Meet Carnegie Mellon’s MBA Class Of 2019

Rebecca George 

Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: People-driven, creative leader that loves data, improving the world, and learning every day.

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am an intense hobbyist and always have a project or skill I’m working on in my spare time. In high school I earned my pilot’s license and trained on flute. In college, I did marching band and orchestra and even learned the tuba just for something new.  As a young professional I’ve become a writer and am working on my yoga teacher certification.

Undergraduate School and Major: Purdue University – BS Materials Science and Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Innovation Project Lead/Technical Lead – Whirlpool Corporation

WERLD (Rotational Program) Engineer  – Whirlpool Corporation

• New Business Creation Sales Analyst
• EMEA Refrigeration Platform Engineer
• Zera Development Engineer
• Laundry Aesthetic Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Brewing beer every Friday for engineering testing and taking the test results home to enjoy!

All jokes aside–  though I really did brew regularly at work, and it was a lot of fun – there’s a lot of things I’m proud of in my career thus far, but the biggest challenge and most rewarding accomplishment was launching the first project that I have led, a corporate social responsibility innovation product. I am so honored to have been part of and led such an amazing, inspired, and inspiring team that was relentlessly chasing a big dream of helping millions or even billions around the world increase their quality of life. Good news, everyone: the preliminary studies of the test market show that this product is successfully changing lives. And to me, there’s no accomplishment like seeing the smile on someone’s face when they look at your product and knowing that their life just got better because of you.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? It’s really easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of applications: is my GMAT score good enough? Who are my recommenders? Is this school prestigious enough? Who can give me scholarships? And don’t get me wrong, all of those details are very important questions and you should get answers to them. But with all of the advice columns, websites, message boards, and consultants out there, it becomes very easy to lose sight of your greater self throughout this process and let yourself get dragged off of your path or be molded into something that isn’t quite you. That’s why, to me, the number one most critical part of the MBA application process is not any one detail but your overall approach and thought process. Sit down, reflect on yourself and your options, and really be firm in your own perspective, needs, goals, and values. Don’t do this just once, either; check in with yourself regularly and honestly so that you can be thoughtful, deliberate, and genuine at any touchpoint with your potential schools. Be authentic about your priorities and what truly matters to you, and you will find the right fit without any regrets– and this goes for any other decision in life, too!

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I’m a Pittsburgh girl down to the iron in my black-and-gold blood (Go Penguins!!), but I didn’t pick Tepper because it brought me back to my city, though it is a great bonus. I was drawn to Tepper because of how clear it was to me that the school really walks the walk of developing us as individuals and as a collective team, and has built a program to nurture me and my classmates. Opportunities like the Accelerate Leadership Center and the Swartz Entrepreneurship Center are so unique and so pivotal to me; that kind of student focus and clear prioritization of supporting holistic development as a person and a leader put Tepper a step above in my eyes. I truly believe that in coming to Tepper, I will not undergo a passive transformation but rather an active blossoming supported by the school and my classmates.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? To me, the biggest success after my first year would be growing and transforming beyond my own expectations while being surrounded by people that push and support me every day even as I was able to push and support them. It sounds like a tall order, but I’m not worried; Tepper Class of 2019 has got this!