This autumn, we welcomed 240 new students to Booth’s Evening and Weekend MBA Programs.
- By
- September 23, 2020
- Admissions
Meet Booth’s Incoming Class: Autumn 2020 Edition
This remarkable group included 56 Chicago Business Fellows (one of our largest cohorts ever!), seven Civic Scholars and eight veterans. In this class, 28 of our students self-identify as underrepresented students of color and 20 percent are international. Forty-three percent live in Chicago, while the next largest group hail from the Lone Star state of Texas. Our students represent 205 companies and organizations that encompass every industry imaginable. Lest you think that’s not impressive—an astonishing 40 percent already have additional advanced degrees, ranging from master’s degrees in fields such as nuclear engineering and creative writing, to PhDs in education and medicine.
Below we get to know three of our incoming students who tell us why they chose to pursue an MBA at Booth. From expressing a desire to serve their communities, to improving their leadership skills, they discuss why it is important to pursue an MBA now. They also share the many ways they’ve kept busy this year, whether it’s belting out some karaoke tunes, playing a mean round of golf, or perfecting their cookie recipe.
Aparna Srinivasan, Weekend MBA student
Location: San Jose, California
Title/Employer: Senior Hardware Engineer at Samsung
Why did you choose Booth? Why Now?
Beyond the regular cliches—the large, diverse student and alumni body, the illustrious faculty, the sheer flexibility of the curriculum, the data rich approach—I was moved by how thankful every current student and alumnus I spoke to were about their Booth experience. Everyone felt the long hours traveling, balancing career, school, and social commitments were absolutely worth it. That cinched it for me. I had been contemplating an MBA for a few years now. At this point, I felt it was appropriate for me mentally and career-wise. Given the times we are in, I feel an MBA is more important than ever. We see the world unravelling economically and socially. We need woke, out-of-the box approaches to steer it into a better place.
What have you discovered during Covid? Have you uncovered any hobbies or other passions?
I think Covid has heralded the advent of remote working and Zoom. I can't stand more screen time as a means of relaxing, so I discovered audio books, which I listen to while cooking, walking, or just sitting and resting my eyes. It’s so great to listen to your favorite authors narrate in their voices! Friday nights are karaoke nights—you'll hear me belting out regional Indian music, or 80s covers (Fleetwood Mac, Madonna, and more), completely off-key.
How might an MBA influence not only your career, but other goals in life?
I'm hoping to be more involved socially with non-profits or for-profits with a social and entrepreneurial mission. I have found tons of people here who might be able to help me expand my perspective and figure out how to better contribute in that space. I am doing a consulting project through the Booth Social Impact Club (BSI) this quarter. Also, I think juggling an MBA with a full-time job will just lead me to develop better organizational skills, prioritize, and manage time at a whole other level.
Rebecca (Becca) Peigh, Evening MBA student
Location: Chicago, IL
Title/Employer: Associate at Brownson, Rehmus & Foxworth, Inc.
Why did you choose Booth? Why Now?
When I moved to the Midwest three years ago, I was instantly enamored by Chicago's culture, history, and beauty. Booth's faculty and students embody the diverse perspectives and intellectual curiosity prevalent throughout Chicago, and the curriculum offers the unparalleled education in finance that I seek. I am excited to grow personally and professionally at Booth, and use my enhanced abilities to best serve my community, firm, and clients.
What have you discovered during Covid? Have you uncovered any hobbies or other passions?
As an amteaur silversmith, COVID has provided me with some extra time to experiment with different jewelry-making techniques. I have also improved my golf swing, joined a book club, and perfected my proprietary chocolate chip cookie recipe.
How might an MBA influence not only your career, but other goals in life?
Professional and personal leadership opportunities are extremely rewarding to me. Booth's MBA education has developed inspiring leaders in every field across the world. I look forward to joining their ranks as a unifying leader who promotes creative growth and intellect among peers in my field and within the communities that I am a part of.
Rushi Shah, Evening MBA student
Location: Chicago, IL
Title/Employer: Product Manager at YCharts
Why did you choose Booth? Why Now?
I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and have always known the quality of education that the University of Chicago has to offer. When I was considering business school, and talked to a few of my mentors that attended Booth, it easily filled all the boxes as my dream school. I've grown within YCharts and have been exposed to many different sides of the business. However, I feel that to continue and enhance my growth trajectory, I need to improve my leadership skills and become more well-rounded. My future aspirations include leading a product team as a CPO and eventually becoming a CEO of a technology company. I believe a Booth MBA at this point in my career is the perfect step in the right direction to get there. I plan on honing in on leadership, marketing, and entrepreneurship during my time at Booth, and know that I will come out of the program with a wealth of knowledge and confidence that will help me throughout my career.
What have you discovered during COVID? Have you uncovered any hobbies or other passions?
I have really enjoyed the little things. Life sometimes feels like it's moving at 100 mph, and it's been nice to slow down and spend more time connecting (virtually) with family and friends. I've spent a lot of time cooking unique dishes and reading interesting non-business books. I hope to continue some of my newly discovered hobbies when life goes back to normal. I've also golfed more than ever since it's a sport that naturally practices social distancing.
How might an MBA influence not only your career, but other goals in life?
I think an MBA is going to impact all facets of my life. Learning to be a leader is such an important skill set that doesn't only apply to work, but in many other ways, whether it's making big family decisions, dealing with personal goals, starting a business on the side, or even coaching a little league baseball team down the road. I'm also looking forward to making a few lifelong friends in the program that I will always stay connected with. I've already enjoyed hearing from people from all walks of life during the LAUNCH orientation, and going through the Booth experience with them is going to be a lot of fun.
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