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photo of Christiana Opoku in a Yale sweatshirt outside in the Evans Hall courtyard

My Yale SOM Journey

Christiana Opoku ’22 reflects on her time in the Master of Advanced Management program—a year marked by unique opportunities to connect with the Yale SOM community and to shape a curriculum aligned with her career goals.

My Yale School of Management journey began in 2018 during a brief, in-person visit for an executive program. I learned a lot about Yale during the visit—from how the little details in the architecture of Evans Hall connote a culture of transparency to how the Master of Advanced Management (MAM) program could help me set myself apart as a global leader. I had just completed an MBA at the University of Ghana and was looking to leverage my experience in driving growth to identify opportunities for sustainable process improvements in the global tech space. I knew the MAM program was the right fit to help me navigate the challenges of leadership and make impactful strides in the global workspace.

I deferred my start of the program until January 2021 because of the pandemic; this was off-cycle and with a hybrid class system. However, this meant I got to meet both the 2021 and 2022 cohorts, which enriched the networking experience. The fall 2021 semester has been entirely in-person, which has been very exciting. It’s always interesting running into classmates, faculty, and Dean Kerwin K. Charles at Evans Hall—I have met some really amazing people in those hallways!

I came to Yale with a career plan that needed some fine tuning. My career coach, Christine Grieco, has been very supportive of my goals and has helped me to narrow them down and strategize. I shaped my academic journey to suit my career objectives by curating my curriculum with electives from across the Yale community. This flexibility in the MAM program helped me optimize the resources available to facilitate my transition from banking to tech. My favorite classes were Advanced Business Analytics and Strategic Communication, two courses that will help me situate myself as a leader in any workspace. I even stepped out of my comfort zone and took a class in sports analytics, where I got to sharpen my probability modeling skills whiles learning something new: the ins and outs of the world of sports.

I was also able to enhance my skills as a global leader beyond the walls of a classroom. I worked with the Global Programs office as a Yale SOM Global Network ambassador to the 32-member school program Global Network for Advanced Management, where I had the opportunity to direct student-led initiatives. It has been a very enriching experience working with Assistant Dean Camino de Paz and the amazing Global Programs team.

Overall, the best part of my Yale experience has been the incredible people I have met, and the friendships formed along the way. The fellowships, painting workshops, wine classes, hiking trips, cultural events, and assorted activities created avenues for us to bond. I love the diversity, not just in the people and backgrounds but also in thought, and this always brings unique perspectives to the table.

I am glad to be part of this amazing community and I look forward to making more impact in business and society.