James Cornish is the 2020 outstanding graduate for his tremendous achievements in the full-time Master of Business Administration program. James Cornish is the 2020 outstanding graduate for his tremendous achievements in the full-time Master of Business Administration program. James was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will be graduating with his MBA and a Graduate Certificate in Information Systems. His plans after graduation include marrying his fiancé this summer at Snowbird and starting as a Product Manager at Adobe in Lehi supporting the Digital Experience business. “We are excited to congratulate James Cornish as the Full-Time MBA Outstanding Graduate. To graduate with a near-perfect GPA in a 2-Year MBA program with other very accomplished individuals is no small feat. MBA classes cover a wide range of subjects from finance to communications to deeply technical skills and James has proved to be a master of all of these,” said Stephanie Giesler, Director of the Full-Time MBA Program. “While the highest GPA is the determiner of the Full-Time MBA Outstanding Student, James also embodies other important aspects of our MBA culture. He is supportive and caring of other students in his cohort, is an exemplary team leader and contributor on team projects, and is a positive force for good in our program. We will miss having him in our cohort, but are excited to have him join the ranks of our distinguished alumni. As a successful mechanical engineer, James joined our program with the goal to pivot his career into the technology industry.”
He landed a highly-competitive internship at Adobe in Product Management during his MBA. His performance and ability to drive outcomes during his internship resulted in a full-time role as a Product Manager at Adobe in the Lehi location. Our best wishes to James and the Full-Time MBA cohort as they move on to their next adventure.
What was your most memorable experience as an Eccles student?
For me, it is all about the relationships and time spent with the amazing people that make up the 2020 full-time MBA cohort. From the long hours spent in Garff studying, to intense ping-pong in the lounge, to the wild nights at the Busichio household, the memories I made with this special group will stick with me forever. If I had to pick just one experience, it would be our international trip to Tokyo, Japan this past fall break. This was an incredible opportunity to experience a vastly different culture and begin to celebrate the culmination of our efforts over the past two years. Cohort 2020, thank you for an unforgettable two years!
What clubs, competitions, and/or activities did you participate in?
As a full-time MBA student, I was able to apply what I was learning by participating in the strategy and consulting club and subsequently growing my network by attending numerous events hosted by Women in Business. I also leveraged our wonderful alumni network to prepare for interviews and make valuable connections in the valley. As an aside, I want to acknowledge the program staff and MBSA leadership for planning a slew of fantastic events that brought our cohort closer. First, a big shout out to cohort 2020 for going 2-0 in the MBA turkey bowl (special thanks to our coaches, Ben Hubbard and Kit Fry)! Lastly, thank you MBSA for hosting two very memorable MBA formals. These events gave us all the opportunity to let loose, get jiggy on the dancefloor, and bond as a cohort.
What was your favorite class?
FINAN 6025: Managerial Economics taught by Scott Schaefer.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank, acknowledge or shout out?
Shout out to Team 10! A group full of life-long friends that I couldn’t be more grateful to have shared this experience with. Love you guys!
