Satiya Witzer (’13) grew up with Anderson.
Selected as a Riordan Scholar at the age of 14, Witzer has been closely tied to UCLA Anderson since her high school days. The Riordan Scholars program is a UCLA Anderson initiative invested in pairing first-generation college students with MBA student mentors to provide guidance in their pursuit of higher education. This jump start to Witzer’s career planted the seed for her future at Anderson. Now Witzer has returned to UCLA once more, this time as associate director of MBA Admissions.
Q: You went from an accounting degree at USC to PricewaterhouseCoopers. What prompted you to pursue your MBA degree at Anderson?
When I was 14, I happened upon the Riordan Scholars Program at UCLA Anderson. I had gone to a public high school, and there was a significant dearth of college counseling available, so this was an incredible opportunity for me. I was paired with an Anderson mentor, Clare Davidson Flynn (’00), who ended up having a significant impact on my life. She helped me with my first draft of my resume, invited me to my first women’s business conference here at the school — and from then on, I knew I wanted to be at Anderson. The skills I learned in this program built the foundation for my future.
I wanted to study abroad so I went to the National University of Singapore as an undergraduate, but two years in, I realized that if I wanted to build a career in the U.S., I needed to pursue an education in the States. I transferred to USC and earned a B.S. in accounting. As soon as I graduated, I joined PwC as an audit manager, and after five years of experience, I decided to go to Anderson in pursuit of other opportunities. It was either Harvard, Stanford or Anderson, but I knew my life was here, and my CPA experience helped build my quantitative skills that enabled me to succeed at UCLA Anderson.
Q: Why did you switch careers to human resources?
During the Anderson orientation, there were WAMO (“What Are My Options”) panels. You were allowed to attend three panels, and my first two were in banking and consulting. I realized I could go into these fields, but they weren’t the reason why I returned to school. I wanted to leverage skill sets into a career I was really interested in, and that turned out to be human resources (HR), the third panel I attended.
With the help of my Parker Center career advisor, I successfully landed an internship at Hewlett Packard over the summer in HR Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures, and thus began my career in HR. As a career switcher with an MBA, I brought an understanding of the business to my role to help effectively drive our deal and people strategies.
Q: What are your responsibilities as associate director of MBA admissions?
This role is really exciting for me since it involves a variety of tasks. For the majority of the year, I read applications. Everyone has a story to share, and I take the responsibility of evaluating candidates very seriously. The rest of the year is spent on the road recruiting, and this is a chance to help people realize more of their goals and what can be achieved with an Anderson MBA.
Q: How does Anderson attempt to recruit a diverse group of students? What do you look for in a prospective student?
We look at the set of life experiences a student brings. In the personal essay, we look at the obstacles they’ve overcome, previous failures they’ve had, how they handle success, and what they’re proudest of. We look at a person’s character, and recruit via these considerations. People from all walks of life want to pursue an MBA, and we take a holistic approach in evaluating students who will be successful at Anderson.
This evaluation process brings in a diverse class — it’s hard to whittle it down to one single profile that fits Anderson students. We look for significant work experience and career progressions. We look for people who continue to give back, beyond what they did in college. We want those with a quantitative skill set and a proven ability to handle the core curriculum, and those who have a clear plan about why this MBA at Anderson will make a difference.
In my experience, the students who have been most successful here are the ones who don’t hold back. They do not fear overcommitting — rather, they throw themselves into every opportunity. I’ve seen students and fellow classmates who dedicate their spring breaks to coaching other students through their interviews or planning global treks together to immerse themselves in a different country.
Q: What is your vision for the student body of Anderson and the school?
For the student body, I would like to see more women. We admit many women, but we would always like to see more. That’s the vision for many of today’s corporate boardrooms as well. The reality is we all need to work to build out partnerships and foster more collaboration between men and women. The Women’s Business Connection on campus recognizes MANbassadors, male peers who are as committed as women to achieving equity and inclusion in the workplace.
At Anderson, I like how we continue to update our class offerings to reflect industry growth and trends. We need to constantly challenge ourselves, as well as provide a practical skill set that fosters the transition for career switchers. Some interesting initiatives going on include a class sponsored by the Easton Center called Raising Capital for Early Stage Technology Ventures, and the Ziman Center has introduced a class called Recognizing and Resolving Legal Issues in the Real Estate Business.
Q: Why did you choose Anderson? Why should admits choose Anderson?
I chose Anderson because I wanted a career and network on the West Coast. I also wanted to give back to the Riordan Scholars program, rallying fellow students to help mentor another generation of Scholars. I love the community at Anderson and have always felt the camaraderie and support from friends, faculty and staff.
For people interested in tech and consulting, Anderson is a great place to be. We have a wealth of opportunities, alumni and access from Silicon Beach to Silicon Valley. We also have a large international student body who will expand your global viiew both in and outside of the classroom. At the end of the day, when you meet Anderson students, you truly see that they want to make an impact in everything they do, and they are fearless in their pursuit.
Q: Outside of admissions, what are your passions?
I am a big believer of the Lean In philosophy. I have a five-year-old daughter,and I am lucky to have a supportive husband and mother! I’m passionate about promoting women in leadership, and am active in the Forté Foundation. It’s important for women to help each other, and it’s our responsibility to bring other women up. I’ve been lucky to have strong female role models in my life, including my mentor and my mom, and I want to do the same for other women.
Q: Any advice for UCLA Anderson hopefuls?
If you are curious, just reach out. You shouldn’t be asking, “Why can’t I do this?” Instead, ask how you can pursue an MBA at UCLA Anderson and what it could do for you. You have the possibility to make a broader impact through your career with an MBA, so seize the chance!
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