Alexandra (Alli) Jaeggi     

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“A driven and passionate individual who enjoys laughing and spending time outdoors.”

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Tennis is an integral part of who I am. I began playing when I was about four years old, went to weekend lessons growing up, attended tennis summer camps, played competitively in high school, and continue playing recreationally now. My dream is to attend all of the Grand Slam tournaments at some point in my life.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California – San Diego: B.A. Visual Arts (2013), M.Ed. Education – Teaching & Learning (2015)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: San Marino Unified School District, High School English Teacher

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in education was earning the opportunity to demonstrate best practices for technology in the classroom by designing and implementing an immersive professional development presentation. As a new educator, it was exciting to add value to a group of seasoned teachers by sharing my passion for technology. Many teachers reached out to me for additional coaching or assistance with classroom implementation after the PD, which made the experience even more memorable.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Supportive. Everyone comes from such varied and unique backgrounds, yet they all embrace the Trojan family mentality and help one another willingly.

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? USC Marshall’s network was a large factor in my decision. As a career-switcher, I wanted a school that fostered a community of individuals invested in assisting one another. It was essential for me to feel that I could count on staff, professors, and alumni to help facilitate the process of developing and reaching my personal goals. When I attended the USC Marshall Women’s Forum and Admitted Students Weekend, it was clear that the network is extensive. I reached out to current students, faculty, staff, and alumni after both of those events. Everyone was willing to take time out of their day to speak with me and help further develop my personal vision. Leveraging the network as I transition into a new industry and function is essential to my success and I look forward to paying it forward with other Trojans in the future.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to working with Challenge for Charity. C4C provides Marshall with excellent opportunities to give back to the community throughout the year. Specifically, I am excited to work with Junior Achievement for the “JA in a Day” event to teach elementary and middle school children about business. One of the things I miss the most after leaving teaching is interacting with students, so this is a great opportunity for me to continue doing that in a completely new way!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? My passion for technology and human health led me to research how I could turn my interests into a viable career. After reflecting on my background and skills from education, I knew that pursuing an MBA was the best way to pivot into a new role successfully. Dedicating two years to developing an understanding of relevant business concepts, enhancing my leadership skills, and building a professional network will create a foundation for reaching my goals.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Reaching out to students and alumni, doing online research, and attending USC events helped make my decision. I spoke with many people through all of these channels and discovered that it was possible for people who wanted to switch careers to do so with an MBA. I heard many stories similar to my own during my admissions process that convinced me that all the time and effort I was putting in was worth it and that I could realize my goals at Marshall.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UCI-Paul Merage, UCSD-Rady, and UCLA-Anderson

How did you determine your fit at various schools? – While considering different schools, I focused on some core items: online branding, community support, course rigor, and career center resources. Online branding helped me get a general sense of each school, which helped narrow my scope. In determining community support, going to class visits and events were most helpful. It was usually easy to get a sense of the culture by attending on-campus activities. I determined course rigor by looking at class descriptions and example syllabi. I wanted courses that would consistently challenge me and build foundational knowledge. I knew as a career-switcher, the career centers would be key for me. I looked for ones that explicitly demonstrated competency with career-switchers going into my target industry when deciding on personal fit.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? While teaching in San Diego, I designed an interdisciplinary curriculum with an amazing team of English and Science teachers. During this process, I created a unit focused on the connection between animal agriculture and detrimental environmental issues that negatively impact human health. Mentoring my students through this learning process invigorated my passion to guide them in creating viable solutions to real world issues that could improve their lives. My experience with these students formed the foundation for my desire to work on complex, unstructured problems with a team of diverse individuals invested in delivering products that improve human health.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduating, my plan is to pivot into the biotech industry. Ultimately, my goal is to work in product management with a focus on marketing. I am passionate about working cross-functionally with different teams to meet unified goals.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself as a member of a successful team at a biotech firm in San Diego. I’ll also have a work-life balance that allows time for personal interests and my family.