In this Q&A, Michael touches on his MBA experience as an early career MBA candidate and shares advice for other young professionals considering Chicago Booth.
- By
- May 14, 2025
- Early Career
Insights from Early Career Candidate Michael Sporkin
In this blog, current Chicago Business Fellow (CBF), Michael Sporkin, discusses what the CBF Program has to offer early career professionals, advice he would give to individuals considering the program, and various ways to get involved at Chicago Booth. Read on to learn more about this advantageous program from one of our current students.
The Chicago Business Fellows Program (CBF) is an offering within Chicago Booth’s Part-Time MBA Program, designed specifically for working professionals with three years or less of full-time work experience. If you’re interested in earning an MBA during the first few years of your professional career without having to put it on pause, the Chicago Business Fellows Program provides an early-career entry point to the Booth community and degree.
More on Michael and his journey to Chicago Booth…
Michael grew up in Katy, Texas, and earned his degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University. He’s currently a software engineer in EV Charging, and is using his time at Booth to pivot into product management. Michael wants to build things that people love and is interested in how new technologies are adopted and implemented at scale within society.
Michael actually first began considering Chicago Booth in high school, when he realized that becoming a lead decision maker at a technology-driven company would require more than just technical expertise. He deliberately pursued experiences as a disciplined engineer to build a technical foundation, always keeping Booth as a motivating long-term goal. When it came time to apply for business schools, Michael reassessed his options and was still drawn to Booth for its academic rigor, global reputation, and flexibility within the Part-Time MBA Program.
More on Michael’s MBA experience at Chicago Booth…
What attracted you to the Chicago Business Fellows Program; furthermore, why was getting an MBA early on in your career important to you?
To get the most out of my MBA experience, I wanted to come back to school before I started a family, even though that meant pursuing the degree earlier in my career. A part-time program offered the perfect balance, allowing me to enhance my technical skill set without sacrificing critical early-career work experience. What specifically attracted me to CBF was the community. There is a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels in the part-time program, but discovering CBF gave me confidence that I would find like-minded young professionals on a similar path to share my journey through Booth. Since LAUNCH, I’ve known this was the right decision for me, and have felt not just welcomed by my peers, but inspired by their ambition and encouraged to push my own boundaries.
What was the application process like, and what advice do you have for those considering the Chicago Business Fellows Program?
The application warrants reflection—not just why you want an MBA, but also why now. The MBA isn’t a degree that everyone needs, so understanding how you will use it and what you want for your career is critical before even applying. In my opinion, for someone who wants an MBA, there is no better school than Chicago Booth.
In terms of advice, I’d encourage everyone to visit a lecture if you can. Sitting in the classroom as a prospective student, I realized how much I missed being in an environment surrounded by smart people pushing themselves to grow. It takes real commitment to show up to class at 6 p.m. after work, and you realize pretty quickly whether a part-time MBA is the right fit for you.
In what ways are you involved at Chicago Booth and how has it contributed to the connections you’ve made throughout your MBA journey thus far?
Aside from being on the CBF board, I am in a band in the full-time Audiobooth Club and will be playing in the annual Booth vs. Kellogg Battle of the Bands in mid-May. I just went on an organized trip to China for Spring Break, and am active in the Food Club and the Product Management Club. I have also done some non-profit and startup consulting through Booth Social Impact and the Golub Capital Board Fellows program.
While I’m thankful to have met some great people within the classroom setting, I met most of my great friends in these smaller groups. I’ve chosen unique experiences as my main means of building community here at Booth—from performing to 2k+ students at the Aragon Ballroom, to exploring the alley neighborhoods of Beijing – it's in those laughs and memories where I’ve really felt connections form.
Fun Facts about Michael
- Michael plays gigs with his band from Booth, but also writes, records, and produces his own music, performing all the vocals and instruments himself.
- Michael is obsessed with the Chicago food scene and the food review app Beli. Since moving to Chicago in September 2023, he’s been to 275 restaurants and bars. (But who’s counting…)
- Michael loves a good adventure. His favorites include summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, a two-week camping trip across Iceland, and hiking El Camino in Spain.
We hope after reading this blog you have a better understanding of what the Chicago Business Fellows Program is and how students, like Michael, benefit from applying. We encourage you to read more Chicago Business Fellow student stories here and sign up to receive more information about the student experience, upcoming admissions events, and more as you continue learning more about Chicago Booth.
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