During Orientation week, first-year students meet the members of their learning teams right away. These teams take their core courses together, working on projects and studying as a group throughout the first year. The teams are intentionally diverse, as students learn as much from the faculty as they do from each other.
We asked a recent learning team from the San Francisco campus to tell us about their group and how they supported each other throughout the program. Here is what Tulika Jha, WG’19, Gurvinder Singh, WG’19, Morgan Fiddler, WG’19, Joseph Magliarditi, WG’19, Ramana Lokanathan, WG’19, Colby Stilson, WG’19, and Jeffrey Cho, WG’19, said:
Tulika Jha, WG’19
Currently
Senior Director of Product Management at Visa
Based In
San Francisco
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
Delhi University, BA in Economics
First Impressions
“I was the youngest member and only female on my learning team. I looked at my teammates and thought some of them seemed pretty quiet and serious. They were also married with kids, while I am single and don’t have kids. We were so different, and I wasn’t sure what it would be like to work together. But during a team-building session at Orientation, we opened up about our lives and experiences. That is when we started to bond, and I realized we would survive this together.”
Bonding
“We often visited the Wharton Pub after classes and would stay up late talking about our lives. The residential requirement was helpful because we didn’t all go home, even though some of us lived nearby. The ability to continue spending time together was important.”
Support
“Everyone goes through life events during the program and your learning teams support you. Just before our first round of exams, I called off my engagement and needed their support. Colby said to me, ‘You’ll find another guy, but you can’t take this accounting exam again, so go take the exam!’ I don’t know what I would have done without my learning team. They listened to me and gave great advice. They became like brothers to me.”
After Graduation
“We are all lifelong friends. Several of the guys recently ran a 5K together in Colorado, and I helped Gurvinder’s wife coordinate a surprise 40th birthday party for him in San Francisco, which our whole team attended. We’re also planning to run a 10K together this spring. We talk and text all the time, and try to see each other as often as possible.”
Advice
“Think beyond your classes and invest in these relationships. Be supportive of each other and know that everyone will need extra support from time to time. The more you put into the relationships, the more you will get out of the team.”
Gurvinder Singh, WG’19
Currently
Vice President of Engineering at Alteryx
Based In
San Francisco
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
Kanpur, India, BTech in Computer Science and Engineering
First Impressions
“Many of my first impressions of my teammates were wrong. For example, Joe came across as very quiet and serious. I wondered if we would become friends. It turns out he is a CEO and has excellent people management skills — and he became one of my closest friends. We studied for every exam together, talking on the phone for hours about problems. I quickly realized that first appearances can be deceiving.”
Bonding
“By the end of the first week, we were spending time together outside of class. Tulika was like the sun for our solar system and brought everyone together. As the weeks went by, we all became closer. Eventually, we became like a family. Tulika brought a date to the Wharton Pub one time and we gave her dating advice. That was the last time she ever brought a date to meet her Wharton family!”
Secret Sauce
“We avoided having too many chefs in the kitchen. On homework assignments, one person would take the lead and a few others would help that person. We took turns with those positions and it worked out great. When we had differing opinions, Joe was very good at moderating discussions and helping us move forward. We always came back to our goal of achieving good grades and finishing the homework on time.”
Value
“Learning teams add a lot of value because of their diversity. I learned from my classmates because of their different backgrounds. For example, when a team member explained how they applied a learning from class to their job, it helped me connect the dots and better understand the concept.”
Advice
“Don’t let your ego get in the way of building relationships. Keep an open mind and focus on collaborating instead of competing. The goal is mutual learning.”
Morgan Fiddler, WG’19
Currently
Business Development Manager at Mulesoft
Based In
San Francisco
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
Guildford College, BA in Music Performance and English Literature; San Francisco Conservatory of Music, MM in Guitar Performance
First Impressions
“During the first team-building exercise at Orientation, Jeff went first and shared how his military experience impacted his view on the world. After that, everyone opened up to share their experiences and vulnerabilities. We were transparent about who we are, our strengths, and our weaknesses. I was a little worried that students would be hyper-competitive. I come from a liberal arts and music background, and wasn’t sure how I would fit in. It quickly became apparent that we are all in this together and the point is to help each other rather than to compete.”
Bonding
“Tulika is a very enthusiastic person and she was a driver for us to bond. We worked as a group on schoolwork and all went out after classes. We also started talking about our lives outside of school. By the time I met everyone’s families, I felt like I already knew them because I had heard so much about them.”
Secret Sauce
“The key to our group’s success was our willingness to be transparent and patient with each other. We discussed our views in a respectful manner. We approached projects as a team and we listened to each other, especially when we had strong opinions.”
Career Impact
“I knew I wanted to make a career change, but I didn’t know what that change would be. My teammates provided feedback on my ideas and acted as mentors. They were a big factor in helping me make the move to my current job.”
Joseph Magliarditi, WG’19
Currently
Founder of Black Box Capital, LLC
Based In
Newport Beach, CA
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
Niagara University, BC in Commerce
First Impressions
“I wasn’t sure how much we would really bond because, as executives, we don’t have much time. I figured we’d be friends, but maybe not at the level everyone described. But everything changed when we had our first team-building session. We all opened up right away. Sharing our vulnerabilities built a foundation for friendship, and the rest is history.”
Secret Sauce
“Everyone brings different skills and experiences to the team. The goal is to learn how to collaborate in an effective and efficient way. We had very few differences of opinion, but when they happened, we handled them head on. I think we avoided a lot of problems because our goals were aligned. We all agreed that we wanted to get the most out of the program and do well, but not to the point where we competed with each other. Our focus was on encouragement. We even pushed each other to take courses outside of our comfort zones and then helped everyone get through it. We approached this program like a team sport.”
Advice
“Open up during the team-building exercises during Orientation. Tell people who you are, why you are at Wharton, and what you want to get out of the program. It sets a tone and builds a foundation for the next two years.”
Ramana Lokanathan, WG’19
Currently
Senior Director of Engineering at Salesforce
Based In
San Francisco
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
Bharathiar University, BE in Electronics and Communications Engineering; Wayne State University, Master’s in Computer Engineering
First Impressions
“I was a little skeptical about how much effort we would put into developing friendships. Relationships take time and investment to prosper, and we would all be so busy. But when we shared our goals and backgrounds at Orientation, my concerns went away. Tulika talked about how women in India face certain limitations, and she broke a lot of ceilings to get to where she is today. I came from a very humble start with less than $2,000 in the bank for one semester of college in the U.S. By talking about what we have overcome, we started to establish trust. That trust was the foundation and everything else fell into place to develop friendships.”
Support
“Everyone is at different points in their lives and we had to adjust for times when one teammate might not be able to contribute as much – or when they could step up even more. For example, I had a two-month-old baby when I came to Wharton. It was a bit of a rough start and that first semester is a blur. My teammates picked up my slack during that time. We also figured out each other’s strengths so that we could take the lead when it made sense.”
Advice
“Open up to build trust and communication channels. Share your strengths and weaknesses and be accommodating of each other’s shortcomings. One team member may have less time to contribute in a particular semester, but they will contribute even more when they can. If you have a life event, like having a baby, communicate with your team to set expectations. This program requires a team approach for success.”
Colby Stilson, WG’19
Currently
CEO of Market Insight Out, LLC
Based In
Boulder, CO
Wharton Campus
San Francisco and Philadelphia
Prior Education
University of Colorado at Boulder, BS in Finance/Accounting
First Impressions
“During the first team-building exercise at Orientation, we shared our backgrounds and how that led us to the WEMBA program. Our backgrounds and lives couldn’t have been further apart from one another so I wondered how we would work together. As we spent time together during that first week, I realized that our common bond would be a function of our collective experiences with overcoming adversity and corresponding grit.”
Secret Sauce
“Our differences, which was the source of my original skepticism, became our greatest asset. You face a lot of challenges in this program and the more diverse your team is in terms of capabilities and skill sets, the more equipped you are for success. We also developed a comfort with vulnerability during those exercises in Orientation, which was a great foundation. Once we trusted each other, we could talk about our weaknesses and ask for help. We could be very honest in our feedback to each other, both positive and negative. That trust created a safety net and helped us be successful. Over time, we became like a family. We still talk all the time and try to see each other as much as possible.”
Value
“Learning teams create opportunities to develop close relationships, which are important in this program. Not everyone is extroverted, and these groups give you a smaller stage. Also, most students are more than 10 years out of school and have to learn how to learn again. Working as a team provides a buffer for that rustiness. You can balance the workload among the group and each member’s strengths.”
Advice
“Be vulnerable from the start because it sets the tone and creates the foundation for trust. As soon as you have that psychological safety, you can have healthy feedback loops and reach out for help, and realize when others need help. It’s also important to understand what each team member wants to get out of the program. We all agreed that it was important to do well and be diligent in our work, but we also wanted to have fun.”
Jeffrey Cho, WG’19
Currently
Senior Program Manager at National Veterinary Associates
Previously
Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army
Based In
Los Angeles, CA
Wharton Campus
San Francisco
Prior Education
U.S. Military Academy at West Point, BS in Engineering Management
First Impressions
“I heard that the Wharton experience is based on the people who will surround you for the next two years in this intensive program, so I was a little nervous. When I met our team, I started the conversation by sharing my background and my goals in the program. I was a bit intimidated because my teammates were very accomplished. That evening Tulika encouraged us to get together as a group and that set the tone for us all to become friends.”
Bonding
“I credit our bonding to our complementary personalities. All of us are very different, but we cared about not letting each other down, pulling our own weight, learning, and having a good experience. Early on, we made a conscious decision to say this team isn’t just about school and that we wanted to build relationships. We started to have conversations about our families and our stages in life, mentoring and supporting each other. We also had empathy for each other because life doesn’t stop in this program. I had my third baby midway through the first term, and they helped me during that time with classes.”
Value
“I had just started a new position as a consultant and had three kids, so I needed my learning team to succeed in this program. Even past the first year, I needed their support. They kept me sane! They also became like a family to me. For example, I think of Tulika like a little sister. Colby and Joe became mentors and close friends. Morgan and I bonded over similar life stages.”
Advice
“Open yourself up to get to know your teammates and make time to build bonds. Instead of going to your hotel room when classes are over, get something to eat or drink at the Wharton Pub with your group, even if it’s brief. We valued spending time together decompressing.”
— Meghan Laska
Posted: January 14, 2020
