“Proud dog mom and overall optimistic person who enjoys spending time with my family and friends.”
Hometown: Saginaw, MI
Fun fact about yourself: I am a budding entrepreneur; I bought a house in Houston, TX during the height of the pandemic and will be entering the short-term rental business (Airbnb) while getting my MBA in Pittsburgh.
Undergraduate School and Major: Prairie View A&M University, Major – Mechanical Engineering
Most recent employer and job title: Accenture Consulting – Manager of Management Consultants
Apart from your classmates, What was the key element of the Carnegie Mellon MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important to you? I knew I wanted to use my MBA to progress into the Product Management (PM) function, and Carnegie Mellon is unique in that it offers career paths such as “Technology Strategy and Product Management” that align directly with my career goals. PM as a role is always evolving, as such the definition and responsibilities of an individual in this position may vary by industry, company and MBA program. Tepper’s portrayal of a PM, as well as the teachers and electives available far exceeded my expectations. I’m optimistic that with an MBA from Tepper, I’ll be ready to tackle real business problems with confidence.
What class, club or activity are you most excited about at Carnegie Mellon? I am delighted to be involved in the Black Business Association (BBA). The BBA is dedicated to academic, professional and personal development. As a member, I can volunteer for community service events, serving the Pittsburgh community. I look forward to taking on a leadership role in supporting DEI’s efforts to increase enrollment of underrepresented minorities.
The Tepper MBA is known for its intensive individual coaching and personal development. What area do you hope to strengthen during your two years in business school and why? One aspect of the program that really stood out was the involvement with the Accelerate Leadership Center (ALC). Tepper recognizes that self-awareness and reflection are necessary to be next-generation leaders. Unlike other programs where only selected students participate in leadership development, Tepper integrates ALC into the core curriculum and all students receive individual leadership coaching tailored to their needs. I would like to clearly understand my leadership style, something Tepper encourages by requiring all new students to take an emotional intelligence (EQ) assessment. From here, I look forward to using my results to define and work on my weaknesses to make me a more complete leader.
The Tepper MBA is also known to be strongly data-driven. Why does the program’s emphasis on quantitative analysis and decision-making interest you? How have you been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? Using data and analytics to drive decision-making is now an expectation in business management. Tepper’s smart future perspective will further stimulate this practice by incorporating emotional intelligence and creating a much-needed balance of diverse data and perspectives. So far in my career, I’ve led cross-functional teams integrating business and technology to define customer solutions. As a consultant, bringing the human dimension into the data and analytics fold was essential to effectively communicate expectations to engineers and stakeholders.
Describe your biggest achievement in your career so far: Driven by my ability to solve client problems, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and mentor incoming analysts, my greatest professional achievement so far has been my promotion to Consulting Manager at Accenture.
What is one thing you have recently read, watched or listened to that you would highly recommend to future MBAs? Why? During my application process. I have listened to various MBA podcasts such as “MBA Ladies’, ‘MBA Insider’, and ‘B-Schooled’ – Just to name a few. It was easy to fit a few episodes into my daily routine while doing mundane tasks. I enjoyed hearing different perspectives as well as tips and tricks on MBA related topics.
What advice would you give to help potential candidates gain admission to the Carnegie Mellon MBA program? All applicants should take the time to assess their “why”. Why an MBA? Why now? By answering these and other “why” questions, each candidate can define the experience and skills they want to acquire in an MBA program. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with learning about the different schools and their offerings. I therefore recommend that all applicants use their personalized responses as a North Star to assess each school’s values and program. This pairing will ultimately facilitate the assessment of schools that may be the best fit.
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