We here at Speak! are so impressed by how far Umair has come in his English journey. Learn about Umair’s immense improvement of his English communication, guided by one of our fantastic BSpeak! English coaches, Leslie!

Hey Umair! Tell us about yourself!

I am originally from Pakistan, and an incoming Full-time MBA student at Rice Business. I am an Electrical Engineer by profession and currently working for a Global Port Operator - DP World as a Shift Manager, Engineering. When not working, I enjoy teaching and counseling young students. I love spending time with children and have been volunteering my time on weekends to teach underprivileged students of a Pilot School Project.

What motivated you to undertake an MBA in the U.S.?

My premier objective to undertake an MBA program in the US is that I would be able to study in one of the top ranked business schools in the world and can get benefit from the well-developed research and academic techniques along with state-of-the-art labs and renowned academic faculty. These are the few things which unfortunately are not available in an underdeveloped country like Pakistan. US MBA programs accords the research and analytical skills which I should possess for being able to solve the wide-range of problems at the national and provincial level. I strongly believe, completing an MBA degree from United States in Social Impact Investing & Consulting would be instrumental to my career ahead with Non-Profits Organizations (NGOs) and Intergovernmental Organization (IGOs).

I truly believe, the education and knowledge that I will get from prestigious US institutions, analytical and management skills that I will develop, network and relationships that I will maintain with Global MBA Community, will definitely assist me in achieving the above-mentioned goals.

What appealed to you most about the Rice-Business MBA?

The desire to be the best must have a beginning and what could be a better way than to start this everlasting journey from Rice JGSB. Rice’s strong focus on experiential learning became the main pull factor for me since it provides the missing piece in my jigsaw puzzle. Rice MBA program is built on significant experiential learning component - Global Field Experience, Corporate Consulting Projects, Offsite Electives, and International Exchange - that would enable me to apply new business concept and classroom learning to solve real world challenging business problem.

Lastly, I am attracted to Rice Business because of its location (Houston) which is an Entrepreneurial, Tech, and Energy hub as well. I believe, Rice has a good reputation in Texas as well, and I can leverage the concentration of Fortune 500 companies and a well-knit alumni network, through which I can put myself on a strong footing to become a successful Management Consultant.

How did your B-Speak! lessons help you build confidence as you prepare to start your MBA?

B-speak lessons really helped me elevate overall English communication skills, it also helped me enhance my enunciation, intonation, listening skills, and understating of common American phrases. The initial assessment by my coach helped me identify weak areas so that I could work on them and be clearly understood by professors and peers. I believe my fluency and pronunciation have improved significantly within a short span, and now I can articulate my thoughts well and speak at length without having to worry about the sentence structure and thinking in the head beforehand. After going through lessons like small talk, elevator pitch, critical reading, and listening podcasts I feel more confident while communicating with native speakers, and can express and defend my opinions in a concise and coherent manner. I am glad I took B-speak American Style Business English course before embarking on my MBA journey!

What are you most looking forward to experiencing in Houston and at Rice?

Beyond the classroom, I am quite fascinated to experience Global Field Experience at Rice in order to learn about different opportunities and challenges faced by other fast-growing economies and have an in-depth insight into cultural and business dynamics in an international market.

Since Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in the US, I m looking forward to experiencing different cultures and various food as well. I also plan to explore the beautiful city of Houston; I am particularly excited to visit the NASA Johnson Space Center during the summer break. Lastly, I am most excited to connect with my cohort and make new friends, and being the only MBA candidate from my country, I am really excited to share my country’s traditions and culture as well with my fellow classmates.

Learn English with speak!