how your experiences have influenced your career choices (Business-Minded Essay)
How your experiences have influenced your career choices
Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices HBS and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)
Growing up in Bakersfield, California, many of my soccer teammates were illiterate. Children of immigrants living in the poorest neighborhoods, most had limited access to books, libraries, and learning opportunities. Even as a child, I was deeply troubled by this inequity and committed myself to effecting change.
In fifth grade, I founded a 501(c)(3) charity called “Bakersfield Reads,” to collect and donate used books to schools, community centers, and family shelters. Over ten years, our still-active organization has provided thousands of at-risk children with access to books. I also initiate corporate partnerships and fundraising activities as an Associate Board member of California Literacy Alliance, a literacy tutoring non-profit. Through these experiences, I have seen the transformative impact reading can have on our children.
My career decisions and goals are rooted in my passion for literacy equity. I started my career in corporate finance to master skillsets that would maximize my impact in a future leadership role at a non-profit. At Big Bank X, I have gained in-depth knowledge of the financial sector while working with cross-functional and international teammates, multi-tasking across large-scale projects, and analyzing data. Collaborating on competitive landscape analyses and value-creation strategies, I am well-positioned to market the unique differentiators of a non-profit to donors, as well as maximize a charity’s efficiency and impact through operational improvements.
My short-term post-MBA goal is to join the non-profit practice of a management consulting firm, such as M, B or B, to gain experience developing growth opportunities serving the public sector. In the long term, I plan to become Chief Executive Officer of a literacy equity non-profit, such as Reading is Fundamental or Room to Read. I aim to use my Harvard MBA to ensure all children, regardless of circumstances, are proficient readers and experience the life-changing impact of reading.