Contents
- Did you expect JSOM Perspectives to have a big success? What are some valuable lessons you’ve learned?
- What is the most fun/rewarding part of your job at JSOM Web Services?
- Can you tell us more about the teams you work with?
- Any particular moments of inspiration?
- Coolest thing about JSOM Perspectives?
- How does it feel to be a student and a staff member at JSOM?
- Ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
- What makes this place called JSOM tick in your perspective?
- Follow up question – so what is your ethnicity again?
- Top three goals on your bucket list?
Gaby Mokry needs no introduction. She is optimistic, smart, is busy as a buzzing bee around the Jindal School and one of the many Faces of JSOM. What keeps her buzzing? Read on then!
Did you expect JSOM Perspectives to have a big success? What are some valuable lessons you’ve learned?
Initially, the blog wasn’t my project; it was spearheaded by another staff member. When she left, it was handed over to me. To be honest, I was apprehensive to take over the responsibility, but I’m glad I did because it has allowed me to get to know the JSOM community. With a lot of help from the JSOM Web Services Team (not to mention the innumerable brainstorming sessions), the blog took off, and it spread like wildfire. We had students, faculty and staff who were equally excited to write for the blog and spread the news! The success of the blog comes from each and every one of you; yes, YOU, everyone who reads the blog, writes for the blog and shares the blog makes it a success.
What is the most fun/rewarding part of your job at JSOM Web Services?
The most fun is meeting with so many students with different backgrounds and vantage points. Plus, I get to know about all the fun events on campus first (which means food and coffee). I love that I can immerse myself on campus and live like a student every day.
It goes like this: I can attend a sales event and learn the best tactics to be the best salesperson; I can go to an alumni event and see where they are now — since graduation. I can go to an MBA cohort gathering and see how close they are. Seeing all this happening around me gives me joy to know that I’m all a part of something so great!
Can you tell us more about the teams you work with?
JSOM Web Services is a fun team to be a part of. We have weekly meetings and monthly get-togethers outside work. We recently had a team activity at Carefree Colors, where we all chose a different picture and painted together. Bonding like this helps us work better because we get to know each other better outside the workplace.
I have also gotten close with the External Affairs and Alumni Relations group. They exemplify the importance of a work/life balance. As for working with the different departments at the Jindal School, I think it’s a perk to work with so many bright minds and experts in different fields. You can tap into any field of business and get expert guidance, all you have to do is call them up and ask, “Can you help me with this?”Any particular moments of inspiration?
A lot of students here work so hard, and it pushes me to work hard too. Especially when I hear stories from international students, it is very inspiring — because it is a total life change. How can they be so brave! This has put my perspective of life onto a new level. It’s made me more grateful and empathetic.
Coolest thing about JSOM Perspectives?
That it is filled with a lot of experiences. When you’re researching what school to apply to, JSOM Perspectives is like the friend you ask to get a feel for what it’s like to be a JSOM student.
How does it feel to be a student and a staff member at JSOM?
Lots of feelings. Sometimes I feel like I live here! But, I don’t have it bad at all; I’m really grateful that I just need to walk across the hallway and go to class (rather than having to drive in traffic and find a place to park). The exciting part about all of this is that I get to apply what I’m learning in class right away in my work.
Ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
Ten years from now. Hmm. I definitely see myself working in the creative field, in the digital marketing space to be specific, hopefully as a director, maybe working for an agency, maybe working for myself, I have not really gotten that far in planning. I definitely want to get more experience in marketing and event planning specifically. I’ve started planning an event called Total Immersion, you should check it out. But in 10 years, I will be 37, my gosh, hopefully I will be married with kids. But, whatever God has in store for me.
What makes this place called JSOM tick in your perspective?
You know the pulse of JSOM is its diversity, something you can’t get anywhere else. You just get this tunnel vision with other colleges, but here at UT Dallas, you get to see so many people coming from different walks of life, and it helps broaden your way of tackling problems. It is also fun to experience all different kinds of things. Like the other day, I went out for lunch with some UT Dallas folks, and it was interesting to see how each of us were of different origins — one from Taiwan, Vietnam, India and then I am like German/Irish/Czech/Mexican.
Follow up question – so what is your ethnicity again?
My Grandpa on my mother’s side is Mexican and my grandma is full Irish, making my mom half Irish and Mexican, so I am a quarter Mexican and quarter Irish. Now let’s come to my dad’s side. He is German and Czech, so all in all, I am German-Irish-Czech-Mexican.
Top three goals on your bucket list?
- I want to travel to all seven continents because of my whole thing with diversity. I have been to three so far. Learn a foreign language. Probably French because it is just so romantic; it just rolls off your tongue, and when someone speaks French, you’re like, ‘Wow!’
- Then this is kind of the domestic one: Get married and have kids.
That concludes part 1 of the espresso chat with Gaby Mokry, one of the Faces of JSOM. Check back next week for Part 2.
