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MBA Voices
MBA Voices
In April of 2020, Sarika Mendu (MBA ‘20) and Amina Mohamed (MBA ‘20) watched their EC year turn upside down due to a sudden global lockdown and saw an opportunity for MBA students to get involved and help small businesses stay afloat in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The soon-to-be graduates recognized that many struggling organizations could benefit from those with MBA skills -- marketing, finance, strategy, etc. -- to navigate unprecedented challenges. As they spoke to friends about this, they found hundreds of MBA students eager to help, but who didn’t know where to begin. Seizing this opportunity, they founded “MBAs Fight COVID”, an initiative that matched HBS students with business owners seeking help. [...]
For years, I’ve been asking myself the following question: what is the most effective way for me to make a difference in the world? Is it through public service, impact investing, social entrepreneurship or even academia? The 2+2 program gave me the runway to actively investigate this question and explore a couple paths – politics and private equity. I first worked as a legislative fellow for my Congresswomen (now Senator) Kyrsten Sinema, who had recently been elected to office. I then pivoted to work in private equity at Cube Hydro Partners - a firm focused on renewable energy infrastructure investments. After 2+2, I decided to continue on the path of impact investing and develop my craft at Social Finance. [...]
Business school is a valuable investment in your future. HBS supports that investment through generous need-based scholarships. In addition to scholarships, many HBS students utilize student loans to help meet their portion of the shared investment.
If you anticipate borrowing to help finance your MBA, you are likely thinking about what repayment might look like post-graduation. HBS graduates pursue careers in a variety of industries and positions around the world. With a median starting salary of $148,750, and median signing bonus of $30,000, HBS graduates are well-positioned to pay off their student loans. Still, taking-on student debt to finance an MBA is a significant commitment, and we recognize that personal circumstances influence how each student approaches that commitment. To better understand how HBS graduates manage and repay their student debt, we interviewed several alumni about their loan repayment journeys. [...]
I remember feeling tense on the day of my HBS interview. Not only because I was nervous about the interview—although I was—but because if I was admitted, I was unsure whether I belonged at HBS. I am a Midwestern, first-generation college graduate from a blue-collar family. It didn’t matter that I spent six years living in New York and Switzerland and that I built my career in public accounting and finance. Harvard—and the Ivy League for that matter—always felt like a place for other people. [...]
I am one of four children born to my Nigerian parents. I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest commercial hub, and in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city. I have fond memories of my childhood such as learning about Nigeria’s history on my grandpa’s walking tours of Lagos Island, celebrating Eid holidays with family, and working on craft projects with my twin sister. [...]
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The views and opinions expressed in the MBA Voices blog are those of the authors.
Any political views shared by students are their own; HBS does not endorse a
particular party or candidate.