Business student shares lessons learned from his time at CWRU

When he first came to Case Western Reserve University, undergraduate student Marco Sustaita had his sights set on a career in cardiovascular surgery, far from the business career he’s now working toward. 

“I realized after taking organic chemistry that medicine wasn’t the right fit for me,” he joked. “But I was always torn between medicine and business, so it all worked out.” 

After changing majors, Sustaita jumped right into the deep end, throwing himself into classes, organizations and internships at Weatherhead School of Management. Within just a few weeks as a Weatherhead student, he managed to secure a summer internship with Amazon, acceptance to Weatherhead’s Integrated Master’s program and founded a chapter of Global Business Brigade, an organization that aims to provide economic aid to communities in developing countries. 

“It’s been a whirlwind,” he said. “But you have to be flexible and take opportunities as they come.” 

Summer success

His internship at Amazon had him leading a team of 42 associates—but that lasted only a few days before his skills were required elsewhere.

“There was another Amazon center down the street that needed help, so a supply chain manager poached some of the interns from our center,” Sustaita said. “I was excited to work in supply chain and lean ops, since that’s what I’m interested in, and jumped at the opportunity.”

Sustaita spent the remainder of the summer working on efficiency across the fulfillment center. The project involved leaders across Amazon, including senior managers and C-suite executives who had chosen that location to implement a new generation of robotics and AI. 

“Our team was able to increase delivery stations by 200% and decrease cycle times by an average of seven seconds,” he said. “Part of the project involved communicating with area managers across the country to map inventory layouts, and our ultimate result was saving more than $4 million in fixed costs.” 

The new model that Sustaita and his fellow interns developed was presented to a team of executives at the end of the summer. The model was rolled out to further locations and continues to be implemented across the company. The project was such a success that Sustaita was invited to intern with Amazon again next summer at a facility in Houston. 

Jumping in

As he reflects on his undergraduate experience so far, Sustaita recommends students explore every possible interest before narrowing their focus. 

“I don’t necessarily recommend doing everything, but definitely explore everything you’re interested in,” he said. “I wish that I had committed more to the resources and network at Case Western Reserve during my freshman year.”

After he made the switch to business, Sustaita got involved with clubs and campus organizations quickly, including the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Club, the Resident Housing Association and the Fowler Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit and started a chapter Global Business Brigades. These opportunities allowed Sustaita to solidify his connections to the Weatherhead community and broaden his network. 

“Your first year, just say yes,” Sustaita recommended. “The sooner you say yes, the sooner you’ll learn and the more you’ll learn—which helps you grow personally and professionally. Then you can start honing in on your smaller network and find the best space for yourself.”