The incoming Evening MBA class at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business includes a wider variety of professional and personal backgrounds than ever before. This group of students will begin their part-time MBA program soon and are poised to make an immediate impact.
We sat down with four incoming students – a senior product manager, public health policy and strategy expert, social media analyst, and sales manager – to learn why they chose Scheller and how they’ve been preparing for their MBA journey.
Rachel Dixon
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Current Role: I am a senior product manager at Delta Air Lines on our Product Strategy Team within the Digital Portfolio Office. My job consists of working cross-functionally, leading strategy sessions, and leveraging design thinking techniques to innovate and build premium products and experiences for our customers and frontline employees.
What (and/or who) brought you to Scheller’s Evening MBA program?
Working through my application earlier this year for the Evening MBA program and completing research on Scheller, I came across an article on the news webpage. The article highlighted female students pursuing their MBAs with non-traditional backgrounds. They were “breaking the mold,” sharing their experiences with finding their paths at Scheller and achieving success despite their non-business backgrounds. Seeing myself in these women solidified my decision to come to Scheller. In that moment, from learning about their experience, I knew Scheller was the place for me.
Watching my husband work his way through the program, interacting with the community that Scheller has provided him, and witnessing his success in the program was also influential in my decision. Attending an in-person networking session for prospective students and chatting with Elizabeth Jones, students, and alumni in the program, it immediately felt like a warm, welcoming community I wanted to be a part of. After speaking with Savitra Dow, for my initial admissions consultation, she was very encouraging and helped increased my confidence with applying, despite not having the traditional business undergrad background.
Lastly, with a university that believes in the power of women, and as a woman bringing a diverse perspective into the program, Scheller is the foundational step in my career path to achieve a high level of success with increased confidence.
What are you doing now to prepare for the new school year?
I have been preparing for the new school year by working through the recommended pre-coursework. I’ve also been mentally preparing for the school year. With school starting in the fall, I get excited because it grants me the opportunity to gain fresh perspective and insights from my classmates and professors, which makes me more ambitious to innovate and dream bigger, in terms of mapping out a career path.
In the meantime, until classes start, I have been soaking up all of my free time while I still have it by traveling and relaxing. Plus, I have been doing a little school shopping! I love good stationary and notebooks, so with school starting soon, it has given me a golden excuse to purchase all the stationary my heart desires.
What do you want your future classmates to know about you?
If you ever see me around campus, feel free to say hello! I am very excited to meet my classmates and make new connections!
While I do not have the traditional background for an MBA program, I come with a wealth of experience from various industries and I’m ready to collaborate and contribute as much as I can. I am an open book, however, please extend grace if I ask probing questions to increase my understanding, as business school is a new exciting adventure for me.
Also, know that I am always ready and willing to help however I can. I look forward to learning more from each of my classmates, as we work together throughout the program and spend time together in the city!
Pascaline Ezouah
Hometown: Half Assini, Ghana
Current Role: I am a public health policy and strategy subject matter expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, focusing on workforce, data systems, and infrastructure development.
What (and/or who) brought you to Scheller’s Evening MBA program?
I decided to pursue an MBA to further my expertise at the intersection of business, technology, and health. With that in mind, I was interested in programs that prioritized innovation and prepared students for success in a technology-driven world. Thankfully, I did not have to look for too long as Scheller’s Evening MBA program was one of the first programs I was aware of that fit the criteria.
Though I researched other programs, I kept coming back to Scheller because of its analytical approach to business education, technology-centric curriculum, and distinction as a center of excellence in international business education.
In addition, the level of support the Scheller community, including faculty, staff, and alumni, provided to me as a prospective student was also unprecedented. Though accolades and rankings are important, the community I would be surrounded by as I pursued my MBA was just as important, and Scheller had it all.
What are you doing now to prepare for the new school year?
I am prioritizing rest and establishing healthy routines to help balance the responsibilities of school, work, and life.
What do you want your future classmates to know about you?
I love music and attend concerts often, so feel free to share your favorite songs with me. I am also interested in astrophotography as a hobby.
Bobby Kannady III
Hometown: Decatur, GA
Current Role: Social media analyst at Invesco QQQ
What brought you to Scheller’s Evening MBA program?
My competitive spirit, the pursuit of a better life for my family, and enthusiasm to make a meaningful impact in an innovative and forward-thinking business ecosystem led me to Scheller’s MBA Program.
What are you doing now to prepare for the new school year?
In preparation for classes this August, I am refreshing my understanding of key business fundamentals such as accounting and economics. Additionally, I am reinforcing my quantitative skills in statistics and data analytics. Moreover, I am actively building connections within the MBA community, learning from the experiences of current students and alumni at the Scheller College of Business.
Aside from technical and social development, I’m accessing and fine-tuning my training regime, diet, and sleep schedule to support and optimize my health and energy levels throughout the duration of the MBA program.
What do you want your future classmates to know about you?
I want my peers to know my mindset and wholehearted commitment to fostering strong relationships with my classmates alongside actively engaging in the classroom, the Scheller community, and the workspaces we serve. Having a solid, supportive network will be vital for growth and success with the MBA program and beyond campus in the professional realm.
Michael McKinley Schroeder
Hometown: Roswell, GA
Current Role: Sales Manager for Evoqua Water Technologies
What (and/or who) brought you to Scheller’s Evening MBA program?
First off, I graduated from Georgia Tech with a chemical engineering degree about 10 years ago. I loved my undergraduate experience from the social aspect, club sports, and even the rigorous advanced course work. Georgia Tech provided so many opportunities for me to grow and helped me build a great foundation for my career. The prospect of coming back to Georgia Tech has always been appealing to me.
I’m at a point in my career, having recently moved into a leadership position, that an MBA will accelerate my growth and open opportunities to make more of an impact within my company. I work for a company that’s at the cross-section of sustainability and technology, and Scheller is a fantastic school to build on that knowledge.
Beyond the professional growth appeal, I’m also excited to gain a network of like-minded, industry focused professionals. I just relocated back to Georgia after living in New England for the past decade. I’m excited to meet and learn from everyone else’s experiences and hope to contribute some of my own.
What are you doing now to prepare for the new school year?
To be honest, I don’t know what to expect going back to school after a decade into my career. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself to get back into the school and studying mindset. Most of my time preparing is coordinating schedules between traveling for business, my spouse’s career, and my kids’ schedules. My preparation for graduate school looks much different than prepping for undergrad!
What do you want your future classmates to know about you?
I’m excited to be a part of the program and join the Scheller community. Although I’m very competitive, I see my success in this program as being a part of everyone else’s success. I’ve spent a majority of my career in sales, which is all about relationships. I intend to work hard, have fun, and develop strong relationships.
Learn more about Scheller’s Evening MBA Program.