EMBA students build community through a traveling stuffed tiger
Jennelle Hart/RIT
Cashmere, the stuffed tiger mascot for the EMBA’s current cohort, is traveling across the country to connect with students like Anna Attkisson, right, with RITchie, left, making a guest appearance.
On a busy afternoon in New York City’s Washington Square Park, Anna Attkisson, a graduate student in the Saunders College of Business, raised a stuffed tiger toward the park’s iconic arch. For that moment, amongst the city’s usual hustle and bustle, she was sharing a private conversation with fellow classmates scattered across the country.
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Cash enjoyed the hustle and bustle of New York City’s Washington Square Park with Attkisson.
Attkisson is part of Saunders’ nationally ranked Executive MBA program, where students balance demanding careers, families, and coursework. The program is designed specifically for working professionals, combining a 16-month accelerated curriculum with a cohort-based model that keeps students on the same team.
“Our EMBA students come from incredibly diverse industries and leadership backgrounds, but what connects them is a shared commitment to growth and teamwork,” said Rick Lagiewski, co-director of executive education and external engagement. “Experiences like this show how powerful relationship-building can be.”
This latest cohort’s adoption of a stuffed tiger, named Cash (short for Cashmere), is becoming their unlikely symbol of connection. The tiger travels from home to home as a tangible link between classmates across the country, while the group documents each stop through photos and stories shared on a dedicated Slack channel.
“It’s really become a fun way for us to share our lives in a way that just chatting before class doesn’t really allow,” Attkisson said.
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Cash enjoys tea while visiting graduate student Matt McCloskey, who came up with the idea of Cashmere. The tea, Chai of the Tiger, was created by fellow graduate student Bianca Shah ’15.
Cash may be cute and cuddly, but he means business. He attends class; diets on EMBA case studies, tea, and strong coffee; and collects keepsakes from each stop to give to the next person. Since August, Cash has sipped tea in Pasadena Calif., galivanted in New York City’s Greenwich Village, explored the nature in Pennsylvania, and viewed the vast cornfields and construction sites of Nebraska.
The idea of Cash originates from one of America’s most serious settings. Cash was a vision from fellow student Matt McCloskey, a Nebraska-based construction industry professional and former Canadian Special Forces member with 23 years of military service. During his final years at the Pentagon, McCloskey worked with a multinational planning group representing several countries.
When a Danish liaison officer left behind a Viking-themed stuffed toy, the group began photographing it at high-level NATO conferences. Over time, it became a symbol of morale for their team. When he entered RIT’s online EMBA program, he recognized a similar opportunity to bring the newest cohort, named “cohort 38,” together.
“I thought it would be a good idea to boost morale, as we’re all probably in our basements late at night trying to get through some of this stuff,” McCloskey said.
The tiger gained his name from Bianca Shah ’15 MS (management), central marketing officer for Chado Tea. She had him for a month, where he became a fixture in her home office.
I came up with the name Cashmere because we were in our accounting class going through cash flow statements,” she said.
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Cash learns about Kodak in Rochester, as he visits graduate student Patrick Ryan.
Shah spent a decade of corporate experience since graduating, enrolling in the EMBA program to challenge herself at a new stage in her career. She said one of the most meaningful aspects of the program has been rediscovering her confidence in a demanding academic environment while surrounded by peers with diverse professional backgrounds.
“It’s taught me to be more insistent,” Shah said. “I’ve learned that I’m still capable of so much, and that’s really powerful at this stage of my career.”
Attkisson, who works for a major publishing company, returned to higher education after more than two decades. She admitted she had to re-learn how to be a student in a more digital world but enjoys learning from her classmates.
“I get an inside look at some industries where other people work, and it’s really interesting,” Attkisson said. “You start to realize how much you can learn by just leaning on each other’s expertise in different areas.”
Cash is currently in Rochester with graduate student Patrick Ryan where he will visit the RIT campus and enjoy the holiday season, before continuing his journey across the U.S. over the next 13 months. McCloskey hopes the tradition will remind current and future EMBA students that no one has to go through it alone.
“Online programs can be solitary,” he said. “But there’s always someone going through the same thing. You just have to reach out.”
