Ayla Olvera (MBA ’20)
Only a month after several Broad Spartans were noted as Poets & Quants’ “Best & Brightest,” three more Broad graduates have been recognized. On May 31, Poets & Quants released its annual list of “MBAs to Watch,” which profiles recent graduates expected to significantly impact their industry.
Three students from the Full-Time MBA Class of 2020 were selected: Ayla Olvera, Bolor-Erdene Erdenechuluun and Diandra Prutton.
During her time at MSU, Olvera held active leadership roles in student organizations, including serving as president of MSU’s Graduate Supply Chain Management Association and co-founder and co-executive director of Spartan Pride, the Broad College’s first LGBTQ+ student organization. Beyond campus, Olvera interned at Intel, helping her to land a full-time position there upon graduation.
“My MBA experience provided me with foundational knowledge within the classroom and exposure to some of the best minds in business and, specifically in my case, supply chain and logistics,” she said.
“The Broad network afforded me the opportunity to meet and interview with some of the best companies in every industry. This exposure was a major part of me having a choice in the projects I was interested in working on during my internship and, ultimately, who I would work with post-graduation.”
Bolor-Erdene Erdenechuluun (MBA ’20)
Erdenechuluun came to MSU from Mongolia as a Fulbright Scholar. She received the Eli Broad Dean Fellowship for her excellent academic record and served as vice president of the MBA Finance Association while earning her MBA.
“Coming from half a world away, leaving my loved ones and banking job for two years, I didn’t know if I made the right choice at that time. But as soon as I landed at the campus, I was warmly welcomed by a huge Spartan family,” she said. “I am proud to say that I am an MSU alumna, and I have no doubt that I will find another Spartan family in every country, wherever my path will lead me to.”
Due to travel complications from COVID-19, Erdenechuluun has not been able to return home to begin her post-MBA career. In the meantime, she is busy applying to jobs at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other international development banks and financial institutions.
Prutton is the only scholar of the three with a non-business background, which impacted her time as a Spartan.
Diandra Prutton (MBA ’20)
“With a B.A. in Psychology, I wasn’t necessarily the typical business school candidate, so there was some anxiety around going back to school,” she said, noting that she had “a lot of support from family and friends and an understanding of how business school could help bridge the gap between where I was and where I wanted to go. This recognition to me is a reflection of the people (before and during business school) who helped me develop and grow.”
Like Olvera and Erdenechuluun, Prutton was involved with student organizations, including serving as president of the MBA Finance Association and vice president of corporate relations for the Broad Women’s MBA Association. Prutton is now working full-time for S&P Global in New York City as an associate in corporate credit ratings.
“To choose just one aspect of the Broad program that helped me would be doing the others a disservice. It really boils down to the culture fostered at Broad and the support from my fellow Spartans,” she said. “I’ve grown professionally, academically and personally throughout the program, which can be largely attributed to the collaborative and supportive environment at Broad.”
Read more at Poets & Quants for in-depth interviews with Ayla Olvera, Bolor-Erdene Erdenechuluun and Diandra Prutton.
