Now she’s a VP and corporate lawyer at J.P. Morgan, where she advises its M&A investment bankers on all legal aspects of the EMEA financial advisory business. She’s also a 75th Anniversary Scholar in Chicago Booth’s EMBA Program in London.
It was something I had wanted to do for the past 10 years. But it seemed like an unattainable goal, especially since I hadn’t studied maths since I was 16. I never quite had the courage to take that step.
However, over the past few years I took on some stretch projects at work, and challenged myself to take on new challenges such as marathon running. I loved each opportunity, and surprised myself with how well I got on when I went outside of my comfort zone. These experiences gave me confidence to take on bigger challenges. I thought, “Now’s the time. Stop making excuses and go get your MBA. Go to the most academically rigorous, quantitative focused business school, and let’s just go for it.”
A big part of it was the academic rigor. I knew it was going to be the most challenging place to go. I have a phrase on my desk, “I am more capable than I believe I am,” and I knew that getting through this MBA would prove to me that I can do anything.
But another massive part of it was the people that I met as part of the application process. There is a strong sense of community at Booth—an international outlook, a sense of curiosity, and a friendliness. I knew that there was something special about the community, and I knew it was going to make me the best business leader I could be.
I have found a real sense of support from my classmates. Classmates have taken time out of their busy schedules to help with the complex quantitative content. And we’ve all bonded really well. People have organized socials, and we’ve all come together from around the world and even socialize together outside of class weeks. In fact, I’m bringing some of the cohort together later this year for a mountaineering expedition in Wales led by the British Royal Marines! There’s a willingness to contribute to the community and a recognition that we’re amongst a special group of people who want to get to know each other and hear different perspectives.
It’s certainly in line with my expectation of being super quantitative and challenging. But I’m mastering the complex content, and it’s such a great feeling to know that I’m holding my own amongst my talented classmates from finance and STEM backgrounds.
I’m also building the quantitative skills to show the investment bankers I work with that I can enter their world, and they can trust me to make data-driven decisions. To me, anyone can be a good technical lawyer. The great lawyers are the ones who can think analytically, lead empathetically, and draw out the best from other people. And that’s what Booth is teaching me.
Go for it. Don’t let your perceived limitations hold you back. You’re going to get so much support from current and former students and faculty, and you’ll have a life-changing experience. I’ve already felt that, and I’m only four months in to the program. So who knows what the rest of the journey is going to look like, and who I’m going to be at the end of it? It’s quite exciting.
It means a huge deal to me, and I was incredibly proud to receive it, especially because it was set up by the alumni community. Receiving the scholarship has strengthened my commitment to fostering a strong community and bringing people together. For me, the Booth experience has been about self-development and challenging my own limitations, and I hope I can pay it forward for future generations of Boothies.