Anna Schickele

Yale School of Management

“Aspiring to many things (data scientist, fitness model, advice columnist), but mostly, a problem-solver.”

Hometown: Davis, California (most recently living in Santiago, Chile)

Fun Fact About Yourself: My first major purchase was a 12-foot trampoline ($50, age 16)

Undergraduate School and Major: Stanford University, Public Policy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, Policy Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When I transferred to J-PAL’s office in Santiago, Chile, we were struggling financially after a major grant ended. I defined a new strategy for policy influence in Latin America and secured funding for several projects (EdTech conference in Argentina, remedial education program in Central America) that will help sustain the office for the next few years.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? They’re all intriguing people with diverse backgrounds! I’m excited to learn from them during my time at Yale.

Aside from your classmates, 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 felt that Yale provided more “value add” than other schools I considered. It feels like they are investing in me as much as I’m investing in myself. Since business school is a huge commitment in time as well as money, I felt it was important to choose a school that would devote resources to helping me succeed.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m looking forward to becoming an active member in the Technology and Fintech clubs.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I studied public policy and then worked at an international development research center, so I wanted to pursue a graduate degree that would expose me to different perspectives and ways of thinking. I expect I’ll feel that I’m out of place or lack the “right” experience during my first year of business school, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Coming from a social sector background, the cost of attendance was a big consideration. I was lucky to receive a generous scholarship from Yale, which has made it possible to attend—and keeps open the possibility of working in the social sector or outside of the U.S. when I graduate.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Stanford GSB, UPenn Wharton, UC Berkeley Haas

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I had trouble making a decision until I visited the two schools I was considering. Everything about the schools’ admitted student weekends—the current and prospective students I met, the aspects of each program they chose to emphasize, and the attitudes towards students from less traditional business backgrounds (like me)—made it clear that Yale was the best fit for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? In 2015, I spent three months in Cape Town, South Africa. I was working on a research project in a Cape Coloured township and shared a flat with a group of badass Afro-feminist women. The experience was transformative, both personally and professionally: It reminded me why I had decided to pursue a career solving problems of poverty and inequality, and more important, it helped me gain confidence in myself and my ability to define my own life path.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I’m excited about the potential to use data and technology to make the world a better place. After graduating, I’d like to work with mission-driven tech companies.

Where do you see yourself in five years? By then, I hope to have figured out how to spend half the year in California and half the year in Chile, and never experience winter.