Meet Arizona State’s MBA Class Of 2019

Jennifer McAlpine 

W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  A curious, confident, and stubbornly optimistic global nomad who thrives on change.

Hometown: Woodbury, MN

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve hiked to the highest point in the Sahara desert, where I caught snowflakes on my tongue and saw a rainbow.

Undergraduate School and Major:  University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Economics and Global Studies

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Budget policies I designed and advanced saved the State Department $7 million in a year, allowing the U.S. to quickly fund election monitoring in the Ukraine at the height of the crisis.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Don’t take any advice on essay writing or the admissions interview (irony noted). These sections are about showcasing you as an individual; if you are authentic, any school that doesn’t see why you are great does not deserve your time.

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 diversity of the MBA program at the W. P. Carey School of Business was the biggest driver of my decision to come here. Your classmates influence your MBA experience more than any other factor external to yourself, and W. P. Carey seeks out people with fascinating and varied life experiences. “Where Business is Personal” isn’t just something they say — they recruit students to align with the school’s values.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I will be successful if after the first year I am confident using my newly acquired business-thinking skills to tackle any problem!