Name: Maya Calabrese
Where are you from? Belfast, Maine.
Where do you currently live (neighborhood/town)? Stoneham, MA.
Where did you complete your undergraduate degree and what is your degree in? From the University of Southern Maine, a B/S in Exercise Physiology (not at all business related, I realize this).
Are you studying full time or part time? Part-time.
Do you have work experience? If so, where/what: Yes, I’ve been working in the Financial Services industry for the past 9+ years. I’ve been working for Eaton Vance Management for the past 3+ years in a Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery role.
Why did you choose to get your MBA? Despite my work experience, I had the feeling that something was missing. I came from a background in science and hadn’t taken one business course, so I had some holes to fill.
What is your ultimate career goal? To be a successful working mother, wife, and individual. I had a daughter about a half of my way through the program and it changed my perspective on…everything. It made me a more confident leader and I see myself in a management role, focused on the communications of an organization and my employees.
What has been your favorite part of your graduate experience at Suffolk so far? The California Travel Seminar. It was a tough 8 days but worth every minute of the real-life experience. Jodi and Russell worked incredibly hard to make sure we, as students, got as much as we could from each meeting, presentation, and interaction.
What advice would you give to incoming SBS grad students? Pace yourself. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Take the time to get to know your classmates, enjoy the subjects that you are working on, and use your experiences in your everyday life.
Share a fun fact about yourself: I grew up in rural Maine, in a small house on 2 acres of land. When I say small, I mean we lived in one of the first “tiny houses” before they became popular. My parents didn’t have running water or electricity until I was 2 years old (by choice, mind you) and I spent a majority of my childhood outside, climbing trees, building forts and swimming in every lake I could find. I hope that my daughter gets to experience even a fraction of this sort of childhood!
congratulations, Isabela – your story is quite inspiring!