They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Have you ever really thought about that statement? I mean truly. And have you ever put it to a test? So perhaps the photos I share in this blog will not invoke seven or eight thousand words but at least you will get the 500 or so that I use to describe the context of each.

I returned from my spring break trip to Cape Town, South Africa last week and I am still slowly processing what a tremendously humbling, historical, and down right awesome experience it was. Cape Town is not a traditional spring break escape - especially not for Americans from the US - so allow me to create some clarity around my destination choice. Fortunate are the few, especially as adults, who can find new friendships with individuals who challenge them to be better people. I found that here at the Johnson School and when she told me she was going to study abroad in South Africa for our final semester I made no hesitation to agree to visit her during my spring break. Now, the trick was to find someone to travel with. The weeks and months passed and still no one was ready to commit to going. Just three weeks before the scheduled trip I still had not found anyone to travel with. I was ready to suck it up and prepare myself to make the trip half way across the globe alone when I received one of the most memorable text messages of my mobile communications life from a friend who had never before showed interest in going saying she wanted to come along!

We felt blessed to have found an unreal deal including flight and hotel for our 5 day stay. What's more is that we even had a long layover in London both ways to allow us to stretch our legs a bit part way through the trip.

Stunned and probably still in disbelief by what we were about to embark upon arrived at the Cape Town International Airport greeted by gorgeous weather and a sun we had not seen for awhile - we were still in what felt like winter in Ithaca. That night we saw one of the most glorious sunsets (the first photo above) and plotted out our ideas for the week's activities with our other friend who had flown down from Johannesburg to join us.

The first day we went wine tasting at a few of the wine farms. We had all already become fans of South African wine so visiting these farms was a real treat. Perhaps the best part of the day was the very affordable (thanks to the rand/dollar exchange rate) 5 course meal we had at one of the farms - Grand Provence. There we ordered not one but two of their best wines, invited the chef out for a glass - which he agreed to! - and dined in outdoors next to the fireplace - the best table in (or out) of the house. Our chef, as it turns out has worked in the US before, having most recently returned from a stint at Daniel in NYC. The second photo is the view from this last wine farm.

The next day was intended to be our trip around the cape with multiple stops along the way. Of course, some things are just out your control at times. Like your rental car make weird noises when you brake or are in reverse, for instance. It just didn't seem safe to continue the day with our car this way so we invested the two hours it took to return to the airport and replace the car for our own safety and my sanity. We visited a museum, the botanical gardens, and a couple historical sites. By the time we made it to Cape Point, they were closing their gates. There was no way I could leave South Africa without going to the very tip of the continent so I vowed to get up before dawn the next day and drive down here again for the experience if thats what it took. Fortunately, my friends took me seriously and we all got up at 5am the next morning. The fourth and fifth photos are the moon rising just above Chapman's Peak and then a photo of the road along the cliff - one of the most gorgeous drives I've ever taken!

The drive down the east coast of the cape was wonderful at sunrise but don't just take my word for it. Check out the third photo for proof! Finally reaching Cape Point, I could stand the build up no more and wanted to see the point at which two oceans unite! Of course, there was a hike before I could see that. Fortunately, we got there before anyone else - including some of the staff! This made the experience so much more intimate and memorable.

Standing there at the southern tip of the continent brought uncontrollable tears to my eyes. I let myself truly consider for the first time what I was doing. Some of my family members have never even been on a plane before let alone whole other continent that you have to fly 20 hours to get to...and not just any continent...the one where it all began. I felt unbelievable blessed and humbled in that moment. I wished everyone could have the opportunity to bear witness to such beauty. The way the new sun's soft golden rays glistened against the endless rippling ocean, the curvacious conture of the land that lined the east and west sides of the cape, and the demanding wind that could not make up its mind about which direction it wanted to blow so it blew every which way at once with such a force that I felt could almost carry us away.

On the very last day, we finally made it to the beach. Though we were in such a time crunch that we didn't even suit up for the occasion. Intead we marveled at the gorgeous scene for as long as we could before heading to the airport.

With all the beauty of Cape Town, it is easy to miss some of its hidden truths. For instance, the townships that border the city and can be seen of the side of the highway like the 7th photo in my collection. While some of Cape Town's residents live in seaside mansions that mirror those of Malibu, others live in shanty towns without running water, electricity, or toilets.

I can definitely see myself returning to South Africa someday...but next time I hope to have more than just five days to explore and learn. Until then, I don't have many international destinations to look forward to any more. The last one of this year will be a family trip to Cancun. If you've been a reader since the beginning, you'll remember this is the trip that makes up for last year's untimely visit from Hurricane Dean. Until then, though I am back in Ithaca still a student finishing out my MBA and bringing to a close two of the most challenging and exciting years of my life.

Cheers!

P.S. Be sure to check out the video of the penguins from South Africa below!

I am not a bowler, I just play one on Thursday nights. Thursdays have become quite the social day for the Johnson school this year. Already, we had the new tradition of Sage Socials on Thursdays from 4:15-5:45pm, a happy hour of sorts where the entire Johnson community comes out to mix it up over drinks and appetizers. We also already do guest bartending on Thursday evenings. The student clubs have arranged with a local bar in Collegetown to host bar for two hours on Thursdays as a fundraiser. Essentially, the club that is hosting bar that evening will keep 50% of the tips from 9-11pm. So now that we have bowling on Thursdays from 7:15-9:30pm, our entire social calendar for the evening is complete! I like it that way.

So every Thursday evening, my fellow JGSM Bowlers and I put on our team bowling shirts (oh yes folks, we have official regalia for the occasion!), check for our singles - how else are we supposed to load up the juke box with some of the latest and greatest tunes - and practice our trash talking because every round is anyone's game. With some individual handicaps as high as 100, even some of Johnson's best bowlers can get a run for their money. I'll keep you posted on who makes it to this year's playoffs!

Cheers!

Thursday mornings are my reaffirmation sessions. As a member of the Johnson Admissions Group (JAG) I am scheduled to conduct interviews for prospective Johnson School students at 9:15 and 10:15 am. For the past several weeks, I have met with some enthusiastic, intelligent, engaging, and inspirational individuals who all have at least one important common tie - they want to come to the Johnson School. At some point during each interview I perk up. It is something in their confident tone or eloquent word choice that takes me back to a time when I was on the other side of that interview doing and saying everything I could to show how much I wanted to be a member of this community. In that instant my love for this place is reaffirmed.

The Johnson School means something different to every person who is fortunate to become a part of it. Why did I choose to come to the Johnson School? This is the same question I get in just about every real and informational interview with prospective students I do. I don't get tired of the question nor do I tire of answering it. I didn't want to come here. I had convinced myself I wanted something different for grad school...some place different. I was going to go to a big school in a big city. As I started researching and visiting the campuses of the potentials, I found myself right back here wondering why I ever thought I needed anything else. I give three reasons just as I did when I interviewed:

1. This one is easy. Familiarity of the campus and the school - an undying love, really. Given that all I was about to encounter as a career switcher was going to be so new, I needed something that wasn't so foreign.
2. Dynamic course offerings giving anyone the opportunity to study anything (hint: look at our university motto). Although this is a general management program, we are not just churning out investment bankers and consultants. Some of my classmates are entrepreneurs who have already begun their new ventures. Some of them are going to join one of the most vital and influential movements of our time - the education reform movement. And still others are going to be developing new business ideas that target the 4 billion people at the base of the pyramid.
3. The school wanted me. At no other institution did I get the attention and access to students, faculty, and alumni as I did here. As each new person I met shared their "why Johnson" story with me, they also were eager to help me figure out my own answer to that question.

Demonstrating a feeling is not an easy task but as I sit and listen to the interviewees' reasons for applying, I can discern the passionate from the the passive applicant. To those of you preparing for your business school interviews - especially for the Johnson School - don't overlook this ever important component of your presentation. Don't just run through a list reasons you compiled by looking online. Tell me a story of how you have connected with the school in some way. Tell me how the Johnson School is going to help you accomplish your dreams. Tell me, why Johnson?

Cheers!

Happy New Year! What a truly amazing couple of weeks it has been since my last posting - okay, okay more like a month. But as always, I'm chalk full of stories from my travels! Of course, I flew home to California to celebrate Christmas with my family. We have a lot of little children in the family these days and I have always felt this makes the holiday season more fun because it is almost as if I get to experience it through a child's eye again. The photo below is a picture of my grand father with 8 of his 10 great grand children.
I then got to celebrate the new year in Rome, Italy with my good friend and classmate, Meloney. We really only had one full day of sight seeing though we spent two nights in the city. We managed to see quite a bit of what Rome has to offer, but I can definitely see myself returning someday.

As I sat on my mother's couch today in Glendora, CA vegetating because it was too wet outside to go out and play - yes, it sometimes rains in California - I realized it had been some weeks since I last wrote in my blog! I then spent the rest of the afternoon thinking of something worthy enough to write about. If anyone is reading my blog these days, it's likely those eager Johnson School applicants looking for some insider information that might reveal the secret to getting in...or maybe my readers are my "fans" that I often direct to my blog to get some info on what I've been up to lately.

Sadly, I don't have any truly exciting stories to tell or recent travel tales to share. The one idea that kept piercing my mind was how close I am to finishing school. Yes, I still have another semester to go but this fall semester flew by so quickly that I can still hardly believe its over! I remember feeling a little sad during the last week of class earlier this month as we applauded at the end of each last class meeting in appreciation of our professors' contributions to our education; sad because I am quickly realizing that I don't know what's next. Okay, okay...I admit I'm in a more fortunate position than I'm giving myself credit for. I mean, I finally signed my offer letter from Deutsche Asset Management to become part of their global consultant relations team in New York City, but I've dreamt about getting my MBA for so long now that I am scared I don't have a goal as grand to replace it! For someone as ambitious as myself, I find this thought to be quite frightening.

Scenes from Paris

So much has happened in the past couple of weeks since I last wrote. Among the exciting events, was my first trip to Paris! I spent six days there with a couple of friends and classmates. By my last day I was certainly sad to leave. There are a couple of Parisian oddities and other things I noticed and thought I would share some of those with you just in case you happen to be traveling there anytime soon:

Hailing taxis - unbelievably one of the hardest things to do in this city! Especially late at night when trains have stopped or running on infrequent schedules. One night we waited for at least a half hour out in the cold for a taxi. We were in a line on a street corner near a lit taxi sign and watched as perfectly available and empty taxis passed up the line of would-be passengers. This would never have happened in NYC, where a cabi will cut clear across 4 lanes of traffic to get a fare.

• Smoking - So it's no longer allowed for you to smoke in the airport and subways and soon (apparently in January 2008) smoking will be outlawed in cafes and bars...I wonder how much this will actually be enforced. In any case, if you are a smoker, you'll want to know that you can't just purchase cigarettes anywhere. You actually have to find an establishment that has the words "tabac" posted outside.
  Subway - the trains were absolutely awesome! That is, of course once the transit strike was over. Though you might still choose to walk everywhere, weather and distance permitting, because the city really is amazing! I'd hate for you to miss the fabulous architecture of the buildings and city planning. If you do decide to take ride the train, be prepared because on some of the older trains you actually have to pull a handle to open the door. Speaking of trains, I noticed one other subtle difference in the escalators that take you up and down. They move slightly faster in Paris!
• Suitcases - For some reason, we saw tons of people walking the streets with suitcases (the carry-on size. We started to come up with creative explanations...my favorite was they have suitcases full of US dollars to cash in for Euros.
• Public Toilettes - never used them but these things are everywhere! And can save you from breaking any public urination laws that might exist. I included of photo of my friend who is posing inside one :)
• City of Love - One of my friends on the trip was skeptical of Paris' label as the city of love so we decided to conduct a little sociological study to test his theory that Paris couples show no more public affection for one another than any typical American city's couples. We averaged that you might see 35 couples in a 1-hour time frame show affection in an American city, so in order for Paris to keep its title we would have to see more than 35 couples showing affection in 1-hour. We decided to conduct the study one Sunday afternoon near Notre Dame. We sat ourselves at a window seat and began counting. Within the hour we found 75 couples show affection. The most common was holding hands. We began to appreciate the varietal displays like unique hand holding, stealing kisses at a stop light before crossing the street and even a little a little tush grabbing! Of course, a true researcher would find many flaws to our study but it was truly fun to conduct!

So as I started out saying, lots of things have been happening in the last couple of weeks. But this entry is already getting to be a little long, so you'll have to tune in again later when I'll update you on the end of the semester and my job offers!!!

Cheers!

This weekend I am happy to open my home and the Johnson doors to 40 prospective applicants in the annual Johnson Means Business event. We are still in the middle of it but I thought the best entry would be to share with you the advice/speech I gave last night at the opening banquet to the JMBers.

Good evening JMB Class of 2007 and welcome to Ithaca! My name is Adrienne Rose Martinez and I am a JMBer from the class of 2005 and currently a second year here at the Johnson School. I understand some of you experienced some travel woes getting here and for that I'm sorry. I can truly sympathize and will have to share my worst "getting to Ithaca" story with you sometime. For now, let me assure you that the hardest part of this weekend is getting here and you've all accomplished that!
Tonight I want to share with you a little bit of what you can expect this weekend. So be ready. Be challenged. And be yourself.

Be ready for several days of jam packed activities. The office of diversity and inclusion has worked hard to package as much of the Johnson School as they can in these 3 days. How do you "be ready?" you may ask? You do so by asking questions, by talking to as many people as you can, by being curious, by taking full advantage of every opportunity you have to soak up data, make new relationships, and have experiences that will ultimately help you decide if Johnson is right for you.

Be Challenged.
This morning I woke up in Boston at 330am and by 10am I was in Manhattan in my final round of interview with Deutsche Bank Asset Management. At 230pm I landed in Syracuse and raced to Ithaca to turn in a paper that was due in a class I missed earlier today. And before I stepped on stage tonight I was on a phone interview. Business school is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging. Not every day is like today but you've to to be ready to be challenged every day. This weekend you can seek to be challenged in many ways. Challenge yourself to imagine escaping the demands and distractions of a major city for two years. With an MBA its likely we're going to end up in a major metropolitan area. Fortunately for Cornell, Ithaca is not one of those cities. We attract and admit those students who can appreciate what this amazing community has to offer. I invite you to find yourself here. I challenge you to find that you are meant to be a part of Johnson and Cornell.

Be Yourself.
As you're living up to this challenge, be yourself. Think of this as a test. Only, you are the ones evaluating us. Does the Johnson School and Cornell community live up to your standards? If not, that's okay. No hard feelings. We want people here who want to be here. But if you know this is where you belong, then the best way to show us is by being yourself. I'll share a little secret with you. We kinda already know you're amazing; otherwise you wouldn't be here tonight.
JMB has had a ton of success in helping current Johnson students realize they were meant to be Cornellians. In the 1st & 2nd year classes alone there are 22 of us JMB alumni. Many of them you are being hosted by and are here this evening. I encourage you to chat with them, ask hard questions, and find out if this is where you belong.

As a double Cornellian I was able to realize it twice. Ask me why I came back and I am happy to share with you the many reasons but I truly hope that after this weekend you will have discovered why there is no where else you want to be.

Is it really the end of October?! Scary. I realized something even scarier today. I must have been mentally blocking this but the next three weekends are going to be quite demanding. In my limited wisdom, I signed myself up to coordinate the School's diversity hosting weekend "Johnson Means Business" November 1st-3rd, the Johnson School's only case competition hosted by the Hispanic American Business Leaders Association (HABLA) November 9th and 10th, and the inaugural Women's Management Council professional development trek to New York City on November 16th! So essentially, my life does not belong to me these next three weeks. Well, not as much as I would like at least. I do have to retain some sense of self to get through some of these second round interviews that will undoubtedly involve some travel to New York City and Boston. Oh, and let's not forget that I am actually still a student, folks. Yikes!!!


Surprisingly, I actually thought my life was busy before school. In fact, I think its safe to say that i have actually doubled my capacity to take in information and perform. Business school altogether has truly been a mental, physical and emotional workout. And though I reach points of sheer exhaustion and feel like I just can't go on, I push forward and surprise even myself at just how much I can stretch myself. Of course, I also take the liberty to reward myself handsomely. Given the grueling next three weeks I described above - which will likely allow for little sleep - I decided my prize would have to be something truly special. To save those of you who are not blessed with the patience gene, I can share that I will be going to Paris! I can still barely believe that I'm actually going but I've been a little hungry for international travel ever since my plans for Cancun were thwarted last summer.

Tonight, I'm writing to you from New York City where I am attending the 7th Annual Wall Street Summit, an event hosted by the New America Alliance (NAA). As part of my fellowship from the Robert Toigo Foundation, I was also named a New America Alliance Fellow which provides an additional base of resources and information for a network of Latino finance professionals. As part of their amazing schedule of events, President Bill Clinton will be speaking!

It's getting late, and I've got an early morning so that's all from me for tonight.

Cheers!

I was looking forward to my drive to Albany and Boston mostly because fall is my favorite time of year and I knew visually I was in for a treat :) For those of you in places where you don't get to see the amazing foilage of upstate NY, I've shared a short 1 minute video below. I'm quite sure I could get in trouble for filming and driving, so don't tell any highway patrolman, ok?

Of course, I could have stayed all weekend with my friends in Boston after my interview, but I had to come back for Cornell Homecoming! Sadly, this being my sixth year at Cornell, I think it was only my second Homecoming football game. And even this time, I couldn't stay for the whole game because it just got too cold to enjoy. It was a gorgeous afternoon, but chillier than I expected. I did get to stay through the very spirited half time show when the band performed, joined by alumni band members. I had every intention of going to the Homecoming Concert too, but those plans changed when I decided to meet up with my Hermanas (Sorority sisters) for dinner. We had an alumna Hermana on campus doing some interviewing for her firm. She was a member of the second pledge class (ever) 19 years ago and hasn't been back on campus for the last 12 years. It was great just to hear stories about what her experience was like 20 years ago at Cornell. My night was capped off when I joined some friends at Stella's, one of my favorite bar's in Collegetown. I have included a few photos from Saturday's events below.

Cheers!

There was a mad dash for tickets to the Dalai Lama speaking event yesterday. I was a participant in the secondary market for my chance to see His Holiness in person. Word has it there was even a black market for tickets! Shameful to think someone would willingly profit off of the relgious leader's presence, when he and the school in fact, do not. I had also heard some folks were arriving two hours in advance to get seats. Two hours? Really? Despite having to stand in a 1/2 mile long line in an unnaturally hot and humid October afternoon (wait, this is Ithaca...there is no such thing as unnatural weather patterns), despite having to endure the oven like atmosphere of Barton Hall where thousands of attendees packed the bleacher seats like canned sardines, and despite the event having a live broadcast online where you could watch from any remote location (like an air conditioned one sitting in a seat with a back to it), yes despite all that, I would willingly pay again for this rare experience.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama warned us in his opening, many of us had come there because we were curious, and that's okay. Then there were others of us who had come with high expectations, and that's not okay. The room thundered with laughter when he said we would surely dissappoint this group of people. This humorous introduction set the mood for the rest of his talk. In reflection, I think he couldn't have made a wiser marketing decision here. In order to sell his message he needed an audience willing to particiapte and an "ask" that can be easily adopted. After this humanizing move, he made his case for joining him in a human approach toward peace. In a convincing argument he described how the physical features and lifestyles of humans show an inherence for affection and gentility; from our ability to smile beautifully with teeth (not jaws) to our handshakes and hugging arms (not fierce claws) we are gentle creatures. But overall the greatest message I took away from the Dalai Lama's talk was the idea that we are all born with limited compassion. However, we have the opportunity - and more so responsibility, I think - to grow infinite compassion through practice.

In other recent events, we are right at the middle of the semester. The 1st years have made it through their 1st half of the core and are now on fall break. The 2nd years also had a fall break (apparently) earlier this week. I spent part of my break in Houston for the NSHMBA conference. Overall rathing for that event is about a 7 out of 10. Not great, Not bad...Not like the NBMBAA conference in Orlando (see story below). So what's going to keep me busy over the next few weeks? That is, aside from classes (obligatory disclosure for the professors and administration that read my blog). Johnson Means Business! It is fastly approaching and hard to believe because I have soooo much to do! Happily, the event will also allow me to reconnect with some old friends from undergrad and from Los Angeles as they were admitted to the weekend and recently informed me of their confirmed attendance. I can only hope my record will improve from last year when both my hostees ended up at different business schools this year (*LOL*). In all seriousness though, so long as they end up in business school, we all win. And on that happy note, I bid you adieu.

Cheers!

Although I don't recall having to pull an all-nighter in business school, last week I surely came close to it, functioning the next day on just two hours of sleep! Why do this to myself, you may ask. I had a speech to deliver for my Oral Communications course, a midterm exam for Macroeconomics, and a paper due for my Negotiations class - all on the same day! I suppose I am pretty used to working under pressure to get things done, but really these last two weeks have been a true endurance test! Allow me to share some of the bigger ticket items:

Thursday, 9/20 - New York City
I served as a volunteer at an event being sponsored by The Toigo Foundation at NASDAQ in Times Square. The event was for young professionals who are interested in pursuing their MBA and in particular, want to either continue or switch to a career in the financial services sector. The event also served as a reminder of just how small the MBA world can be. At the event I reconnected with a Sorority sister of mine, a former college classmate, and some Toigo alumni...all who also knew each other in some way or another.

Friday, 9/21 - New York City
Johnson is not alone amongst business schools that suffer from a low female to male ratio, but the school is attempting to ramp up its efforts to recruit women. On this day I participated in a focus group with Johnson alumnae (both recent and more professionally advanced), current students, faculty, staff, and corporate partners. Together this diverse group of women and one man examined the current situation and discussed opportunities to overcome this challenge. I am really looking forward to seeing some of our ideas come to fruition! As President of the Women's Management Council and as a female candidate for the MBA at the Johnson School, I feel it is my duty to actively work toward increasing the number of women here.

Friday night :) thru Sunday afternoon - Atlantic City (woohoo!)
Some college girlfriends and I had been planning this trip since mid summer as a little reunion so you can understand that despite the fact I had so many deliverables for school the next week, I could not miss this weekend with my girls. Life is not about assignments and deadlines, afterall, and it is necessary to continually develop and maintain those relationships with the people in your life. It was my first time to the AC and though it's no Vegas, I'm a fan and will likely make the trek again some day. I have to recoup the $30 I lost on the Wheel of Fortune slots afterall!

Hell Week...
Well, you know some of it from above but after returning from Atlantic City I had to hustle to get it all done. By Wednesday at 2:05 when I turned in my Macro exam I was ready for the weekend...and really looking forward to my Intro to Wines course at 2:55 where we try 6-7 different wines each class! To my dismay, we didn't taste any wines that day and instead had a course on responsible drinking led by the Cornell University Police Department. I have to admit that despite my initial pouting, I was happy for this lecture and hope the message reached at least some people in the audience. Not that Cornell has a huge drinking problem and driving while drunk is also not a cause for concern here either but I think it is important for anyone who chooses to drink be reminded of the possible repurcussions of their abuse of alcohol. Two weeks ago, I got a call from home...one of those calls you don't ever hope to get. My grandmother had been killed in a car accident. The driver of the other car involved in the collision was drunk. My inability to travel to Mexico for my grandmother's funeral and grieve with the rest of my family is a harsh reminder of the sacrifices I have to make to follow my dream and the sometimes unfortunate truth about being stuck in this silo called business school is that the real world keeps moving. No matter the situation, it is never a wise decision to get behind the wheel of a car if you are drunk.

I hate to end on a downer note, so I will share just one more bit of news. This year, the Johnson School launched a new series of events taking place after classes on Thursday afternoons that will serve as a sort of happy hour for students, faculty, staff, and families. Recently, the Student Council held a contest to name this series which I entered. I am happy to report that I am one of the winners of the contest! The weekly "Sage Socials" will be hosted by various school clubs, and departments. What's my prize? Bragging rights until the end of time...or at least until someone comes up with a better name :)

Cheers!

Networking - You might be wondering what the heck I was doing during these long career fair hours to not have had the opportunity to speak with all of my targeted firms. Well, a huge component of this conference is networking. I don't mean to brag, but I have a pretty extensive network, mostly as a result of the past work experiences and the programs I have participated in (i.e. The Riordan Programs, Toigo Foundation, Forte Foundation, LEAD Program in Business, NSHMBA, and an extensive Cornell alumni network) but also from a social standpoint (like friends from my days in Los Angeles). Throughout the two days on the floor as I was walking around I would run into folks I know and took the time to catch up and meet some of their classmates or colleagues. It felt like a big reunion! In fact, there were times I was in a conversation with several people all from different previous experiences but were all also connected in some other way. Perhaps they were now classmates or had mutual friends. Its moments like these that remind me how small the world really is! (especially the world of Black and Latino MBAs) I am sure the 6 degrees is more like 2 degrees of separation here.

Other - This trip was also a great opportunity to just get away. I know I've only been in school three weeks, but its good to break away from the 24 hour day of being an MBA student every so often. One of my closest friends here at Johnson is Meloney (Mel). Mel and I rented a convertible for the weekend pledging to have the top down as much as possible! Fortunately, the daily rain showers that plague Orlando didn't get in the way too often :) Mel spent some of her "growing up" years in Orlando so she was a great navigator to the city. Although we didn't budget time to go to any of the theme parks, we did get to go to Citywalk at Universal Studios for the Diageo hosted event featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and Biz Markie as well as the House of Blues event hosted by Courvoisier at Downtown Disney, where Shaq made a guest appearance. Aside from these late night events, we also contributed to the Orlando economy by doing a little mall shopping and as patrons at some local restaurants. I am still amazed at how much we were able to fit into a day!

It is good to be back in Ithaca again where it is already beginning to look and feel like fall - my favorite time of year here! The leaves will be changing more rapidly soon, but the air is already crisp calling for a light fleece when I go outside. This was a longer entry than usual, but hopefully as enjoyable as others. I'll be back soon with more stories of my Johnson adventure.

Cheers!

It is good to be back! The semester is in full swing and I can hardly believe this is my last fall in Ithaca...again :) Ithaca has a strangely addictive nature that draws you back if you have been away too long. Too long can be a summer, a year, or a couple years but most current students and alumni alike click their heels saying "there's no place like home" when they arrive. There has been a lot of clicking these past three weeks on campus as the big bad second years have returned and today many alumni are visiting for the annual career fair that serves as the kickoff to the recruiting season at Johnson. I am actually awaiting the start of the event now...

I have to say, I am a lot busier than I expected to be this second year. On top of the need to manage my full time recruiting process, I am loaded with leadership responsbilities and not to mention classes. Unlike first year when all I could think about was the core and surviving Michaely's cold calling, I find myself jumping from club meeting to club meeting planning the events and activities of this last semester of leadership. Fortunately, I have a class schedule that allows me to manage all of these tasks. During this first half of the semster I only have classes Monday through Wednesday (sweet!) but my end of the week is a tough one. On Wednesday I have 4 classes back to back (to back to back) taking me straight through from 8:40 am to 4:55 pm. Phew! Fortunately, my last class on that day is Introduction to Wines. Yes, you read that right. This class is likely THE hardest class to get into at Cornell. It is offered through the Hotel Management school but I am sure you can understand the benefits of a business student taking this course. Sadly, I missed the opportunity to do it undergrad, which is why it was a priority this year.

Well, it sounds like the atrium is buzzing with pitches from first years trying to make their great first impressions on the recruiters and alumni at the career fair so I think I'll go join them now. But check back soon, because I still have a ton to share!

Cheers!

Today was the start of my last week with the CalPERS Investment Office. Woohoo! Don't get me wrong, I have loved my time here but there's something about that little place called Ithaca that has me - dare I say it? - homesick! When I first arrived in Sacramento almost 11 weeks ago, I thought the summer would never end but fortunately I was given some awesome projects to work on and in my free time explored Northern California a little. As a SoCal girl, I have to admit I am biased but now have a new appreciation for my homestate.

I think I'm jumping ahead of myself here. Perhaps I should give you a little intro as to whose blog it is you're reading. I'm a blogger neophyte so forgive me if I don't know the rules. My name is Adrienne Rose Martinez and I am a 28 year old Chicana from Baldwin Park, CA. I followed my brother to Cornell the first time around after high school and decided to return for my MBA. The five years between the roundtrip, I was working in the Los Angeles area in education and the nonprofit sector but felt the itch to go back to school when I wanted to pursue other passions. I'm an official "career switcher" entering the investment management industry.

You know already that I have spent my summer with the largest U.S. public pension fund but you don't know what I've been doing. I was hired by the Asset Allocation and Risk Management group, along with the Supplemental Income Plans unit to conduct some competitve research on a fund strategy called target date retirement funds (a.k.a. age-based or lifecycle funds). CalPERS will be launching its own branded lineup of these funds next year. Using those great networking skills practice often in business school, I also managed to swing a project with the Alternative Investment Management (AIM) unit where I was evaluating private placement memorandums. With the help of my awesome mentor, I got to meet with the senior portfolio managers and other senior investment staff for each of the asset classes at CalPERS. I even got to meet with el jefe himself - Russell Read, Chief Investment Officer, the man who controls close to $250 billion (depending on the markets).

Looking back on my summer and first year MBA experience, I can hardly believe how much I have grown. I know, it's kinda cliche, but completely true! It is amazing how much I have pushed myself mentally, physically, and emotionally to get to this point. Somehow, despite the unknowns that lie ahead - whose going to hire me? what part of the world will I be living in? - I have never felt so in control of my life and future.

Well, I think I've done enough blogging for for today. Don't miss me too much if you don't hear from me next week...I'll be on a beach in Cancun or climbing the pyramids of Chichen Itza. I know, I know. You're thinking, "Who does this chick think she is? She just landed this gig and taking a vacation already?!" I've got to rest up for round II! Check back here the first week of school - August 27th.

Cheers!

I received my BS degree from Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 2001. I then worked with The Riordan Programs, a non-profit organization providing career-based outreach programs. I returned to school to pursue my MBA and launch a new career in investment management. Last year I participated in the Capital Markets and Asset Management Immersion program and spent my summer with the CalPERS Investment Office in Sacramento, CA. I'm a Forté Foundation Fellow, a New America Alliance Institute Fellow and was awarded a Robert Toigo Foundation Fellowship.