What are your short and long-term goals, and how will an MBA from Chicago Booth help you reach them?

As someone who is passionate about both children and marketing, my current career managing the development of Kids’ Meal toys was ideal. That was until I began volunteering with Children’s Hospital.

Working with children with life-threatening medical conditions, I began to realize that I could have a more profound impact if I transitioned my career from promoting kids’ fun to promoting kids’ lives. As such, my long term vision is to move from the private sector to the nonprofit space and lead a child-focused nonprofit, such as the March of Dimes or Ronald McDonald House Charities, both of which are focused on bringing joy and relief to chronically ill children and their families. I believe obtaining a Chicago Booth MBA is the best way to start on my path to achieve this objective.

Using my learnings and network developed at Booth, I will leverage my marketing background, social impact interest and acquired business acumen to obtain a summer internship at a child-focused nonprofit, resulting in my short-term goal of becoming a Marketing Manager upon graduation. Effectively bolstering year-round volunteer advocacy, growing grass roots initiatives and building event fundraising platforms will allow me to grow into the role of organization leader.

Booth’s flexible curriculum will allow me to expand my general business knowledge, further hone my marketing skills, and dive into socially-focused programs that meet my new professional interests. Social Entrepreneurship Lab will provide me practical, hands-on learning in advising a local children’s nonprofit, such as One Hope United. The ability to take additional courses at the Harris School of Public Policy will supplement my nonprofit focus through courses such as Leading Through Persuasion, where I can refine my leadership style and develop storytelling abilities to appeal to employees’ commitment to the mission, leveraging passion to motivate without monetary incentives.

Additionally, courses, such as Integrated Marketing Communications, will allow me to round out my previous niche marketing training. Marketing Research with Professor Urminsky will help build on my current knowledge as an analyst and expand my ability to make data-driven decisions.

Outside the classroom, I plan to test my ideas and leadership style as co-chair of Net Impact, organizing speaker events and the annual conference trip. Further, Board Fellows will allow me to serve as a nonvoting board member for a local nonprofit, such as Alumni for Public Schools, enabling me to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom through the lens of a children’s nonprofit.

Attending Booth will allow me to test my leadership style in a supportive environment and arm me with the hard skills and inquisitive approach to manage an efficient business. Practical experience gained through clubs and an internship will give me the confidence and know-how to climb the ranks of a nonprofit organization. A Booth MBA will provide the foundation of knowledge, way of thinking and support network needed to ignite my career transition and achieve my goal: to lead an organization with the mission of promoting children’s lives.