Ali Mroue

Home City: Houston

Home State: TX

Home Country: United States

Undergraduate Institution: Lebanese American University

Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor, if applicable): Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Pre-MBA Industry: Lab Services

Pre-MBA Company: Eagle Analytical

Pre-MBA Title: Marketing Manager

Desired industry post-MBA: Management Consulting

Desired job function post-MBA: Consultant

Student Organization Membership: Athletics Club, Consulting Association, The Adam Smith Society, Other

Other Committee: ETA Club

What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA experience? Mainly, two things. How prestigious the program is. Just by having the Rice name opens doors. Also, how niche the cohort is. Everyone is carefully picked and everyone brings a very special and different perspective and addition to the program.

What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience so far? The relationships. I came in expecting to build a network, but what I didn't expect was the depth of it. My classmates are generous with their time, their experiences, and their honesty in a way that has genuinely shaped how I think and work. I also love the fact that the program pushes you to grow on a personal level. Aside from all the finance and accounting, you get to focus on how you think, how you network, how you talk, how you do presentations...and you can see that growth immediately in your day to day. The feedback and the comments you get are different. People interact with you different. It is definitely a strength of this program.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective student – one sentence? Enjoy it. Because it goes by really fast. And everyone's journey in this program is different, you create your own.