBAA has been standing with the student body and the MBA Office to coordinate and collaborate different learning initiatives. Although some of the MBAA’s initiatives are postponed due to challenges in recent months, Larina and her team will continue to host professional events like industry sharing, company visits, career talks, and various physical training sessions when things return to normal.
"It is important to stay healthy when navigating a tight study and work schedule. That is why we plan to exercise with our classmates and train up our bodies every two weeks," Larina added. "Networking events are also crucial for us to expand our connections and meet more brilliant minds, so we expect to hold more events like cross-cohort mixers in the future."
“Do more, dream more!” With the support from the MBAA family, Larina believes that the team will bring experiences that lead to a better and more successful future for her classmates.
By Tatton Chung, MBA for Professionals team
