Meet Cornell Johnson's MBA Class Of 2019

Symone Williams

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Muhammad Ali

Hometown: Boston, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve swum with sharks in South Africa, bathed elephants in India, and held pythons in Peru, but I’ve had a deep-seated fear of geese since the age of 5.

Undergraduate School and Major: Barnard College, Columbia University, major in Urban Studies, concentration Political Science, minor in Women Studies

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Teach For America, Social Studies Teacher

Senator Mike Johnston Urban Leaders Fellowship, Fellow

Bridgewater Associates, Employee Services Coordinator

Teach For America, Recruitment Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Learning how to “fail well” in uniquely challenging environments is a skill I’m especially proud of. For many high-achieving professionals, failure is something we struggle with tremendously. However, learning how to embrace failure as a powerful learning experience is the defining factor between successful individuals and extraordinarily successful individuals.

Throughout my time with Teach For America, I found that educating hundreds of students facing an array of socioeconomic barriers was by far one of the most difficult challenges, and similarly that recruiting a diverse cohort of exceptionally talented, socially conscious, and driven students to take on the challenge of urban education was at times equally as challenging. However, my ability to quickly identify missteps, learn from them, and drive innovative solutions based on these lessons allowed for superior outcomes, including ensuring my students’ academic and personal success, and investing one of the most diverse cohorts of college students in joining Teach For America and the movement for educational equity.

Looking back on your experience, what’s one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Start early and remain consistent. The business school process is arduous and will require a tremendous amount from you financially, mentally, emotionally, and physically (it will take a toll on you!). Nonetheless, it is undoubtedly worth it once you cross the finish line. Make sure to stay true to yourself and take stock of what is important to you along the way as well. Don’t get too hung up on the rankings, but focus on the best school for you. Lastly, remember the importance of fit — ask yourself if you’ll be happy at a particular school and will you be able to get your dream job afterwards. Don’t lose sight of why you’re doing this, and again — start early and remain consistent.

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? Being surrounded by genuine and supportive people has consistently been the defining factor in shaping my personal and professional development. If it wasn’t for the amazing colleagues I’ve had who’ve turned into family, I most likely wouldn’t be here today. Consequently, throughout my MBA process I was clear that being surrounded by extraordinarily talented and genuine people was significantly important to me, and I found this to be overwhelmingly true at Johnson. Before stepping onto campus, I had spoken to numerous students and alumni who managed to carve out multiple occasions to chat with me. Each individual I connected with remained in contact through every stage of the MBA process. This sense of community from mere strangers was a huge defining factor in my decision to attend Johnson.

I also found that the strength of Johnson’s sustainability program was unparalleled. From the notable alumni to class offerings and professional development resources, I was blown away by the support students who are passionate about leveraging their business education for social good received. I was particularly struck by Johnson’s Sustainable Global Enterprise immersion program where students spent a semester working closely with well-known companies on their sustainability initiatives. I found this kind of opportunity invaluable to my career development.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Success after my first year of business school would include attaining a strong quantitative analysis skill set that I’m able to leverage in my summer internship. It also requires me to continue developing my ability to lead diverse teams through challenging situations, and to build relationships with every one of my classmates (this is possible when your class is 277 people!).

Meet Cornell Johnson’s MBA Class Of 2019

Symone Williams

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University

Related Stories In Our Meet The Class of 2019 Series: