Sean O’Rourke

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“I’m world class at two things: iron skillet cooking and storytelling.”

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Fun Fact About Yourself: One day I hope to be published in the New Yorker.

Undergraduate School and Major: Grove City College, B.A. English Education; Carnegie Mellon University, Master of Public Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Westfield Insurance, Commercial Insurance Underwriter

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I spent the first nine years of my career working as a high school English teacher. Near the end of that time, I volunteered to teach a remedial course for students who had failed to pass our Pennsylvania state assessment. In four months I was able to work with them to get all twelve of them to a passing level. While I was excited to see my hard work pay off, the real reward was seeing them realize that if they put in the work, they could succeed.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Honestly, while my class is incredibly driven and focused on performing well, the quality that most defines them is kindness. I can’t tell you how many times I have had someone reach out to me with studying tips or volunteer to help me prep for an interview.

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? In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to travel to several countries outside the U.S., and those opportunities have granted me immense personal growth. When I was looking at MBA programs, one of the distinguishing features at Fisher is the Global Applied Projects (GAP) program—an opportunity to work on a real-life international consulting project.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? My involvement with Fisher’s Association of Marketing Professionals (AMP) student organization is going to be a key feature of my time at Fisher, both personally and professionally.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? When I transitioned from education to business, I realized that I had made the right decision, but I hadn’t taken a big enough leap. Getting an MBA is a risk, but a calculated one, and I trust that it will enable me to have a larger impact in my work than would have been otherwise possible.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? A combination of spreadsheets and late-night conversations with my wife!

What other MBA programs did you apply to? While I looked at both Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown, my wife and I ended up moving to Columbus for her new job, so I ultimately only applied to Fisher.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I used various online resources, Poets & Quants, and talked to alumni from several schools when thinking through my decision. Ultimately, the campus visit is what helped me to draw a final conclusion.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I don’t know if I can say this is the defining moment, but my moment of greatest clarity recently occurred on November 5, 2017—the day my son was born. While I had been anticipating his arrival for nine months, the first day I held him helped to put things in perspective in terms of my family, career, and life purpose. My decision to pursue an MBA is in large part inspired by the idea that I want him to look at my choices in life and realize that I wasn’t afraid to step out and tackle new challenges when I had the opportunity.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduating, I will be working in brand marketing for a market leading CPG company.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I plan to be in Columbus, working as a brand manager for a world-class CPG firm, and being the best dad I can to my son (plus hopefully two or three more kiddos!).