MBA Graduation: Reflection, Gratitude, and Adventure

Over the past three years, I have completed a 45-credit Master of Business Administration with a special focus in Business Analytics from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. I chose this fully online program of study for its depth, breadth, challenge and reputation. Through an international move, two years’ worth of parenting and working in a pandemic, and two epic summer road trips with the kids, I finished it with a 3.93 GPA. Additionally, I qualified for and passed my exam to become a Professional Project Manager (PMP) and became an Evaluation Team Leader for school accreditation visits with the Council of International Schools. 

Let me just say it has been NON-STOP. I would sometimes wake up at 4am to study before work, or stay up late to join optional synchronous class sessions taking place in Massachusetts. Every weekend was planned months in advance to make sure I could keep up with the pace of the classes. I usually took 6 graduate credits per semester in order to qualify for student loans, so I had to plan every hour to fit everything in. It was absolutely worth it, and I discovered some key passion areas such as lean management, organizational behavior, business intelligence, and project management while also getting a solid foundation in areas such as business law, corporate finance, and organizational strategy.

I could never have done this alone. I first need to thank my kids, Gabriel and Arianne, who showed endless patience during my study times and have learned to love quick ramen dinners. Thank you to Vikesh, who believed that I could achieve this from the beginning. To Leena, our wonderful nanny in India, who took care of everything so I could focus on studies, and who made the most amazing food to keep my energy up! To Freda, our babysitter and housekeeper in Korea, who has shown endless adaptability while managing our schedules through the pandemic, and who is so creative with keeping the kids active and happy. To Duarte, for always being willing to organize our co-parenting schedules so that I could get done what I needed to do.  

Thank you to my applied learning team members – John, Nate, and Rob – who have encouraged me every step of the way and helped me to find balance, joy, and meaning through the challenges. Thank you to KIS School Director, Michelle, for the encouragement and flexibility; I could always feel positive about scheduling a personal day to take a big exam or finish a project, and I’ve had plenty of opportunities to use my MBA skills at work. 

To my parents, sister, family, colleagues, and friends around the world, I appreciate all of your encouragement and belief that I could finish. To my professors and peers at UMass, it was a wonderful journey to take together. To all the friends who have stayed with me through the challenges, thank you! 

And so, to celebrate this accomplishment, I decided to go on a little graduation adventure. I had half of winter break to work with, and I’ve always wanted to go to Lapland, so I booked a direct flight to Helsinki and a domestic flight up to Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle. I won’t likely be able to get back to the US to walk in the Isenberg graduation ceremony in May 2022 (including winter 2022 grads), so I packed my cap and hood and off I went for some outdoor adventures. 

I’ll be posting more about the trip, but a few highlights were: ice climbing at a frozen waterfall, horseback riding in the snow, forest skiing, a mountaineering course, taking a dog-sled ride, learning how to use a Finnish sauna, and snowmobiling in the taiga. I also spent a few days in Helsinki seeing the sights, thrifting, enjoying a bit of spa time, and getting a curly-girl haircut. Fellow curlies, you know how exciting this is! A non-stop degree to a non-stop vacation, although I did have time to read a few books since each Arctic winter day only had about 4 hours of daylight.  

I took a few graduation photos outside in the sub-zero temperatures, a black fleece on hand instead of the bulky graduation gown. Now it feels like I’m done! Time for the next chapter of life. I am excited for whatever adventures are in store.