Welcome! My name is Rachael Bessette, I am a Graduate Student at the Rochester Institute of Technology pursuing my Master’s in Business Administration. My undergraduate degree is in Marketing with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations.
While in my last semester of the program I look forward to graduating and advancing my Marketing career by working in social media marketing or event marketing. Some of my skills that aid in these career options are the ability to be organized, having success in planning, as well as my background in advertising and public relations.
When I’m not in school I thoroughly enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends. I also always make time for physical activity, specifically rowing, which I have been involved in since I was in middle school.
I am currently at the Rochester Institute of Technology. After completing my undergraduate in Psychology and with my interest for conducting experiments and pulling data, I wanted to further my education in the business sphere, as these research designs and methodologies often overlap. The MBA program allowed me to advance my career and sharpen my research interests, specifically in the investment banking sector. I will be done this summer of 2024.
Projects:
During my undergrad, under the McNair Post-Baccalaureate program I worked with R.I.T Human Resource Department. I was assigned to conduct my project on all 30 competing colleges in line with R.I.T. benefits, ranging from colleges such as Cornell, Duke, Indiana, etc. My Task was to compare each of their benefits in relation to R.I.T.’s. and make recommendations. Most of my data extraction was pulled from university’s websites and put into an excel spreadsheet and graphs to explain my findings.
I compiled a list of 11 sectors that were the main driving force of our economy. From each sector, I selected three companies that my research proved to be undervalued & underperforming but had an opportunity for growth. I went about this by looking at each sector and tracking their indexes. From there, I looked at those companies’ lists and researched them individually. Once a company was selected, I watched their prior years and their stock trend patterns from over ten years, as well as how much they fluctuated year to year, and ran randomization and probability to see what the likelihood of them repeating the same pattern would be while adding and subtracting their prices differences over the years. This project helped create a diversified portfolio that mimics their index but had better returns. Netflix, which I bought at 270, and Nvidia at 200, have succeeded in this project since I started this in 2022.
”An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin
Please take a moment to read my resume below and connect with me on LinkedIn.
My name is Alexa Briggs and I am a current MBA student at RIT. I got my bachelor’s degree in marketing, and decided to go to school for another year and a half to get my MBA. I am looking forward to enhancing my educational knowledge before continuing my full-time career as a marketer.
Besides my love and commitment to marketing, I got my minor in photography. Not only has it helped me gain a new perspective of the world, but I have also learned how to create content that appeals to particular groups of people. My photography minor has allowed me to learn about marketing in an educational way outside of the business shell. My experience as a social media photographer taught me how to see content through both the marketers’ and the followers’ eyes. This helped me create, edit, and share specific content for certain demographics. Photography is something I am passionate about, and has been a unique catalyst in my marketing education and career.
I hope my MBA can magnify my skills not just with marketing, but with business as a whole. I greatly anticipate the opportunities that await me post graduation with two degrees and a minor. In the meantime, take a look at what I have done so far and connect with me on LinkedIn to help me along my journey!
“F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything And Run’ or ‘Face Everything And Rise.’ The choice is yours.”
― Zig Ziglar
Shannon J. Stevely is excited to complete a Masters in Business Administration in the program at RIT’s Saunders School of Business in fall 2023, following a successful professional journey. She holds a summa cum laudeBachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from SUNY Brockport and recently earned a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt from RIT, enhancing her process improvement and operational efficiency skills.
During her career, Shannon completed two impactful internships. At Advantech Industries, she managed the Epicor system, handled quotes, and ensured compliance with sensitive documents. Her University of Rochester Medical Centerinternship involved optimizing workflows, participating in financial meetings, and implementing Lean methodologies.
In her role as Administrative Project Specialist at HARBEC, Shannon led projects, coordinated with stakeholders, and ensured flawless execution. Earlier, as an Administrative Secretary, she managed office supplies and provided crucial support.
Anticipating her MBA journey, Shannon aims to contribute her diverse skills to the business community. Her background in healthcare administration, Lean Six Sigma certification, and extensive internships prepare her for future challenges. She looks forward to furthering her education and career at RIT while networking with peers and professionals.
Hello, I’m Matt Chase, an MBA student at the Rochester Institute of Technology. I graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Ithaca College in May 2023. During my time at Ithaca, I was a member of the baseball team, achieving two conference and regional tournament victories. I received recognition as an all-conference player and was honored as the most outstanding player in the conference tournament. Additionally, I was selected for the Liberty League all-academic team during my Junior and Senior years. My college sports experience instilled valuable skills like time management, leadership, and teamwork. Moreover, I contributed as a peer success coach and a member of the school’s social media team.
During my undergraduate years, I had the privilege of interning at remarkable organizations. One such experience was as a baseball operations intern for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod Baseball League. In this role, I honed skills in analytics and player development, responsible for crafting daily scouting reports on opposing pitchers and optimizing our lineup analytically. Winning the championship capped this incredible experience.
I also gained valuable logistics experience at the FISU 2022 World University Games in Lake Placid, addressing shipping issues, maintaining precise purchase order records, and overseeing logistics support activities, including repair analytics and test equipment recommendations.
Additionally, I served as an operations manager for College Truckers at Ithaca College, overseeing operations and marketing, along with recruiting and managing a team of workers. My responsibilities included scheduling and ensuring the smooth functioning of the storage service for students during summer breaks.
Please take a moment to view my resume using the link below, and please connect with me on LinkedIn if you would like to chat. Thank you!
Hi, my name is Owen Laffey, I am a motivated and resourceful team player with exceptional attention to detail seeking to utilize my communication and leadership skills in a marketing capacity. Over the past four years, I had the privilege of being part of the Men’s Lacrosse team at Nazareth University. This was an amazing experience that gave me countless life lessons while pushing me to learn and grow as an athlete and as a person.
My lacrosse career has now come to an end, and I will be pursuing my MBA at RIT starting this fall. I am enthusiastic about channeling this passion and drive into the professional world and continuing my journey of personal and career development
Welcome! My name is Adele Francois, and I would consider myself an authentic PM from Atlanta, GA.
I am a Grad Student at Rochester Institute of Technology that is currently pursing a Masters Degree in Product Development. My undergraduate degree was in Software Development.
I have previous experience working in a variety of industries (Medical, Finance, etc.) Currently, I work at a global marketing communications agency. This year I’ve had the pleasure of working on two cool projects: the development of a mobile app and a VR game. When I’m not working, I am usually attending events and connecting with other Product Managers from Atlanta.
Aside from this, I enjoy playing video games, crafting, roller skating, and building Lego sets. I am currently playing through Starfield and FaeFarm. My most recent Lego build was The Office set.
I am passionate about growing my career in Product Management, creating and facilitating the development of products that have lasting impact, and empowering women and diverse people in technology.
Cheers!
Connect with Adele Francois on LinkedIn and feel free to download Adele Francois’ resume to see not only what she has done already, but also what’s to come!
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Hello! My name is Philip Rottkamp, and I am an MBA student at Rochester Institute of Technology. I earned my undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems from RIT in May 2023 with a GPA of 3.98. I am a proud recipient of several awards as an undergraduate student, including Dean’s List for all 8 semesters attended, induction into the Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society, and the Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award, which is given to the top 1% of undergraduate students who achieve academic excellence while also giving back to the community.
I have been active in RIT’s community through my work with New Student Orientation as an Orientation Leader (2020, 2022) and Orientation Supervisor (2023), and through my work as President of the RIT Fighting Game Community (2021 – 2023). Both experiences have not only further engaged me into the greater RIT community, but have built up my leadership skills and creative thinking skills in ways that many academic classes cannot.
I have been working with my local utilities company, Central Hudson Gas & Electric Co., since June 2022 as an IT Intern. There, I have been using my technical skills to design and build Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards for different departments to help company leaders get the most up to date information fast in an organized manner. Alongside being the lead developer for the Human Resources KPI dashboard, I have also been co-managing the project surrounding the HR dashboard to help ensure all deliverables are complete, resources are allocated appropriately, and to make sure time, cost, and scope are on track.
Please take a moment to view my resume using the link below, and please connect with me on LinkedIn if you would like to chat. Thank you!
Hello! My name is James Sheeler. While originally from Boulder, Colorado, and Cleveland, Ohio I came to Rochester, New York to get my BFA in Industrial Design and my MBA in STEM.
From a young age, I always enjoyed being creative in both drawing and building. This would ultimately lead me to study design at RIT. However, as I continued through the program, I became increasingly curious about how to sell the products that I was designing. I began to enroll myself in entrepreneurship classes that began to fuel another interest of mine, business. Furthermore, I began entering pitch competitions and business accelerators where I was able to become more comfortable with public speaking. These lessons have increased my confidence in seeing ideas through from the ideation phase to understanding the steps it takes for a product to get to a customer.
After graduation, I look forward to being part of a company where I can continue to apply my skills and interests in design and business.
Hello! I am Rachel Romaine! I am fourth-year student, double majoring in International Business and Management Information Systems with a minor in Digital Business, at Rochester Institute of Technology.
About Me
I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. I decided to major in business after growing up in a business-oriented environment. My mom is a financial advisor and my older sister works for a private equity firm. I have always been interested in technology as well. Learning about how businesses leverage technology and social media in today’s digital world is very fascinating to me.
In my free time, I love spending time with friends, shopping, traveling, trying new foods, and watching telenovelas (Spanish soap operas). I have been an avid learner of the Spanish language for the past few years and I hope to learn more languages in the future!
Experience
I currently serve as the Vice President of Finance of the Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Delta Sigma Pi. Delta Sigma Pi is an international professional business fraternity, where I initiated in November 2020. I truly love being a Brother of DSP because of its three main pillars: Professionalism, Community Service, and Brotherhood. My past work experience includes being a Business Development Representative Intern at Helium Inc during Summer 2021. In this internship, I helped originate over 2,600 leads, collaborated with the COO and Business Development team to help execute commercial deals, and assisted the Marketing team with researching target markets and creating new potential verticals. I also was a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Research Assistant at RIT and a Junior International Consultant through RIT Dubai.
I have also been involved in other activities and organizations on campus such as being a mentor to freshmen students through the Saunders College of Business Leadership Academy and serving as President and Secretary in a Special Interest Housing Organization, International House. Being a part of International House since my freshman year has been very beneficial because I have been able to be more culturally competent and enhance my intercultural communication skills.
On a career level, I love working with people from diverse backgrounds. As an International Business major, I love learning about new cultures and traveling. Learning about different perspectives of the world is very eye-opening. Also with my Digital Business minor, I have gained a myriad of marketing skills along with technical skills that are essential in digital marketing.
Mission
My career objective is to work for a global company where I can work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and blend my two areas of study, business and technology. I hope to gain more knowledge and enhance my existing skills along the way through hands-on experience. After obtaining my Bachelor’s degree, I will continue on to graduate school and pursue my Master of Business Administration at RIT.
As I enter the workforce, I also want to continue advocating for accessibility and raise awareness about disabilities, especially invisible ones. Being hard of hearing comes with many challenges but educating others about these obstacles is very important to me. I hope to utilize my experiences to drive change within the industry and leave a positive impact on my community.
Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and download my resume to get to know me better.
