Meet Cornell Johnson’s MBA Class Of 2019

Harrison Jobe 

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

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Tech fanatic and public radio enthusiast interested in all things media and politics.

Hometown: Greensboro, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: I share a birthday with Beyoncé.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA Political Science

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

The New York Times, News Service and Syndication Manager, U.S. & Canada

NPR (National Public Radio), National Representative, Corporate Sponsorship

NPR, Marketing Associate, Corporate Sponsorship

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Negotiating a six-figure sponsorship package to support NPR news and entertainment programming from a major beverage company. The deal included several live music activations in collaboration with NPR Music and messaging on NPR’s podcast, digital, and video platforms.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? It can be confusing and riddled with conflicting opinions from various sources. Take the time to meaningfully reflect on what matters most to you and trust your instinct. When brainstorming and writing essays, you will begin to rediscover your history. Take comfort in who you are and what got you to this point. Try to enjoy this part of the process — it’s a privilege to do the type of self-reflection that a competitive application requires.

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? The strong sense of community I felt during the application process was a key factor in my decision to attend Cornell. Looking back at my own history — from elementary school to NPR — I perform best in these types of collaborative and supportive environments, so it was a natural fit.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Very simply, success will mean living a more fulfilling life. Certainly, from a professional perspective, I hope to have a clear career path after a successful summer internship. But on a greater scale, business school is a rare opportunity to get out of one’s comfort zone later in life — success will mean discovering new passions, traveling the globe, and making lifelong friendships with incredibly smart and interesting people that I might not have otherwise encountered.