ROAD WARRIOR TWICE A WEEK

Vijit Jayasheela grew up in India and studied industrial engineering. After realizing he wanted to broaden his scope in a manufacturing career, he came to the United States for his master’s in manufacturing systems engineering, which he received from Wayne State University. Upon graduation he worked for a few years as a full-time automotive reliability engineer at Visteon, and moved to Wisconsin after receiving an offer from the Kohler Company. Jayasheela commutes from Sheboygan twice a week for the program—driving to Milwaukee to catch the Wisconsin Evening MBA motor coach that takes him to the Madison campus. He appreciates the flexibility Kohler has given him to attend the Evening MBA program, and is confident it will provide a worthwhile return, both for him and his company.

“The biggest challenge for me when I joined the program was the commute. It took me some time to get adjusted to it. In the winter you’re talking about the possibility of putting in at least four hours of driving each way on a bad snowy day, but you can still make it to class in spite of that. For me, I look at it in terms of an investment—not just in money and time, but in myself. Any opportunity I can take to enhance my skills is always a plus, be it short or long term. This is going to be with me for a lifetime. 

“On the way to Madison, we’re busy reading on the bus—sure, we’re talking to each other and getting caught up, but we often use it as an opportunity to prepare for class—reviewing class notes, discussing cases, that sort of thing. On the way back to Milwaukee the atmosphere is more relaxed. We’ll watch a DVD that someone’s brought or some folks—myself included—occasionally catch up on sleep. Everyone looks at how we can make the most out of the whole experience.

“I really enjoy spending time with my classmates. Every time I talk to someone, I hear about their experiences and outlook, which are often quite different from my own because of their background. Class discussions are just great, hearing so many completely different perspectives.

“What I tell people interested in this program is to go for it—it’s going to open up a number of doors in terms of future career opportunities. Personally, I feel continuous education is really important—there are always new ways of looking at things and you always gain insight into other perspectives when you join a program like this. That’s a key to growth.”