In 2020, Aleksandra Przygoda became the first scholarship recipient of Access MBA. She will be able to partially finance her business school studies with EUR 1,000. Her insightful interview reveals more about her event experience, professional goals, and MBA planning.
If you want to have a chance of winning our next scholarship, simply sign up for one of the upcoming events organised by Access MBA. Everyone who participates actively will be included in the draw for EUR 1,000 to help finance their studies.
So, who is the Access MBA scholarship recipient for 2020? Aleksandra is a PR and project manager and currently is operations manager at Forum Energii. She has previously worked in public affairs, focusing on the ICT/education and energy sectors, and at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) in Warsaw, where she was engaged in foreign policy projects, leadership development, and major conferences.
She is also a member of several alumni networks, including the Polish Institute of International Affairs and the Visegrad School of Political Studies of the European Academy of Diplomacy.
Aleksandra tells us that the main factor that led her to consider getting an MBA degree was the need for personal and professional development. Read her interview for more insights.
Why did you decide to participate in the Access MBA event?
I decided to participate in the event because it seemed like a good setting to learn about a variety of MBA programmes. Initially I was only expecting to meet maybe two or three schools, as only so many had confirmed ahead of the event. During the event, however, the staff was very helpful, and in the end, I managed to meet seven schools back-to-back. I was very pleased with this as it saved quite some time with researching the programmes online.
What are some useful things you learnt about their programmes?
Each meeting was different but they each offered clear answers about their respective programmes – whether this was relating to admissions, the faculty, the programme itself, or funding possibilities. A valuable part of the event was also that many meetings took place with other event participants which significantly enriched the conversations – each of us had different perspectives and different questions.
In what other ways did you get to know the business schools and programmes you were interested in?
I received some brochures but I have not yet participated in virtual campus tours or met with any alumni.
Have you already decided on the business school you would like to enroll in?
I’ve not yet made my decision. It is not an easy one, as apart from the programme and faculty, there are many other factors that need consideration (length of the programme, format, fees, etc.). I will most likely make my decision from schools based in Europe simply because of the proximity to home and the ease of travel.
How has the global pandemic affected your MBA preparation so far?
The pandemic has impacted my preparations and planning. Everything is online right now, and my strong preference would be to study on campus. Nevertheless, the availability of blended and online formats is one of the factors that I am still considering. Not only because of the pandemic and the different opportunities each format offers, but also due to the need to balance both work and MBA studies.
What would you advise other participants in Access MBA so that they get the most out of this opportunity?
If you don’t get meetings with your preferred schools ahead of the event, do not get discouraged! Ask for those meetings during the event – the staff at Access MBA is very supportive and will work to help you get as many of the meetings as they can (as they did for me)!
