Rzan Swaidan

Professionals - Evening
Current Industry/Job: Financial Services/ I work for AIG in their Finance department as Sr. Business Analyst
From: I was born in Saudi Arabia, but my family is from Palestine

Favorite quote and why:

"You can, you should, and if you are brave enough to start, you will". - Stephen King

This quote has always given me the push to get out of my own head and pursue my wildest dreams. It's also a great reminder that starting a new goal is always the hardest part. Once you get started, the goal instantly becomes more achievable.

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor and why?

I would have to pick Leonardo Da Vinci. Not only would I pick up how to paint masterpieces and design cool machines, but I'd learn to think critically and see the world through a viewpoint that is very different from my own.

Best memory from your first year in the MBA program:

Choosing one memory is really hard! I really enjoyed getting to know my classmates the first couple of weeks, especially when we would get together off campus. Hilarity and adventure would always ensue and, before long, I couldn't remember how I ever made it through life without them.

What story does your family always tell about you?

My family loves to tell the story of when I, as a toddler, got into a fight with our cat. Before I came along Nelly was my parent's only child. This changed after I was born and Nelly was not happy about all the attention I received. I was very naïve about her jealousy and couldn’t understand why didn’t want to play with me. This all came to a head one day when I was trying to play with her and Nelly decided to hit me in the face with her paw. As any one year old would do, I started crying. However, before my parents could react, I stopped crying, picked up a shoe, and hit Nelly across the face right back. After that incident, Nelly and I became besties and my parents knew I could stick up for myself!

What advice would you like to provide incoming students? (This may potentially be featured in the Friday Fact Sheets that are distributed to incoming students starting in June.)

Attend the social events, especially the PCF's (Post Class Festivities)! After class, you are always going to be tired and ready to go home, but extra activities are where true friendships are born. Push yourself to go, I promise it'll be worth it!

Any additional unique facts you would like to share:

I spent my childhood exploring college campuses while my dad pursued his dream of academia. It was such a fun experience and makes for good stories!