First-year MBAs Bianca Busse, Belinda Uwase and Javier Ferrer, left to right, review a recipe while teammate Jacques Reynoir, left, looks on during an MBA orientation cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking.
Incoming MBA students traded spreadsheets for spatulas as part of this year’s orientation, participating in a hands-on cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. The MBAs worked in teams to dish up a delectable menu of Creole classics including gumbo, meat pies and pralines.
“I moved to New Orleans literally two days before orientation, so this was probably the best way for me to dive into the city’s culture and feel like I’m participating instead of just watching from afar,” said Dee Parekh (MBA ’27), a first-year MBA student from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “Food always unites people, so it was fun to work together toward a common goal and become friends over the course of meal.”
“So much communication has to happen in a kitchen in a constrained amount of time, so it really was a genius way of getting the class working together, talking to each other, and then getting to break bread together,” added Rennie Merhige (MBA ’27), a first-year MBA from Richmond, Virginia. “I hope it becomes a Freeman MBA tradition.”
The cooking class was part of a busy orientation week that also included sessions on the curriculum, presentations from the Career Management Center, a scavenger hunt, and a closing reception at the Columns Hotel with alumni, faculty and staff.
Melissa Lightell, assistant dean for graduate admissions, says this year’s class earns high marks across multiple demographic measures.
“This year’s MBA cohort reflects both academic strength and diversity,” said Lightell. “With the average age of the incoming class 25.4, a near-even gender balance and a significant portion of the class receiving merit-based funding, we’re proud of the caliber and character of this class. While international enrollment was lower this year due to visa processing delays, we saw strong interest from domestic applicants, particularly from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Florida, which continue to be a vital pipeline for Freeman.”
