{"id":5144,"date":"2026-04-03T16:30:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T20:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/owltopia\/?p=5144"},"modified":"2026-04-03T16:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T20:30:11","slug":"my-business-in-the-u-s-the-mba-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.temple.edu\/owltopia\/2026\/04\/03\/my-business-in-the-u-s-the-mba-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"My Business in\u00a0the U.S. – The MBA Experience\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I tried ice skating last year, and it was nothing like what I imagined. Before getting on the rink, for some reason I had this idea that I would be a natural. Nothing in my mind suggested I would fall as many times as I did or fail to glide across the ice like someone who had been doing it all their life. Sometimes you imagine how an experience will go, and then it turns out completely different. Not better or worse, just different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Chidinma\u00a0Agbara at the Ice Skating Rink<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In August 2024, I came to Temple. My business in the U.S. was studying at Temple, and my business at Temple was earning an MBA. It was easy to believe that getting the degree, and figuring out life between and after, was all there was to it but it\u2019s so much more than that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing Temple does for you is open doors you did\u00a0not\u00a0even know existed. You come in with one idea of what your journey will look like, and suddenly\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0discovering new paths you never planned for.\u00a0<\/p>– Chidinma\u00a0Agbar<\/em>a<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My experience\u00a0in Temple has influenced\u00a0my community,\u00a0my opportunity\u00a0and my entrepreneurial ambitions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building Community<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps being in the heart of Philadelphia adds to the uniqueness of the relationships you can form here, even though it\u2019s still easy to feel lost when you\u2019re new, especially in a place as large as Temple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is, finding community is not as straightforward as it sounds. It would have been the simplest thing to stay in my comfort zone, as it is easy to feel lost when you are new, especially in a place as large as Temple. I had to push myself to show up, to talk to people, to try. Luckily, I am part of an amazing MBA class, a vibrant international student community, and a campus full of events that made connecting feel natural. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside Temple,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0built community at my local church and through volunteering with programs focused on\u00a0eliminating\u00a0food insecurity around Philadelphia. It has been a blessing to contribute to a city that has embraced and welcomed me.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Opportunities<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the MBA program and Temple, I\u00a0have seen\u00a0many\u00a0avenues\u00a0for growth and development. Most recently, I was\u00a0selected\u00a0for\u00a0the inaugural cohort of\u00a0Temple\u00a0On\u00a0Board, an initiative designed to prepare participants for board and community service.\u00a0I joined this program with the intention of expanding my involvement in community engagement and exploring ways to further\u00a0my\u00a0initiatives\u00a0related\u00a0to\u00a0education and food security.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing Temple does for you is open doors you did not even know existed. You come in with one idea of what your journey will look like, and suddenly you\u2019re discovering new paths you never planned for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Becoming an Entrepreneur<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temple encourages you to step into your own ideas and see what they can become.\u00a0I started an Independent Study with Professor Alan Kerzer at the Institute of Entrepreneurship\u202fand Innovation (IEI).\u00a0One of the first things I did was attend\u00a0his\u00a0\u201cIdeas and Impact Challenge.\u201d\u00a0That experience sparked\u00a0my\u00a0idea\u00a0to create\u00a0a company\u00a0centered\u00a0on Akwete, a beautiful woven material made by weavers\u00a0in Eastern Nigeria. My goal is to bring Akwete to the world while helping preserve the craft for the next generation of weavers in that community.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprises Along the Way<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The thing is, at Temple, you may have an idea of how you want your journey to\u00a0unfold, but you might find that the business you came to do\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0the business you end up doing. You just\u00a0must\u00a0be open to finding,\u00a0building\u00a0and\u00a0becoming.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On actual ice, I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0find\u00a0the\u00a0motion\u00a0I wanted, but at Temple,\u00a0I’ve\u00a0been able to glide like I was always meant to be here. And now, in\u00a0just about two\u00a0months,\u00a0I\u2019ll\u00a0be gliding across the\u00a0stage graduating.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Chidinma Adgbara, (Fox MBA ’26)
Header image: Chidima Agbara with her classmates (fourth from the left, back row) and Professor Tommy Fung
Photos Courtesy of Daniel Agbara and Professor Tommy Fung\u00a0<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chidima Agbara with her classmates (fourth from the left, back row) and Professor Tommy Fung<\/p>\n

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