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At the Paul Merage School of Business, we know that your MBA is more than a degree - it’s a launchpad for your career and a network that lasts a lifetime. That’s why we’ve introduced the Anteater Advantage, a new initiative that gives every full-time MBA student personalized, high-impact support to accelerate career outcomes.

Led by Dr. Maritza Salazar Campo, Faculty Director for MBAs, the Anteater Advantage connects students directly with leaders in the Merage alumni community and the broader Orange County business ecosystem. “We are the UC of the OC,” Salazar Campo explains. “This region is home to incredible companies and alumni who are eager to give back. The Anteater Advantage creates a powerful pipeline between students, alumni, and employers — one that is intimate, highly personalized, and designed to ensure student success.”

Three Mentors for Every Student

A hallmark of the Anteater Advantage is its mentorship collective. Every full-time MBA student is matched with three dedicated alumni mentors who offer guidance and open doors:

• By Function – A mentor who currently works in the role the student aspires to, whether consulting, finance, marketing, or another discipline.
• By Industry – A mentor with expertise in the student’s target sector, from healthcare to consumer products to aerospace.
• By Identity – A mentor who shares a cultural, personal, or professional identity, offering perspective and support from someone who has walked a similar path.

This unique structure ensures students gain not just technical insights but also cultural and industry-specific advice that helps them navigate their careers with confidence.

“Our MBA program is intentionally intimate, with classes of around 35 to 40 students,” Salazar Campo notes. “That allows us to take the time to match every single student with the right mentors. The results are transformative because students expand their networks, fast-track career readiness, and gain a true competitive advantage.”

The response from alumni has been extraordinary. More than 100 leaders raised their hands to participate and have already connected with current students. These mentors include CEOs, business owners, and executives from major corporations. This enthusiastic response reflects the region's commitment to developing the next generation of business leaders.

Executive Conversations

Beyond formal mentorship, the Anteater Advantage brings the career insights directly to campus. Through Executive Conversations, alumni and industry leaders host one-on-one sessions with students in an office-hours style format.

Imagine sitting across the table from mid-career and senior executives, learning firsthand how they have launched and built their careers over time, what skills they value, and what opportunities are on the horizon. These 1:1, 20-minute meetings create career-catalyzing connections, bridging classroom learning to job-ready insights.

Instead of sending cold LinkedIn messages and waiting weeks for a response, Merage MBAs gain quick, direct, and personal access to the region’s top talent. The result? More confidence, stronger networks, and career opportunities that open faster.

Real-World Learning in the Classroom

The initiative also enriches classroom learning by connecting the curriculum to real-world applications through guest lectures from alumni and community partners. When guest lecturers step into the classroom, they provide practical and timely examples of ways they are tackling real-world challenges, closing the gap between theory and practice.

For example, students in Dr. Campo’s business communications course will hear directly from leaders at Netflix, Medtronic, and Capital Group. Students learn directly from leaders at companies like Netflix, Medtronic, and Capital Group, bridging the gap between business theory and practical implementation.

“Learning models and formulas is critical,” says Salazar Campo. “But hearing how someone has actually used those tools to shape their career makes the lessons come alive,” and we welcome interested alumni who are interested in signing up.

High-Touch, High-Quality, High-Impact

The Anteater Advantage embodies what makes the Merage MBA distinctive: a tight-knit, highly personalized, and deeply supportive community.

Students are not just another face in a lecture hall. They are part of an engaged, ambitious cohort with direct access to leaders eager to help them succeed. With three mentors, one-on-one executive conversations, and executive lectures woven into the MBA experience, Merage students gain more than an education — they gain a career advantage.

And for alumni participants, the initiative offers a meaningful opportunity to give back to their business school community. Many Merage graduates were first-generation college students who now serve as successful professionals eager to open doors for emerging leaders.

A Launchpad for Your Future

The Anteater Advantage is more than a program — it’s a promise. A promise that when you join the Merage School MBA, you’re not navigating your career alone. You’ll have a community behind you, mentors by your side, and executives in your corner.

“Our vision is simple,” says Salazar Campo. “We want Merage MBAs to be known for being prepared, supported, and connected. That’s the Anteater Advantage.”

For prospective students, this means confidence that your MBA journey will be personalized, practical, and powerful — designed to propel you into the career you want and the future you deserve.

Ready to experience the Anteater Advantage for yourself? Learn more about the Merage MBA programs and how you can take the next step toward a career of impact.