This month’s professional spotlight features Merih Ocbazghi. Merih is a Management Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group, as well as an MBA Student at the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, IL. He is also involved with the Eritrean Diaspora Network’s Professional Development Group.

How did you come to get involved with EDN?
Last January me and my friend Ghenet Besera came up with an idea to host a Professional Development workshop at the Eritrean Soccer Tournament in Washington, DC. EDN leadership agreed to help us cohost the event, and they really helped us put on a strong program. After the event we got a lot of positive feedback to do more programming, so we joined with EDN to start the Professional Development workgroup. It’s been a great and truly rewarding experience.

Could you briefly describe your typical day? 
I’m currently working as a strategy consultant – which doesn’t have very many “typical days”! A usual day would start with getting to the airport for an early flight to our client site. After this we usually meet as a case team and discuss what our priorities for the week are, and update each other on our workstreams. Then there’s typically client meetings, a presentation, a case team dinner, and then finally we check into the hotel in the evening and get some rest/relaxation. It’s a demanding job, but it’s an incredible experience.

How did you come to decide that this was the right graduate program for you?
I always thought that getting an MBA was a great way to transition into new career paths and accelerate your trajectory at the same time. After doing my research I found that the quality of people at Kellogg, and their diversity of life experiences meant that I could learn from them just as much as I learn from my classes. There are a lot of great business schools, but the quality of my classmates at Kellogg sets it apart, in my opinion.

Is there a philosophy that guides your work?
My work (and life) philosophy is about constantly learning and improving. I’m the first person to admit that I don’t know everything – and that I never will. But I will approach my work with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a desire to get better every day. I think that is what motivates me to push harder than the day before – the idea that I might learn something today that I never thought I’d know.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as a student or professional?
I think getting my Master’s degree next spring will have to take the cake. From the beginning my parents have always stressed the importance of education – and getting a graduate degree has always been high on my list of goals for myself. Checking that one off the list will feel great!

What’s one piece of advice you would give someone looking to pursue a graduate degree in your field?
Make sure you’re mentally ready for the process. The application is long, and has many parts. It’s meant to give you the time to reflect on why you truly want the degree, and what makes you a great candidate. So, really take the time to reflect on these things, and your reasons will come through more clearly and more focused.

Outside of all of your hard work and efforts toward building your brand, what do you do for fun? Hobbies?
I’m really into traveling and experiencing different cultures, so I try to get abroad as much as possible! Quality time with family and friends is big for me as well. Daily though I’m big into playing sports, listening to podcasts, and trying to read/keep up on the news.