Student Profile: Christine Bonini

This is the fourth installment in a series highlighting the Class of 2018 recipients of the 1898 Scholarship—exceptional MBA candidates who exemplify our unique community. Through the continued generous support of alumni and friends of Booth, we are able to help our students unlock their true potential, thereby propelling future leaders to confidently navigate the uncertainties of a rapidly changing world

Discipline, drive, and a love for competition—these are some of the things that current student Christine Bonini learned growing up as a gymnast. And although a fractured kneecap sidetracked her athletic ambitions, the process of recovering from her injury sparked a fascination with healthcare that continues today.

Bonini first considered that an MBA could be part of her journey during a pharmaceutical internship, while she was earning an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Princeton.

“It made me realize I wanted to do more of the business side of things and think more strategically,” she says.

A consulting role at IBM followed, allowing Bonini to merge her interests in technology and life sciences in the company’s Watson Health Group and use machine-learning technology to help solve complex health-care problems. When she applied to business schools, Bonini found that Booth’s data-driven approach was a natural fit with her analytical personality.

Since enrolling, Bonini has discovered an interest in marketing, which she hopes to one day combine with her passion for the life sciences in a brand or product management role. The supportive, tight-knit community she’s found among other marketing students has been key, she says.

“Throughout Booth,” she says, “it’s about trying to help each other achieve our dreams, and sharing the knowledge that we have from our previous jobs with those who may not have had those experiences.”