Meet Virginia’s Darden School of Business Class Of 2018

Kareen Okaka

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Global, Inquisitive woman uniquely talented at connecting people to improve the world, one problem at a time.

Hometown: Edo, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: My favourite sandwich is peanut butter and banana

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Waterloo, Economics

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Manulife Financial, Junior Business Analyst (Toronto, Canada)

Manulife Financial, Business Analyst (Toronto, Canada)

Sony Pictures, Senior Business Analyst (Los Angeles, California)

American Financial group, Senior Business Analyst & Project Manager (Los Angeles, California)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My most compelling accomplishment so far is founding the Lean In Los Angeles Chapter, which has allowed me to push the envelope, create a networking space and inspire women to pursue their goals. This opportunity has allowed me to increase my impact and reach globally as I organized the first African Women in Technology Conference in Nairobi, Kenya the summer of 2016. I really wanted to make an impact especially for women in the technology and African space. This event brought brilliant minds, students, professionals and corporate sponsors in the room the adrenaline and inspiration was unbelievable and most of all rewarding.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? Getting into a top MBA program is different for everyone but it is important to leverage your strength and compensate for your weakness.

GMAT: Dedicate the time, and invest in continuously learning and practicing for the exam. Create a timeline, and stick to it, get those practice tests out of the way so you know where to focus your efforts.

Gathering Recommendations: Do it early, set a deadline and choose your recommenders wisely.

Essay: The essay is such an introspective process that requires time. Allow yourself enough time to record all the reasons you want to get an MBA, and why each particular school. When writing your essay, it is important to not only think about what the school can do for you but to also demonstrate the unique value proposition you bring to the program. If you are struggling with your essay, consider getting a consultant. Lastly, treat the MBA process like a series of hurdles, build relationships with students and alumni and keep refining your remarkable story.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA?

Learning: The Darden Case method was a strong appeal for me, when deciding what type of environment would give me a wholesome learning experience. I love the hands on learning experience, and accelerated growth opportunities it presents.

Darden Experience: During my admissions process, I connected with a student and an admissions officer, and they both checked in and continuously encouraged me during the process. When I visited Darden, I felt so welcomed and I left knowing I wanted to spend my two years part of a strong circle that would not only support me but challenge me to grow as a leader. I want to be a leader in the world that truly makes a difference and the Darden community shares that vision. I picked Darden because they were supportive of my future goals and believed and invested in my ability.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I dream of building global partnerships where I get to meet new people and find new creative ways to penetrate the market. My dream job is to launch my own business with a winning team behind me. I feel to make massive impact and change I have to build my own brand and have flexibility and control of the projects I work on. I have a soft spot for women and Africa, so eventually doing work within the continent to empower the current and future generations.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program?  I want my peers to speak about my authenticity, friendship and that I left a visible impact on the Darden community. I also want them to boast about how I have grown into a global leader and say I was fearless in pursuing my dreams and  embracing the challenges of business school.