Cornell Business

Issue date: 4/6/00 Section: People

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Perhaps you've seen them in the Atrium, at the Wine Club, at a Women's Management Council meeting, or simply at the Palms. You may have wondered, "Hmm. Looks familiar, but I don't remember them from the Core, so they must be second years (or first years, depending on who you are). Well, in fact, they are not from the Johnson School at all. But they have found a welcome place in our community and are living testament to Cornell's community spirit.

Debbie Anderson and Sagle Jones are enrolled in the Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate program, as a first year and second year respectively. This program, with only 25 students in total, consists of classes at the City and Regional Planning School, the Engineering School, the Hotel School and, of course, the Johnson School. However, unlike many students with a class or two at Sage, Debbie and Sagle have made efforts to join our community in more than just an academic way.

Sagle went straight into her program from a dual Bachelor's in Business Administration and Psychology from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is currently focusing in real estate development and finance, and she hopes to work for a real estate development corporation somewhere in the Northeast after graduation.

Debbie classifies herself as an "older" student, having been in the workforce for 15 years prior to coming to grad school. First she worked in a family-owned real estate development company, and then she started her own business. After eight years of entrepreneurship, Debbie sold her business and began her search for a top tier graduate program that would meet her needs academically, while at the same time affording a suitable location for her three children to thrive. Cornell and Ithaca fit that bill, and Debbie is even considering doing a dual degree with the Johnson School starting next year, a program that is currently in the process of being developed with the Real Estate Program.

Debbie is an officer in the Women's Management Council, serving as VP of Corporate Relations. She also is co-President of the Associate Real Estate Council, a joint club between the Real Estate Program and the Johnson School. And both Debbie and Sagle are members of our Wine Club. However, just as it is not simply academics that draw them here, it is not the club offerings either.

Both Debbie and Sagle mentioned the importance of getting the best of all worlds from their experience at Cornell. Both were drawn to the university because of its commitment to cross-functional learning (for the benefit of prospective students, we too at the Johnson School are allowed and encouraged to take up to 15 units in other Cornell departments). Not only through classes and club participation, but also through the social activities that stem naturally from this level of involvement, these women have truly become part of our community. I believe that we can learn a lot from them in terms of branching out ourselves. Thanks, Debbie and Sagle.

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