When Supreet Singh immigrated to the United States from India in 1999, it was to join her husband, Jaspreet, whom she had met through an online dating site. The couple married in Fairfax, Virginia-the same city where Jaspreet graduated from George Mason University years earlier. Knowing Supreet's ambition to build on her master's degree in biochemistry, Jaspreet encouraged her to enroll at George Mason.

After years of taking classes as an extended student at George Mason and advancing in her engineering career, Supreet Singh decided to take a leap and enroll in the Costello MBA programat the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason, to pursue a lifelong dream: starting her own business.

One highlight of her MBA experience has been the program's global residency, which offers students a week abroad exploring real companies and cultures. "Growing up in India, the world awareness was very small," says Singh. She was fascinated to learn about apartheid and its effects on business and culture, as well as the similarities between the colonialism of South Africa and that of India.

The Costello faculty member leading the trip, Russell Abratt, an instructional professor of marketing, had assigned the class half a dozen South African companies-ranging from an airlines company to a children's music school-to research and present on prior to their departure. After gaining a perspective on the companies through research, they were able to ask questions during the residency to truly understand how each company operates. The residency was a remarkable cultural experience that Singh was happy to share with the other students in her cohort. "We were really connected with each other," she says. "The last day there we went to a restaurant where you get to play drums and dance on the dance floor."

Looking ahead to graduation in Spring 2026, Singh already feels more assured in her role as lead engineer at College Board. "Taking those finance classes, I feel very confident that I have built more awareness, and confident that I can move forward with cybersecurity," she says. She also values the program's flexibility, which has enabled her to balance coursework with a demanding career and personal commitments.

While Singh enjoys her engineering work, her ultimate goalis entrepreneurship-perhaps launching a dog food company or a café. "My end goal in life is to be able to start my own business, and I think this program has given me tools to do that on my own," she says. Beyond skills, Singh has gained a strong network that she stays connected with for professional opportunities and social activities like hiking.

"My end goal in life is to be able to start my own business, and I think this program has given me tools to do that on my own," she says.

- Supreet Singh, current Costello MBA student

Singh's Costello MBA is not only a launchpad for her entrepreneurial dreams-it also provides a lifelong network of colleagues and friends.

Supreet Singh with the Costello MBA Program's global residency students at the Cape of Good Hope. Photo provided by Supreet Singh.

In This Story

Topics