An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development… tell us something about who you are (250 words Minimum)
Tell us something about who you are
The first thing to know about me is that I’m a Milwaukean, born and raised. In Milwaukee, life is not a rush. We stop to let others into traffic, and we actually wait for the light to turn green before crossing the street. We are not wary of strangers; in fact, we welcome them. I envision that I will be a conversation-starter at Booth, since starting conversations is a Milwaukee specialty, especially over a frosty pitcher of our local Pabst beer.
I grew up knowing that my grandfather was a Holocaust survivor, but it was not until my first trip to Israel, when I was 10 years old, that I truly understood the incredible survival story that made my family possible. As I walked through Yad Vashem, the Jerusalem Holocaust museum, with my parents and brother, I felt like I was reliving the horrific events entwined with my family history. Later that trip, we watched my grandfather’s account of his survival on Steven Spielberg’s Video Archive site. After escaping from a concentration camp, my grandfather came to America and became an entrepreneur, starting his own veterinary clinic in upstate New York. Although he passed away before I was born, my grandfather’s courage and fortitude remain an inspiration to me.
After high school, I decided to put my college education on hold and returned to Israel for a year, living in the small Northern city of Kiryat Shmona. I felt a close connection amongst a community of people who had family histories similar to mine. I also discovered a passion for teaching: my job in Israel was to work as a volunteer English teacher at an elementary school. At first, my students wanted to focus on everything except learning English, but I enjoyed finding ways to get them engaged. I created mini-games and competitions, and art projects which encouraged my students to focus and enjoy learning. I eventually built a rapport with my students, despite the language challenges, and I loved hearing about their family backgrounds: like my grandfather, many of their families were refugees and immigrants from across Europe and the Middle East.
Competitive sports were the center of my life until right after high school, when one injury changed everything. For ten years, I’d played on championships football and track teams. My daily routine, friendships and goals all had revolved around competitive sports. Right before college, however, I suffered a foot injury so severe that it ended my competitive sports dreams forever. At first I was at a loss, struggling to find a new routine in my life. I eventually learned to appreciate sports by cheering for my friends from the bleachers. By junior year, I was back on the pitch, but in more casual intramural sports such as flag football. Most recently, I organized weekly kickball matches with friends and coworkers, and I look forward to getting back to the field after the pandemic.
Another passion in my life is sustainability. I love listening to podcasts such as “Sustainability Bros” and “Green Dreamer,” which talk about the future of energy technology and markets. I also enjoy researching green companies and debating over which ones I should add to my own small-scale SustainFolio investment portfolio. In college, I did my best to make campus more sustainable: as treasurer of the Green Club, I organized events and panels related to climate change and sustainability, and I led the Sustainable Food Hall Committee, initiating campaigns to reduce the use of disposable boxes and cups in dining halls. At Booth, I will continue my passion for sustainability by seeking a leadership role in Net Impact and the Energy Club.