Austin Trotta ’25

I was initially drawn to SOM for its focus on both business and society. Then, as I did more research and spoke with students, the school’s international reach and the opportunities for integration with other Yale schools really stood out as unique. All my early impressions have proven to be true, and I’ve had many amazing moments during my MBA. But it’s been the selfless, genuine students I’ve met and the special community we share that have made this an outstanding program.

The academic opportunities at Yale have deepened my understanding of business and broadened my overall knowledge base. SOM’s integrated core curriculum showed me how information is informed and filtered by different stakeholder perspectives, and that we should recognize, question, and combine perspectives to make better informed business decisions.

At the same time, taking courses at other Yale schools has let me explore interests that complement my SOM coursework. At the School of the Environment, I took the course Renewable Energy Project Finance, taught by Dan Gross, the head of Amazon’s $2 billion Climate Fund. And at the Jackson School for Global Affairs, I took Economic Evolution of Latin America, taught by Ernesto Zedillo, the former president of Mexico.

President Zedillo’s class was amazing. He knows personally many of the economists we read and also the presidents, politicians and central bankers discussed. It made the histories come alive. I had lived in the region and read about these historical events, but this level of academic rigor, detail and first-hand insight added a lot to my understanding.”

At Yale College, I took a course on Lusophone women filmmakers and photographers that helped develop my Portuguese language skills. I also took a course on fossil fuels and world energy. This course didn’t just cover global energy markets and trends. It also dove into chemistry, geology and earth science. I will work in the energy industry after graduating, so it was very valuable to round out my business knowledge with some deep technical understanding of the chemistry, geology and technology involved.

So many people and resources helped me navigate my career path. The Consulting Club and Energy Club were great sources of industry knowledge and professional preparation, as was my Career Development Office coach. With their help, I was able to plan my recruiting strategy, learn valuable business insights, and prepare for my interviews. I ended up with the unbelievable opportunity of deciding between two great, full-time opportunities—one at Bain and one at Chevron. As a second-year student, I’m now paying forward all the help I received, coaching first-year students and contributing to this special community.