Real Humans of the Rutgers Business School
Laurie Cataldo Godfrey, Rutgers Business School MBA
Age: 33
Hometown: Marlboro, NJ
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Penn State University, Journalism and Sociology
Laurie Cataldo Godfrey, Rutgers Business School MBA
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I spent about 10 years as a radio DJ and content creator at the Jersey Shore.
Why business school? Why now? I was feeling frustrated with radio and felt I wasn’t living up to my full potential. Marketing seemed like it would be a good fit for me, and I knew if I wanted to secure a great marketing job I would need direct experience and a business degree. I was worried that it was too late to start a new career, but one of my favorite sayings is, “you’re never too old, and it’s never too late!”
Why the Rutgers Business School MBA program? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? My husband works in Lower Manhattan and all of my family is in New Jersey so I really wanted to stay local. Out of the schools in range, Rutgers Business School offered an unbeatable return-on-investment. The job placement rate was also incredibly important to me, and Rutgers had impressive stats in that department.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to your MBA class? My work experience with communications and public speaking certainly set me apart. I think my unique career background showed others in my class that regardless of where you are coming from, drive and hard work are what you need to succeed in business school and beyond.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I originally went to Penn State to study meteorology, because I wanted to be a TV weather reporter.
Post-MBA career interests? Upon graduation, I will begin my marketing career as an Associate Brand Manager for Mars Wrigley Confectionery in New Jersey.
About the Author
Matthew Korman
Matthew Korman is a writer on MetroMBA. Since graduating from Rowan University with a degree in journalism and political science, Matthew has worked as a music industry writer and promoter, a data analyst, and with numerous academic institutions. His works have appeared in publications such as NPR and Sports Illustrated.
