Impressions

I think people have four things that motivate them — money, security, relationships and personal growth. My work with Transocean and Pacifi c Drilling fulfi lled all four, but after seven years, I needed another catalyst for my growth. That’s when I decided to earn my MBA. ” “

Vishruti Jakhar ’19 Full-Time MBA

18 RICE BUSINESS A self-described ultra-deep water drilling expert, Vishruti Jakhar ‘19 grew up in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India interested in engineering and science. Her parents were supportive and a family friend introduced her to the fi eld in which she eventually earned a degree: applied petroleum engineering. She secured her dream job with Transocean following school. Despite her short stature, Vishruti never doubted herself on a drilling rig, but it took two years to change her boss’ mind and gain the crew’s respect. “When I fi rst started on the rig, no one could believe I was there. They thought it was a joke. They were afraid I would hurt myself.” Far from it. The work was so challenging physically that she decided to take up mountaineering when she had time off the ship. “I signed up for a hike in the Himalayas and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was surprisingly good. I transitioned from one-day hikes to month-long climbing expeditions. It helped me in so many ways. I realized what kind of endurance I had, mentally and physically. There were things I was discovering in the mountains about myself that would help me in my work.”

One thing I’ve learned here that I didn’t expect was the importance of soft skills, like team dynamics and communication. It’s not just what you work on, but with whom you work and how you work together. ” “

Adrian Trömel ’18, Full-Time MBA

Klaus Trömel ’85, Full-Time MBA Secretary General European Investment Bank

The McNair Scholar at Rice Business, Adrian Trömel wants to help bring new medical technologies to market. His master’s thesis at EPFL in Switzerland — where he earned an MS in materials science — involved building bioabsorbable heartvalve scaffolds. Rice Business was a logical next step. “Rice was already on my radar for its renown in the fi eld of materials science, as was the Texas Medical Center. And it made sense to go somewhere with a reputation for outstanding entrepreneurship,” he says. The fact that his father had earned an MBA at Rice was only one factor in his choice.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Klaus Trömel, Adrian’s father, reminisced about some of his Rice Business classes — especially accounting with Stephen Zeff’s and entrepreneurship with Ed Williams. His advice to Adrian was: “Have fun. You will never again be in an environment in which so many will dedicate themselves to helping you develop, or challenge you to bring out the best in you.”