Jessica Rivero

MBA 2010

Jessica Rivero wanders into hotels she's not even staying in, just to scope out the accoutrements.

"I'm always looking at the details in hotels," Rivero said. "I'm interested in looking at every aspect of a hotel, and seeing what can be changed for the better."

She is counting on her MBA to help her to achieve her goal of working as a quality assurance consultant. "A lot of people ask me why I'm doing it, but it's such a unique advantage in the hotel industry, where you're constantly having to solve little problems,” she said. “That's what we're taught to do as MBA students every day."

Rivero already has experience working for the Doubletree Hotel in Tallahassee. "There's just something about the hotel industry," she said. "You always have the opportunity to exceed someone's expectations, to make someone's day, and to develop lifetime customers."

After graduating from FSU's Dedman School of Hospitality with a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, Rivero decided to pursue her MBA, even though it meant taking time out from her dream industry. The College of Business' accelerated MBA program seemed like a perfect fit. "The only way I could justify taking a break from doing what I love, was knowing that FSU's MBA program would only take a year."

Rivero, who serves as vice president of her MBA class, enjoys the close, personal nature of the College's MBA program. "The small class size makes us a close group from the very beginning. I've found some of my new best friends here," she said. "And we come from so many different work backgrounds; everyone brings something unique to the table."