Student Perspectives

We are learning to be subject-matter experts in the areas that we profess to lead in: sustainability, equity, and leadership itself.

Sometimes my Climate Change and Business Strategy class feels more like a graduate-level science class than an MBA elective. The teacher, Andrew Isaacs, presents a brilliant mix of business and science.

Leading High-Impact Teams is another example of learning at the cutting-edge. Professor Brandi Pearce drives home the science that backs up how to best lead and manage people. Turns out there is plenty of research in favor of an approach that encourages celebrating our individual identities to reach a team goal.

I’m grateful that I’ve studied not only accounting, corporate finance, and statistics, but have learned from professors engaged in the research that will help us all make better informed decisions.

Lead with your values

I considered myself a non-traditional candidate for an MBA. But I am proof that you don’t have to have a quant background or consulting experience to appreciate and do well in business school.

Haas has strong values that align with what I care about. The Defining Leadership Principles are more than marketing. They are an authentic part of the program and the people here.

I’m excited about bringing my knowledge into the workplace, but I’m also focusing on the need to be thoughtful about how to use the power and privilege I now possess wisely to make the world a better place.

Hands-on learning satisfies and challenges

Leading a consulting team in Social Sector Solutions was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I had managed consultants before, but never been one. It felt like my brain had been rewired.

I loved the challenge of motivating smart, experienced peers, anyone of whom could have led the team. Our team ranged from a PhD in chemistry to students adept in corporate finance, equity hiring, and curriculum development.

We worked with a non-profit focused on a housing solution for Black male elementary school teachers in San Francisco. We had to be of service to our client, while balancing the desire to do good with the practical realities.

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