MBA 2021, USA
“Good leaders must first become good servants.” Robert Greenleaf
My organisation provides refugee assistance, sustainable community health development, leadership training, and Bible education to well over 50 countries.
Over the last three years I have developed our internship program to raise up additional cross-cultural workers. For two of those years, I also acted as the Director of Mobilisation where I strategised for domestic recruitment and international field development, developed and led a national team, and built partnerships with professional and academic entities. I now stand in a period of transition as I co-lead initiatives to build a branch of our organisation in the European sector with partner organisations.
I have a passion for people, developing teams, leadership, and being an innovative organisation. I love the mountains and outdoor activities, reading, anything coffee, and meeting up with friends.
Achievements
- Being the youngest director of my department and member of our organisation’s leadership team in our 44-year history
- Since taking the job of Director of Mobilisation nearly two years ago, my team and I saw one of the strongest recruiting years in our organisation’s history
- While restructuring our internship program, I saw 43% annual growth over the last three years
What attracted you to the Kent MBA programme and why?
I was drawn to the beautiful location and the communal foundation of the programme among a diverse group of people. Yet during the interview I was captivated by the relational character of the staff and the desire for me to succeed. I want to be pushed to new boundaries and I believe the Kent MBA will push me to those new frontiers of my own education, growth and career development.
What were your motivations for undertaking an MBA?
Over the progression of my personal development, I have found myself yearning for more experiences and education on business. Further, I believe the MBA will help me continue to think intuitively to grow with changing times rather than against them.
Aspiration
I want the Kent MBA to further my connections with a global network. I have many blank pages of life to fill, and those pages will be filled no matter what. Yet what really enriches those experiences are the human-to-human connections and networks we make. We all learn from each other and we experience life together. So, it’s not necessarily the degree that will take me places, although I know it will be vastly enriching. Yet it’s the human connections that take me places and I hope and expect the Kent MBA to deliver.
Advice
I can attribute my personal progression in my field to two things:
- A good leader is always relational; he or she is in the trenches listening and doing with their people, whether that be amongst one’s team or the client base
- Curiosity – one must be a constant learner!