Stephanie Jones

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management

“I love the beach, the Gators, scuba diving, country music, and my family!”

Hometown: Naples, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: My father was born and raised in Jamaica, and my mother was born and raised on a farm in a small town in southern Ohio, so I can teach you how to dance Soca or how to show a pig!

Undergraduate School and Major: I attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!). I majored in Telecommunications-News and minored in Spanish.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: ESPN, Content Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career so far would probably have to be co-managing our edit team for College Basketball’s Championship Week this year. I hadn’t worked on the sport all season, and they ended up needing help at the last minute. I was able to adjust quickly and dive into the role head-first, and everyone said it was a success.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I haven’t met too many of them yet. From the ones I have met, I would have to say diversity. It is refreshing to come into a program and see people from all different backgrounds with such unique work experience. That diverse background of candidates will enrich the MBA experience so much more. You will get fresh perspectives that never even occurred to you on different topics and can then apply that expanded mindset on decisions you make in the future.

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? The key factor that led me to choose Owen probably had to be the sense of community. It was very apparent how much every single person top-down supports each other in this program. The program is still competitive, but it is not cutthroat. To me, that was very important.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The club I am looking forward to most is the Women’s Business Association! I love meeting smart, driven women and hearing their opinions.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most challenging question I was asked was probably how do I incorporate diversity into my life. It was difficult not because it was something I struggled with, but because I was fortunate enough to work for a company that valued diversity. So it occurred naturally in the workplace. I didn’t really need to think about incorporating it because it was already done.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I felt in order to reach my full potential, I needed to acquire and sharpen some business skills I was missing up until this point. I also felt that in order to grow as a person, I needed to do something different. An MBA opens up a world of possibilities. This may sound cheesy, but I felt called to it.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to Texas McCombs, Georgetown McDonough, and UVA Darden.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I researched the other schools that I applied to pretty thoroughly. I started out by only applying to programs in places where I wanted to live. I had been living somewhere I didn’t love for six years. I knew I didn’t want that to happen again. I prioritized the environment, competitiveness, industry strengths, and culture. I visited most of them and I asked a ton of questions, as well as doing research online. I met as many students as I could in the programs, as that is often a reflection of the school’s culture. I did so many online information sessions for different schools! That helped a lot in narrowing down the final list.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Wow, this is a hard one! My defining moment probably was the first Heisman Trophy Ceremony I worked. That was an event where in the middle of it I realized I didn’t care what other people thought. I knew I was good at my job and could accomplish whatever I needed to during that weekend. I was able to successfully execute a live shot that we thought wasn’t going to happen, and it was because of my tenacity that it did happen.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In ten years, I see myself hopefully making an impact at whichever company I am working for! I want my opinions to be sought out and valued.