2015 Best MBAs: Jennifer Meacham

Jennifer Meacham

 

New York University Stern School of Business

Even wonder if some people get more than 24 hours a day to get things done? Consider Jennifer Meacham to be Exhibit A. A prolific leader and volunteer, Meacham serves as president of Stern’s Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS), Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council in Stern’s Student Government, and Vice President of Marketing and Logistics for Stern Speaks. During her time, she has helped host case competitions, speakers, discussion panels, and charity auctions. Meacham was also the recipient of the President’s Service Award, which recognizes students who make significant impact in the areas of learning, leadership, and quality of student life.

Age: 26

Hometown: Gary, Indiana

Undergraduate School: Howard University

Undergraduate Degree:  Telecommunications Management (Major), Business Administration (Minor)

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Analytical Lead in the Online Sales Group at Google, Inc.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2014? Summer Associate at Goldman Sachs

Where will you be working after graduation? Associate at Goldman Sachs

Favorite Courses: Leadership in Organizations (Professor Dolly Chugh), Brand Strategy (Professor Scott Galloway), and Investment Banking (Professor Charles Murphy)

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I started paying more attention to my interest in entrepreneurship and opportunities outside of my core role.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working in a role that connects my passion for both education and business ORworking my way up to become a manager or head of industry at Google.”

What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term professional goals haven’t changed much since I’ve come to Stern although my path to fulfill those goals has certainly shifted. My passion is to help people of color acquire the knowledge and develop the skill set it takes to be financially independent. My career path is private wealth as it provides me with the earning potential, network, and investing knowhow to effectively drive change in underserved communities in the future.

Which academic or professional achievements are you most proud of? I am most proud of being awarded a President’s Service Award from NYU Stern. This award means a lot to me as I worked very hard over the last two years to strengthen Stern’s community by organizing an array of both academic programming and social events. The President’s Service Award was based on peer nominations so it confirms that the work I did at Stern was valuable to and noticed by my peers.

Who would you most want to thank for your success (and why)? I’d like to thank Diana Hyde, the director of the office of student engagement at Stern, for my success at Stern specifically. Diana has subconsciously and explicitly advocated for my ideas and participation in a number of high profile events and committees that improved my confidence as a speaker and developed my leadership skills. She’s also created a succession plan for many initiatives I launched at Stern to strengthen the culture of the school.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose NYU Stern based on how it ranked across three factors: 1) industry access 2) diversity and 3) the intersection of business and society. Stern’s location provides students with incredible access to leaders across nearly every industry, from education to finance. The diverse population is comprised of students interested in a multitude of career options each pulling from their unique cultural and professional experiences. The level of diversity found in our class allows us to challenge one another in the classroom and as well as to have stimulating conversations in social settings. Lastly, it was very important to me to find an institution that focused on both society and business. From the minute I arrived at Stern for our orientation program, I was able to learn from innovators in the social sector as well as more traditional industries for MBAs. This solidified the fact that I had made the right decision in choosing Stern.

What did you enjoy most about business school? I enjoyed having the ability to apply the leadership and management skills I learned in class to my leadership roles at school in real-time to reinforce the culture of Stern.

What is your most memorable moment from business school? My most memorable moment from business school was an event called SternSpeaksOut: Student Perspectives on Ferguson and NYC. I organized this student speaker series based on the legal proceedings following the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. I was deeply moved by the support and “allyship” demonstrated by the 200+ Stern community members who attended the event. This act of support from the Stern community demonstrated that this generation of MBA students is interested in solving challenging problems not only in business, but in society. The event also taught me what type of leader I am – one that is able to make decisions, take actions, and push for change. It taught me what I stand for as well as how to trust my gut when it tells me to lead.

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve lived in 5 different cities over the last 5 years – DC, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.

Favorite book: The Odyssey

Favorite movie: Love and Basketball

Favorite musical performer: Kendrick Lamar

Favorite television show: Game of Thrones

Favorite vacation spot: Any part of Thailand!

What are your hobbies? Journaling, cooking, traveling, spending time with friends, listening to 90s R&B, and laughing hard.

What made Jennifer such an invaluable addition to the class of 2015?

“Jen has served the community by driving positive change at NYU Stern, all while balancing a future career in Private Wealth Management at Goldman. Whether it is done through her role as President of the Association of Hispanic & Black Business Students that planned and executed the first diversity case competition at Stern, to leading the charge for diversity, inclusion and allyship training, or putting together a phenomenal event on a topic of national significance (centered on the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner), Jen has been a leader in the community. She has had an impact on her classmates that will resonate in their world view for the rest of their lives. Jen will be receiving a NYU President Service Award this year for her distinguished service and contribution to New York University and the community.”

–  Diana Hyde, director, Office of Student Engagement

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