Meet Georgetown’s MBA Class of 2018

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Rebecca Lila Arnold

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am dedicated to creating positive change in the world through innovative business solutions.

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have been lucky enough to meet the Dalai Lama on two separate occasions, including an extended private audience with him in Dharamsala, India.

Undergraduate School and Major: Emory University, BA in International Relations with a focus in Political Economy

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:  I have worked for the United States Peace Corps since my college graduation in 2010. I began as an English Education and Community Development Volunteer in Mongolia for two years. Then, I was hired at Peace Corps’ headquarters in Washington, D.C., as a Placement and Assessment Associate in their Volunteer Recruitment and Selection Office. Finally, for the last two and a half years, I have been a Budget Analyst in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, where I monitored budget formulation, justification, and execution for the Africa Region and the Office of Health Services.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment in my career so far has been my role in the successful launch of Peace Corps’ electronic medical records system. As a returned volunteer, I know that volunteers cannot properly serve their host communities without sufficient medical care and support from Peace Corps. But as a staff person, I also saw how difficult it is to provide high quality medical care to volunteers who are in isolated sites facing conditions to which they are not accustomed. The electronic medical records system ensures that volunteers receive proper support and decreases the administrative burden on local Medical Officers.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? I advise applicants to know what they want in an MBA program before they begin the application process. Do research, visit schools, and talk to current students and alumni. You need to be honest with yourself about what is important to you. Once you figure that out, you will be able to find a program into which you fit, and they will be happy to have you.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Georgetown’s MBA program appealed to me due to its international and inclusive focus, size, and location. The global focus of the program and its Jesuit mission speak to my goals of doing social good through business. The medium size of the program drew me, as well. Georgetown can offer the benefits of a larger MBA program, especially considering the other degrees offered at the university, while maintaining the intimacy of a small school. Finally, Washington, D.C., has been my home for the last four years, and the opportunities that it provides for lectures, career opportunities, and social events are plentiful and unique.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My goal is to do social good and positively contribute to the global society through business. I do not believe that social good and successful business exist in vacuums. Just as domestic and international business are inextricably linked, the businesses of the future will spur social development and social development will build businesses. My dream job after business school is a leadership development program in a company with a strong mission.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? One of my goals is to leave business school with a strong sense of intellectual community. I hope that my peers will say that I am a team player who leads by example. I want them to trust my willingness and ability to provide partnership to them as we embark upon on post-MBA careers.

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