Arisa Sohun Samjowan and her husband Cintesh, have always approached life as a team, and their MBA was no different.
This engineering duo drew on their innate resilience, close partnership and growth mentality to power through challenges to both graduate with a prestigious international Henley MBA last year. Their main motivation? A shared commitment to secure a better future for their children.
Their MBA graduation trip to Henley’s Greenlands campus in the UK was all set, but life had other plans.
Two days after they were supposed to be throwing their caps in the air, Arisa Sohun Samjowan and her husband Cintesh were instead changing nappies. Turns out, their son had decided the real celebration was happening at home and put in an early appearance. And who needs a fancy ceremony when you've got a tiny graduate in your arms?
‘It was a joyful end to our shared Henley MBA journey,’ says Arisa.
The couple had taken the – somewhat unusual decision – to enrol on the MBA at Henley Business School at the same time a few years before this moment. And what a journey it proved to be.
The little boy born just after their graduation was not the only new arrival during their studies. Another child had been born the year before adding to the two they already had, meaning that they ended the Henley MBA with double the number of children they had when they started! They also had to navigate some serious life upheavals. The disastrous KwaZulu-Natal floods damaged their home, Cintesh had an unexpected surgery shortly before exams, and, tragically, his mom passed away while they were writing their stage 3 dissertations.
Persevering in the face of such a great loss took enormous strength and gave rise to a new-found resilience. ‘Our goal had always been to complete our degrees despite what challenges arose. For us, this commitment was essential to secure a better future for our children, and it’s what drove us to continue what we had started,’ says Arisa.
Navigating all these complexities took a lot of planning and, crucially, securing the right support systems.
‘We would not have been able to balance all our responsibilities without the unwavering support of my parents,’ says Cintesh. Granny and Grandpa stepped in at critical junctures, allowing the couple the space they needed to focus on their studies.
Henley’s flexible and famously ‘family-friendly’ programme structure also proved invaluable in accommodating their demanding schedules. Arisa and Cintesh self-funded their studies so negotiating work commitments was not an option, and they were grateful for the support offered by the school, especially the seminars focused on work-life balance. ‘We also engaged with an academic tutor and attended supplementary classes, including those with Dr Julian Day, and sessions on managing the MBA,’ says Cintesh.
They may make it sound easy, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. ‘Study stress occasionally led to disagreements, particularly during discussions around assignments,’ confesses Cintesh. ‘We are both engineers with technical expertise and our differing perspectives sometimes led to clashes.’ That being said, the arguments were short-lived, and moments of compromise helped strengthen their relationship rather than undermining it.’
Coming from engineering backgrounds – Arisa is an electronics engineer and Cintesh is an electrical engineer – they wanted the MBA to fill in the gaps left by their technical degrees. And the programme delivered, they agree, polishing existing facets of their expertise while adding new dimensions that can propel them towards greater career success.
For Cintesh, the MBA complements his electrical engineering degree by equipping him with business knowledge and interpersonal skills crucial for leadership roles. ‘The Henley MBA helped me overcome my fear of failure and developed self-motivation rooted in values like honesty and integrity, qualities I consider vital for navigating this complex world.’
Arisa experienced similar growth, professionally and personally. ‘The course enhanced my leadership abilities and financial acumen while shifting my mindset from technical problem solving to strategic decision-making,’ she says.
The couple agree that what they were not expecting was that the self-reflection and personal development aspects of the programme proved to be one of the most transformative elements of their learning experience. ‘It is a powerful tool for balance as well as personal and professional growth,’ says Arisa.
Despite the sleepless nights and the difficulties they faced, Cintesh and Arisa say they wouldn’t change the last few years for anything. They are glad that they decided to take on the challenge together, because life as a team is something that has always defined their relationship.
‘Studying together is a bit like working with your best friend, and the fact that we are married with children added an unbreakable bond to our academic partnership,’ says Arisa.
What’s more, she says, she hopes that their journey can inspire others to take on big challenges even when you think there is too much on your plate. ‘Perseverance through adversity can lead to academic success as well as personal growth that enriches every aspect of life,’ says Arisa. It’s a legacy that they hope will inspire others looking to pursue ambitious goals amid the complexities of life.
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