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Rudy Weber is a businessman to the core. He is not afraid to take risks (he broke a rib jumping off a 10-meter platform on a dare); he values hard work (in the style of Herschel Walker); and he has a vision for the future (he wants to have his own business). He helped start and has been elected president of the Consulting Club at the Terry College of Business, and he was recently recognized by the Association for Corporate Growth with their inaugural student leadership scholarship given to students who play an active leadership role in their M.B.A. student community. He already has a job lined up with a major business consulting firm where he plans to work before he starts his own company.
Expected graduation: Spring 2006
Degree Objective: Master of Business Administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship
Other degrees:
B.B.A., finance, University of Georgia;
B.B.A., international business, University of Georgia
University highlights, achievements and awards:
I am currently serving as co-president of the Graduate Business Association. Our mission is to provide valuable community building events and leadership opportunities that complement the M.B.A. academic experience, thus increasing the overall value for Terry M.B.A. students. One of my main objectives in this organization is to help bridge the gap between the diverse group of students that are enrolled in the M.B.A. Program. For the past two years the organization has hosted an football seminar for international students to help them understand the sport, and last year, we organized a fund-raiser for all students at UGA where we served meals from various cultures. The event raised $1,300 for UNICEF efforts to help children affected by the tsunami in South Asia.
Current employment:
I interned at Booz Allen Hamilton last summer which is a management/strategy consulting firm. I just signed a letter of intent to continue working with them upon completion of my M.B.A. In my position at Booz Allen, I hope to provide valuable consulting services to governments and organizations around the world.
High School: Dunwoody High School
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
I chose to attend UGA because...
It didn't hurt that my fiancée was attending UGA, but that is not the only reason why I came back to school here. I was really torn between UGA and some larger MBA programs, but ultimately I really felt I could make a difference at UGA. Also, Athens is a great environment in which to learn. The campus has a soothing peacefulness about it, and Athens is a small town where you can travel pretty much anywhere within 10 minutes. If you go to the grocery store or if you are walking downtown there is a good chance that you will run into someone you know, and I really appreciate the community feel that Athens provides.
My favorite things to do on campus are...
...just walking around North Campus and appreciating all the different picturesque scenes the campus offers. I like looking at different views of Sanford Stadium, the corner of a unique building, or the horizon peeking up in the background. The hills in Athens really provide for some interesting sights, sights that I appreciate every time I am walking through the campus.
When I have free time, I like...
....to spend time with my fiancée and to participate in sports with my friends. My fiancée has been such an important part of my life, and sports have provided me with some of my greatest accomplishments. I have accepted that I won't be playing sports as a profession, but that doesn't keep me from competing.
The craziest thing I've done is...
...flip off of a 10-meter diving board in Innsbruck, Austria on a dare. This was in a public swimming pool in the middle of the Alps. The platform was so high up that the wind was swirling, and when I climbed to the top I was so nervous that I got into the fetal position. In Austria, they apparently have no rule against a maximum amount of people on a diving board at once because I was joined up there by my friend and about 8 small children. The Austrian children started laughing at me and then they started chanting my name, "Rudy, Rudy, Rudy" so I did what anyone named Rudy would have done in my situation. I ran full speed and hurtled myself over the edge of the 10-meter platform, breaking a rib on the water below.
My favorite place to study is...
...the 4th floor of the Student Learning Center in a study room overlooking Sanford Stadium.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with...
...Herschel Walker. The main thing I appreciate about him is he did not make excuses. He believed in himself, and he just went out and did it. He had dyslexia, but that did not stop him from graduating as valedictorian of his high school. He had never played sports until he was 12 years old, but he worked hard and was the most highly recruited football player coming out of high school. In my opinion, these accomplishments are a direct result of someone who is focused, determined, and who does not make excuses. The most impressive thing about him though is not his athletic ability; it is his character. I consider him to be an even better man judging by what I have read about him and seen of him in public. He said, "When I get to Heaven, God is not going to ask me how many Heisman Trophies I won or how many yards I gained. He's going to ask me what I did for my fellow man. I would like to have a good answer for him." I think that is impressive.
If I knew I could not fail, I would...
...do pretty much what I am doing now. A lot of people might be afraid to fail so they don't attempt things about which they are truly passionate. I believe that anything is possible, and that success will be achieved if you are willing to put in the effort. My goal is to wake up everyday doing something about which I am passionate. Right now, I am taking actions that will help me accomplish this vision.
After graduation, I plan to...
...get married in June! After a week-long honeymoon in St. Thomas, I will begin working. Eventually, I would like to start my own business with some friends from high school. I’m not entirely sure what that business will be yet, but ideally it will be something exciting that I can share with my whole family.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be...
...the first time I came to Athens and walked down from Russell Hall through the Tate Center Plaza onto Sanford Bridge. Seeing Sanford Stadium for the first time in person just about knocked me out like a Mike Tyson uppercut.
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