My MBA application, 12 years later

My MBA application, 12 years later

I had a crucible moment in 2009. I was a batch & furnace engineer for Owens Corning, in a development program. I had worked there since graduating college - it was my first "adult" job, and I was learning A LOT. But... I felt forced to take a role on the other side of the country, far away from family and friends, in a location that I felt wasn't safe. So I quit. I delivered phone books out of the back of my Honda Fit. I relied on friends to share meals and drinks with me. I freaked out. Then, with a push from my father, I decided to apply WAAAAY late to The Ohio State University's full-time MBA program. The application process included taking the GMAT, interviewing in-person, and completing several essays.

I was cleaning up my external hard drive recently, and came across those essays. Reading them brought the emotions of that time right back to surface. In fact, writing about this, right now, is bringing them back as well.

I share this essay question and response with you in case it helps you in some way. Maybe it just helps you feel more connected to me. Maybe it sparks a reflection for you. Maybe it leads to reaching out to a family member, friend or mentor to say Thank You for the role they played in your life. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Discovering You: As a Fisher MBA student you get the best of both worlds: the up close and personal feel of a small program combined with the resources and opportunities offered by a major research university. You as an individual participant will play a key role in shaping our culture. For this reason, we would like to learn more about who you are and what unique characteristics you will contribute to the Fisher College community. Provide an honest description of yourself outside your professional context, stressing the personal characteristics you sense to be your strengths and weaknesses, and the factors that have most influenced your development to date. If you would like the MBA Admission Committee to be aware of any additional information and/or special circumstances, we encourage you to include it here. (maximum 750 words)

My parents had a large impact on my personal development. Due to an injury at work, my father "retired" when I was very young. He took my education very seriously, and provided me opportunities he never had. My parents never discouraged me from trying things, even when other people were vocal in their opposition. For example, in first grade, I wanted to take "The Wizard of Oz" out of the library. Since this was a third grade book, the librarian would not let me check it out. I went home in tears. My father came to the library with me, told me and the librarian I would be the only person to determine if I was ready to read it, not anyone else. We checked it out, and I loved that book.

I was always treated as a young adult. My parents let me make decisions and mistakes, as long as they wouldn't be threatening life or limb. They believe the best way to learn and remember is through experience; I agree. They provided opportunities to excel, which were sometimes scary, but always worth it. For example, how many people can say they took their first college course at age 10 (College Algebra), and got inducted into their Honor Society at age 11 (Oakland Community College - Phi Theta Kappa)? I matured very quickly, because of the "stretching" I did throughout childhood in terms of trying things both difficult and unique.

 Many positive personality traits were instilled in me from a young age. I am independent, self-sufficient and willing to try things outside my comfort zone. I am the person who will get in the car without a map or plan, just to see what our great country has to offer. I am the person who will strike up a conversation with a mechanic, the person at the coffee shop, the man walking his dog down the street, because I believe I can learn something from everyone.

Like everyone, I also have personality traits that could be viewed as weaknesses in certain contexts. As mentioned, I am very self-sufficient, which can sometimes present as being aloof. This is one area I've focused on during my time with Owens Corning, especially after my development coach spoke with me about it. I make a daily effort to reach out to operators and others on the staff, to build open, engaged working relationships. I am very detail-oriented, a personality trait I keep in focus when working in teams, so as to allow everyone an equal chance to participate and keep the results a team effort. In general, my weaknesses are only a problem when they swing too far; I definitely am aware of these shortcomings, and make a conscious effort to temper them.

I have many hobbies I pursue outside of work. One of my which is car repair and upgrading. My father has enjoyed cars since he was young, and he passed on that passion to me. From experience, I've learned all about cars; I was never afraid to get my hands dirty, and learn by trial and error. I've also always been interested in many art forms, and I especially like working with color. I particularly enjoy making jewelry, drawing and painting. I enjoy giving back to my community as well. I've been a regular blood donor to the Red Cross since age 17. I became a Big Sister in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program in the fall of 2008. I am always willing to lend a hand to a worthy cause.

Most Recent

It's Time For Us To Do Better

Posted By Stacey Schroeder
October 31, 2022 Category: General

It’s time for us to do better at connecting people with opportunities. Let me share some recent examples with you to get that amazing brain of yours going! Friday, October 7 was #ManufacturingDay, but it was also the Ribbon Cutting for the new Alliance For Working Together (AWT) Foundation’s Transformation Center in Mentor, OH. I've known the great folks at AWT for years, through my roles at Swagelok, NTMA and the Precision Metalforming Association as well as my personal volunteer work for the Junior Robobots competition and many #manufacturing / #workforcedevelopment-related interest groups. It made my DAY to see the amazing and beautiful space filled with brand-new manual and CNC machines, quality and inspection equipment, classrooms, and all sorts of technology and ways to engage with students of all ages and backgrounds.   Every library, community center, K-12 school, community, vo-tech and higher education institution needs to know about this venue – AND be actively making connections. Every community NEEDS to find folks that are PASSIONATE about in-demand industries like manufacturing, healthcare and IT – and fund their big ideas like this! On Thursday, October  27, I started the morning with Team NEO at their Aligning Opportunities Launch. I LOVED the panel discussions and the ENERGY and IDEAS!   Can we encourage kids to add a "minor" in a credenti

Leaders: Take Heed.

Posted By Stacey Schroeder
August 24, 2022 Category: Working From Home

The past few months I’ve been trying something different. Each month, I always send a newsletter with an article, some microlearning videos, inspirational quotes and selected upcoming programs to everyone on my The Institute for Management Studies distribution list. That’s not new. What IS new: I started to explicitly offer myself as a resource to each of these amazing people, whether it's talking through their own leadership development, identifying a great thought leader for a customized program for their team, or sharing best practices gained from other IMS members. I included a link to schedule a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with me. I was absolutely FLOORED by the positive response! As a bit of an introvert, I haven’t really minded working from home for the past few years, but the chance to connect with, and learn from, amazing local professionals and leaders is literally THE BEST part of my work. I wanted to share some of the big themes from these conversations, because I think they really highlight what EVERY LEADER should be aware of and more importantly, actively working to address with each of their team members: 1.      People do NOT feel that they have all the internal support they need to be successful in their roles. 2.      People are HUNGRY for opportunities to grow their skills through REAL-LIFE examples and practice, alongside peers from diff

Let's be a force for good this year

Posted By Stacey Schroeder
January 31, 2022 Category: General

Have you read Josh Bersin’s HR Predictions for 2022 report? "This year’s report touches on 15 predictions encompassing all areas of HR against the backdrop of an historically tight labor market, empowered workforces, and continued pandemic uncertainties." Fill out the short information form here: https://joshbersin.com/hr-predictions-for-2022/ and download your copy. I promise it's worth it, no matter what your official job title or function is. My key takeaways are:    The labor shortage isn’t going away. Continue to get creative around hiring requirements – does a role really need a specific degree? Are there ways to assess incoming skills and/or partner with a 3rd party to provide ‘on-ramps’ for basic training instead of rejecting a candidate? No matter what your current product or service offering is, it’s going to become more service-focused over time. That means that more of your organization needs timely, actionable training around customer service skills. To help with that, you may also want to consider reviewing / updating the metrics you use around service encounters. The technology that’s prevalent in many of our personal lives is more and more expected in the workplace. Cue the “metaverse,” VR, AR, immersive training experiences, etc. But, it’s not just technology for technology’s sake – it’s critical to start with an organizational assessment, d

© , Evelop | Your Workforce. DEVeloped. All Rights Reserved
Powered by Virteom Logo Virteom
Follow Us: