Hometown: Seattle, WA
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Whitman College
Before Wharton: Artistic planning and casting at The Santa Fe Opera and new media initiatives at The Metropolitan Opera.
After Wharton: Entertainment - New Media
Tyler Stoops
My Story About Me
The curriculum is very broad and rigorous in that it challenges everyone in different ways. How the curriculum is structured, it makes sure everyone pushes themselves.
From theater to MBA
I majored in theater in undergrad, and after that, I worked in the opera industry, starting out in casting and production planning, then I moved into a media role at the Metropolitan Opera. In that role, I started to see the different industry dynamics and the different forces at play beyond the artistic components. I realized an MBA would help me better understand the business side of things, the bigger economic forces at play.
No one can coast
When I came in, there was a pretty steep learning curve. The curriculum is very broad, and it’s rigorous in that it challenges everyone in different ways. And Wharton has high expectations for what they want you to come away with. How the curriculum is structured, it makes sure that everyone pushes themselves. No one can coast through the MBA. I definitely have been challenged in class and have worked hard, but it’s not as cutthroat or as competitive as people think. It’s a lot of people helping each other out—I know this part, you know that part, let’s help each other out kind of thing.
On finding new passions
When I came to business school, I was very keen on learning to row. I had never done it before, but I pursued that opportunity in the fall and became very active in the club. I’ve moved into our experienced men’s boat, and I’m actually president of the team now. Crew has been a phenomenal opportunity to learn something new and really push myself.
Benefits of the Wharton network
Exposure to a broader community is one of the major advantages I’ve given myself by coming to Wharton. If my career plans change, already, I have so many more contacts within different industries. If after a few years, I decide to try something different or if something happens with the economy, I know I can turn to the Wharton network. No matter what city I live in, either here in the U.S. or abroad, I know that there will be Wharton students and alums who I can contact.
Faculty connections
I anticipated that Wharton would be much more anonymous, that people wouldn’t know me and professors wouldn’t go out of their way to try to talk with me – it’s completely the opposite. There are a few professors in the media field, and I’m getting to know them in particular. They are at the forefront what’s happening. The opportunity to bounce ideas off them or hear what they are thinking is really incredible.
A Wharton moment
At the last class for my Leadership and Teamwork course, our professor asked us to come prepared with two sentences on where we wanted to go and how we were planning to get there. Everyone in the class talked for about a minute about their goals. When you talk, you are facing 70 of your best friends from the year. It was really enriching having the opportunity to share your aspirations with these people and then have them respond to it. You get to see new sides of people and understand that business school is this tool in our broader development.
