Leslie Hernandez Dinneen
MBA 16
Product Marketing Manager, Small Business Research and Insights
Google
For Leslie Hernandez Dinneen, experiential learning is even more important for evening & weekend MBA students because it gives them “a view into a company other than where we work. We get to see other cultures and different approaches. It gives you a blank slate to tailor your solution to the situation.”
You rely on each other
The minute I met my classmates, I realized Berkeley Haas was the place for me. I thrived on the diverse experiences and points of view everyone brought to our discussions, inside the classroom and outside. I couldn't imagine finding such a range of perspectives, ideas, and expertise anywhere else.
All of my classmates had huge plans for the future. They were ambitious in their desire to make the world a better place. Yet, everyone was down to earth and balanced. That was having Confidence Without Attitude.
The first year fosters a deep sense of community with your cohort. You all run the gauntlet together in a big, supportive network. You get to know each other in good times and bad; you rely on each other.
It was a fascinating and innovative learning experience
At Berkeley Haas, we all got to customize our MBA. There was immense diversity in the electives offered, from real estate to entrepreneurship to social impact.
I really responded to the Leading People class. At the time, I was pursuing an opportunity at Google to support our employment branding. What I learned from Professor Ming Leung boosted my understanding of leadership, organizational behavior, and building great teams. His course really helped me prepare for the internal review process.
Our final project for Professor Greg La Blanc’s Strategy class was very rewarding. We used the frameworks learned in class to objectively evaluate a strategic decision, in our case one made by Tesla Motors Figuring out why the decision had been made was like peeling back the layers of an onion. Plus, we got to visit the plant and get to know the people a the company. It was a fascinating and innovative learning experience.
I felt more empowered
At Google, I saw every day the power of going Beyond Yourself, as I had direct contact with nonprofits. But there’s more to it. Beyond Yourself also means taking the long view when you make a decision, thinking about the implications, and playing out the long-term consequences of various options.
Being an MBA student at Berkeley Haas had reminded me of how much there is to explore in the world. I felt more empowered in my career and confident in my decisions.
PREVIOUS DEGREE
BA, International Relations
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California