Yuliya Pokhodnya expects to receive her MBA in 2005 with a concentration in Marketing. She began her career with several internships during college in various functions, including product promotion, event planning, and assisting with market research. She received a BS in Economics from the University of Utah in 2001 and worked as a Market Researcher for State Street Consultants, Inc. Throughout her studies and professional career, she has been involved in numerous volunteer opportunities. In addition, she was the recipient of the Verdell Frazier Young Women’s Award at the University of Illinois.

Yuliya joined the Illinois MBA program, because she was impressed with the collaboration and teamwork that she saw among the student body. She also considered the school’s academic reputation, student diversity, faculty and teaching style, and the number of extracurricular activities. The availability of opportunities to grow professionally and to get involved in the community were also factors in her decision.

As an intern in the Business Develoment Department of Eschelon Telecom, Inc. in Minneapolis, Yuliya’s responsibilities are in both the finance and marketing areas. Over the past few weeks, she has worked on calculating the company’s market share and comparing it to other major telephone service providers. She is currently working closely with the Senior Director of Business Development and his team.

For Yuliya, the most valuable aspect of the Illinois MBA so far is the network she has developed with her classmates as well as the program faculty. Though she has only been working at her internship for a few weeks, she has already called on classmates more than once to seek their advice or discuss her ideas. She has met people that she knows will be friends beyond their time together in the classroom. With assistance from the Career Services Office, she was able to secure an internship that provides excellent training and practical experience.