Author: Joan Daly is a recent graduate of the Luxury & Retail MBA Student and Graduate Ambassador for the program. On campus, she was an involved member of Stern Women in Business, the Luxury & Retail Club, and the Graduate Marketing Association. Joan specialized in global business and luxury marketing during her one year program, and will be moving into a strategic brand marketing role upon graduation.
Reflecting on my time as a Luxury & Retail MBA student, I can’t believe just how fast one year flew by! In just 12 months, my cohort did SO much, both inside and outside of the classroom. I had the chance to reflect with some of my classmates on our favorite memories from this past year. It was hard to narrow down just a few, since we had so much fun, but the moments below really capture the time that we spent together and how we’ll continue to be not just a supportive network for each other, but friends as well.
Caroline C.
“Two of my favorite memories are Fall Ball—getting all dressed up and seeing everyone’s incredible black tie style made for such a fun and memorable night—and our hike to Cold Spring, New York. It was the perfect fall day, and we spent the whole day outside the city, laughing, exploring, and celebrating with a post-hike drink. But honestly, what I loved most were all the little moments in between. As a cohort in the one-year Program, we’ve spent so much time together in class, on experiential projects, and during trips—and I truly cherished every opportunity to connect, catch up, and share those in-between moments with the whole cohort.”
Alex P.
“One of my favorite memories from the past year was our trip to Florence as a cohort. Over the summer, we were all basically glued together getting through core classes, but come fall, everyone went their separate ways with electives, clubs, and recruiting. So it was really special to come back together in January and just enjoy each other’s company again. Running into people on the street, grabbing dinners, swapping tips on the best shops; it was such a fun, energizing trip right before we dove into recruiting and our final semester.”
Julia K.
“My favorite memory from this past year was the end-of-summer trip our cohort organized to the Hamptons. It was so fun to celebrate finishing the whirlwind of the summer semester by taking a weekend getaway to picturesque East Hampton, where we spent the weekend exploring all the local shops and restaurants, hitting up karaoke night, laying out on the beach, and sampling coffee at just about every spot in all of the neighboring towns. It was the perfect way to cap off an incredible summer with new best friends!”
Matt S.
“One of my favorite memories was bringing our entire cohort together for a drag brunch during Pride month! I loved getting to bond with my classmates while being able to celebrate something that means so much to me and my community. We were able to get dressed up, let loose, and create memories that I’ll hold with me forever.”
Joan D.
“It’s hard to choose just one memory! On the academic side, our entire cohort had the opportunity to consult on a project for LVMH in our spring semester, as part of our Luxury Solutions experiential learning course. It was incredible to work with such a prestigious client, and knowing that the work we were doing was actually going to be utilized and implemented by the team was the cherry on top. It was an awesome way to cap off our last semester at NYU Stern!”
As we head into the summer and go our separate ways into new jobs and ventures, I feel an immense sense of gratitude for the people that have shaped my last year. From the Luxury & Retail cohort to the professors and educators at Stern, and the faculty and staff who supported us through Experiential Learning and Careers, we have been transformed. I’m excited to see where life takes us all! And we’ll always remember, once a Sternie, always a Sternie!
