
Even though it can feel sort
of weird being the older
person in the group. Like, I
think it's good to have
different perspectives. I
think that'd be really cool.
Not just have like one
career, but to also help
students in the future.
That's so cool. hi, I'm
Joseph. Nice to meet you. Hi
Joseph. I'm Aleena. How are
you doing today? I'm pretty
good. I just graduated
online. How about you? I'm
doing pretty good myself. A
little bit tired, but I'm
hanging in there. And
congratulations on
graduation. Thank you. So,
uh, tell me a little bit
about yourself. Um, okay. So
like, I guess I'll start
from the beginning. I came
here when I was one and a
half years old from the
Philippines and, um, right
now I'm studying, um,
business. I'm a business
major and I want to go into
finance and marketing too.
So that's what I want to
major in. And right now I'm
looking for a transfer
school. I got accepted to
two. So right now I'm like
trying to make the choice
and I'm still waiting on the
other one. Um, yeah. What
about you? Uh, so I'm from
the United States. I was
born in Washington, DC uh,
but grew up in Silver Spring
and, uh, in Maryland. Um, I
actually actually graduated
college in 2014. I went to
the University of
Pennsylvania, got my degree
in marketing and all these
years later, I'm kind of
trying to transition my
career more into acting and
filmmaking. So, uh, I've
been taking classes at MC to
do television production and
audio production and video
editing. And, uh, I'm also
working for MCTV as a
production intern. Wait,
that's so cool. Yeah. Yeah.
It's a, it's a really
interesting journey that
I've been on the last
several years. Well, I
really enjoyed, um,
marketing too. I was
initially just going to go
in for finance, but I really
like all this stuff that,
um, marketing like has,
like, I had a marketing
internship and allowed me to
kinda like be creative and
that's what I'm kind of
doing with my work right now
and creating my content or
like social media, which I
really enjoy and I want to
get into in the future. And
so I guess going through it
MC uh, what is your
experience been, uh, how,
uh, how was your experience
in MC helped, uh, helped you
help guide you on the path
that you wanted to, to go
on? Okay. Have you ever been
to the, um, cafe and school?
Well, do you go to the
Rockville campus ever? Yeah,
I haven't been all over the
campus a whole lot, but, uh,
yeah, I've been to the cafe.
Oh, okay. So as a part of
like, um, my business
program, so we had to work
at the cafe, it's kind of
like required for
experiential learning. And
that has like really helped
too, because, you know, it
taught me how to make like
Starbucks drinks and become
like, um, like a cashier.
And we also do like other
stuff, like outside of just
like the cafe. Like I also
was on the accounting teams.
Like I said, I was not
because like I just
graduated. So yeah. I mean,
I'm still getting used to
it, but, um, we did like the
daily reports and then we
would make our income
statements and then
presented to the board
whenever we had those
meetings within our program.
So that really helped me
kind of like what the
finance section that I want
to get into, because you
know, like looking at
numbers, you can predict
like how we can use our
money in the future. So it
says here that you were a
former professional
wrestler. Yeah, that's true.
So, uh, when I was a kid, I
was a huge wrestling fan. I
got introduced to it at the
age of eight, and this is
back when pro wrestling was
very violent and, and, you
know, not really for kids,
but I was watching it
anyway. Um, and I told
myself that's what I wanted
to do. And I, when I got
older, um, in addition to
other things that I wanted
to do, but that was number
one. And, you know, even
when I was going through
college and, you know, I
kind of had my mind focused
on, on things besides
wrestling, uh, you know,
that was
always in the back of my
head. So I was like Googling
Breslin schools all over the
country. Um, and I ended up
coming back to Maryland. I
didn't intend to, but that's
where I ended up. And, um,
and I ended up going to, uh,
it's called Maryland
Championship Wrestling up in
the Baltimore area. That's
by far, in my opinion, the
best wrestling school for
anybody who wants to get
into to that profession. I,
you know, it was really good
training. We, they have a
lot of connections. So I got
to work with, uh, big name
wrestlers. It's mostly guys
from like eighties. Uh, I
doubt you've heard of them.
People like the Honky Tonk
Man and Hacksaw Jim Duggan,
they're guys who are WWE
Hall of Famers, who, you
know, going to some schools,
you probably wouldn't get to
interact and work with those
guys, but I was fortunate
enough to do things like
that and to live my dream.
That's so cool. Um, so you,
you and briefly talked about
it before, but the transfer
process, uh, for, uh, for MC
going, going into another
school, how are you finding
that? It's actually pretty
good. We had really good
advisors in the MBA program
who like helped us, um, at
least once every semester
plan out our schedule and
like what classes we would
take. And they really made
sure that, um, we were
taking classes that were
going to transfer over and,
um, they
would tell us, like, even
though we were interested in
maybe like in a certain
class there's different,
like arts, humanities, like
requirement or stuff like
that, like, um, they would
be straight up and like,
tell us like, Oh, those
might not transfer over to
the school that you're
thinking about applying to.
So that was really good.
They were really honest.
And, um, it really helped
and make sure that like our
path was clear and we
weren't like repeating and
courses if we, um, we
weren't repeating any
courses or taking
unnecessary courses and it
was really good. They just
like, um, guided us and like
kept us on top of like, um,
like the courses we need to
take in order to like, have
them transfer over. Does
that make sense? Yeah. Yeah,
definitely. Um, so, uh, can
you talk a little bit more
about the, the MBI program?
I'm not familiar with it? Oh
yeah. So, um, it's called
the Macklin Business
Institute and I got in when
I was a senior in high
school and I was really
fortunate because, um, out
of all the other options
that I had just one was
providing like the most, um,
financial aid to me, which
is really important, like
for me and my family,
because, you know, I have
two younger siblings and
they want to go to college
too. And, um, I didn't want
it to be too hard on my
parents because like the
other universities, I
wouldn't have to pay a lot
more. So I'm really happy
that I chose MBI and it's an
experiential learning, um,
business program. And we
have seminars every
Wednesday and have like, uh,
it's like meetings. And we
have like different
workshops where we get to
learn about, um, like things
that will really help it as
a business major. Like, um,
about this book, it was like
seven highly effective,
Seven Habits of Highly
Effective People that, and
going over things and you
use an accounting or a case
analysis, how does it feel,
feel being like, um, wait,
no offense or anything, of
course, but how does it feel
being like a little older,
like in the MC community and
interacting with like
younger people, I guess?
Yeah. It's been cool working
with the people that I've
met and worked with in the,
in the classes that I've had
so far, uh, and especially
in MCTV, uh, being a
production intern, um, you
know, we, we really get
involved in all aspects of
production. So, you know, it
could be something as small
as just generating ideas
for, for certain content
that we want to put out all
the way to, you know,
operating the camera and,
um, uh, you know, doing
lights and then building the
sets, doing post-production
with editing and, uh, you
know, really every aspect
and I've enjoyed it. I've
enjoyed the people I've
worked with. Um, I think
it's cool
to, uh, you know, even
though it can feel sort of
weird being the older person
in the group, like, I think
it's good to have different
perspectives that come
together and, and put out
unique contents and, uh,
stuff that people can really
get into and learn from and
have fun with. So, yeah,
it's a little bit weird, but
I'm enjoying it. Speaking of
enjoying what we have, we
are in quite challenging
times right now. Yes. Uh,
quarantine, remote learning,
uh, how, how has this whole
experience been for you?
Okay. So we have a treadmill
in our house, so I have an
exercise thing. We have a
deck, so I sometimes go out
there when the weather's
nice and like, absorb like
the nice, like warm sun, I
guess. Um, I didn't cooking
a lie, um, filming, editing,
YouTube videos. Uh, I
finished taking my, I
finished, um, taking my
online classes and bringing
those assignment and it's,
Oh, I think I'm like doing
all of those. It was really
interesting, but I don't
think it can be like in
person learning at all,
because like, it's just like
the conversations that you
have with people or like the
interactions it's a lot
different, um, when it comes
to the learning experience.
But, um, I would say like, I
handled it pretty well and I
was still able to learn and
stuff. Yeah. How has it been
for you so far? Um, you
know, not, not
too different from what you
just described. Uh, you
know, I, myself, I'm trying
to remain productive and not
slack off and just be in bed
all day or anything like
that. Um, you know, I'm
fortunate enough that MCTV
has still allowed me to, uh,
keep my job and I'm still
able to do stuff. Uh, you
know, they've got me doing
video editing and different
things. Uh, so, um, I'm
fortunate in that regard.
Uh, but like, I, I've been
doing a lot more cooking as
well. Um, but trying to
increase my guitar, yeah,
guitar playing skills. I
play guitar. I do play Alto
saxophone too, but I've been
more into guitar as of late.
I just got a pedal. A what?
A pedal, for distortions.
Okay. Okay. That's so cool.
Yeah. I love it. I wish I
was better at it, but I'm
getting there. So yeah,
it's, it's really all, it's
all just about trying to
stay productive, trying to,
uh, you know, keep your mind
right. And keep your body
right. Um, cause we will get
through this at some point
we need, we just have to,
you have to keep going.
Yeah. Well, Aleena, it's
been really nice talking to
you. Uh, again,
congratulations on
graduation and I wish you
all the best going forward.
Thanks, Joe. It's been
really nice talking to you
too. And thank you. I also
wish you the best going
forward. Thank you. Thanks.
