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A Day in the Life of Anne Castille Buisson, MBAn ’24
Anne Castille Buisson, MBAn '24
Anne Castille Buisson loves the versatility of data science.
“Data can be applied to any industry, giving me the freedom not to restrict myself to one field,” said Buisson, a member of the 2024 MIT Sloan Master of Business Analytics class.
Buisson, who grew up in Spain, completed an MEng degree at Imperial College London and spent a year abroad at the National University of Singapore, realized she didn’t want to be an engineer. With a desire to both explore the United States and complete a “relatively short” data science program, the MIT Sloan MBAn program – at 12 months long – was her ideal choice.
A hands-on learning experience was also crucial, and Buisson cited the program’s two industry projects – the Analytics Lab in the fall semester and the Capstone project in the spring and summer semesters – as additional reasons she chose MIT Sloan.
“The program has been an amazing experience. I've gained deep insights into cutting-edge technologies and had the chance to connect and network with industry leaders. I have been completely struck by the rapid advancements in generative AI and taking courses or working on projects related to deep learning has been a rewarding experience,” Buisson said.
Buisson also dove right into MIT Sloan's extracurriculars. As the MBAn class president, Buisson is a member of the MIT Sloan Senate, which meets weekly to discuss school projects and improvements, and the MBAn Leadership Council. She’s attended various conferences on data science, machine learning, and AI. In her spare time, she’s tried other activities like badminton and K-pop dancing.
For anyone considering the MBAn program, Buisson recommended reaching out to students or alumni directly. “It’s a fantastic opportunity, so don’t ever be afraid to apply!”
A Day with Anne Castille Buisson
10:00 a.m.
Every day I use a Bluebike to travel from my apartment at Sidney-Pacific graduate residences to my classes at MIT Sloan, visit friends, and explore the city. Riding a bike allows me to enjoy some fresh air while commuting. As a student at MIT, I pay just $50 for the year to rent Bluebikes as many times as I want for 30-minute rides.
10:30 a.m.
I love the peace and quiet here at the Hayden Library. It offers a beautiful view of the Charles River.
10:45 a.m.
Today’s selection is Moroccan mint tea from the Courtyard Café at the library. Usually, I go for a chai latte. Hot beverages are perfect for the cold Boston weather and help keep me energized while I work!
11:45 a.m.
The MBAn cohort is a close-knit group of just 81 students, and we know each other very well. I’m part of the MBAn Leadership Council, a group of nine students along with some MBAn program staff. We meet every other week to discuss academics, social events, speaker series, and career events that we want to organize. We also provide student feedback to the administration and address any issues that arise. Since it's the end of the term, we are wrapping up everything, and this was our last council session of the year.
1:00 p.m.
I happened to pass by a common study space in Building E51 and I spotted Tommaso Salvatori (left) and Valentin Brekke, both MBAn ’24. They are working on their computer vision project, and they were explaining some of the concepts to me. My classmates are quick to invite me into their conversations and welcome my ideas.
1:30 p.m.
I am working on a project for Pfizer along with Hayden Ratliff, MBAn ’24, my Analytics Capstone project partner. Working part time during the spring term and full time during the summer term, our project involves automating the knowledge transfer from the R&D department to the commercial department using large language models (LLMs).
2:15 p.m.
I’m heading to my Power and Negotiation class when I bump into my friends. We take a moment to catch up on our weekend plans.
3 p.m.
In Professor Jackson Lu’s Power and Negotiation class, we are about to start a six-party negotiation, which is one of our most challenging exercises so far. Each of us is assigned a specific role within a team. Here, I am picking up my role sheet and attaching the corresponding sticker to identify myself clearly. It can be a bit chaotic finding your teammates, but that's where the excitement and learning happen as we dive into the negotiation process!
3:30 p.m.
After we group as a team, we have 10 minutes to read our role sheets, which detail our identities, objectives, and priorities for the negotiation. It's crucial to read carefully, remember as much information as possible, and plan our approach to the negotiation. Jeremy Michael, MBAn ’24, is to my left.
4:45 p.m.
After the negotiation ends, Professor Lu debriefs the exercise. He explains the different roles, their stances on each issue, and the importance of forming coalitions. We then get another 10 minutes to regroup and discuss our negotiation. It’s always valuable to reflect on our negotiations and receive feedback from others. The Power and Negotiation class is definitely one of my favorites. Professor Lu is an amazing lecturer, and even though the class is three hours long, it always goes by so fast!
6:00 p.m.
While most nights I stay close to campus to study or meet a friend for dinner, tonight I’m getting a jump start on the evening’s activities. I am heading across the river into Boston with some MBAn classmates to check out the F1 Arcade, a new Formula 1 racing simulator. Thanks for spending the day with me!
