Francesca Aba Rosa Essilfie

University of Washington’s Foster School of Business

“An adaptable visionary focused on making human connections and bringing people together.”

Hometown: Diamond Bar, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I like to create and design clothing during my free time.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Los Angeles – Human Biology & Society B.A.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: All Def Media – Paid Media & Programming Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Coming from a medical and health background, one of my biggest accomplishments was figuring out a way to transition from the healthcare field into the media and entertainment industry. To get my foot in the door, I had to teach myself how to use various software and create content on my own. Going through this transition helped me understand that most goals can be accomplished with passion and persistence.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Supportive – My classmates have consistently shown their concern for not only their success but my success as well. I’ve experienced this through our conversations about career trajectory, helping each other prepare for interviews, and simply helping each other meet deadlines. I can confidently say that I am a part of a class that genuinely cares about others.

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? Seattle is a city where career opportunities, the outdoors, and nightlife come together to form a comfortable, yet exciting living environment. This allows MBA candidates to make connections with large Seattle based companies such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and T-Mobile while enjoying Seattle’s great parks and mountain ranges and amazing food scene.

Aside from your classmates and location, 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? Through the conversations I had with current students, alumni, & faculty, one theme stuck out to me: Adaptability. People consistently emphasized Foster’s ability to proactively ask for feedback, listen to students, strategize, and make changes to old processes. When choosing a program, innovation and flexibility were at the top of my list. Being a part of a program that doesn’t just go through the motions of making changes but implements them and puts them into action quickly is vital to me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Mentor Program – I’m excited to gain wisdom from Foster Alumni who came before me and better understand how to navigate my career post MBA.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I received a question about a time I made a risky or courageous decision. At first glance, this may not seem like the “most challenging” question, but it was the most emotionally difficult question for me. I had to reflect on a time when I first learned how to believe in myself and value my ideas. Most MBA programs probe into work experiences and leadership potential. With Foster, in addition to those characteristics, they were interested in who I was as an individual. Overall, understanding my personality, strengths and weakness, and how I function (especially in uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations) played an essential role during my admissions process.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was nearing a point in my career where I had a desire to venture into other industries, learn about undiscovered skillsets I may have, and be intellectually challenged. While envisioning my future and fine-tuning my career path, I realized I wanted to work for a larger corporation and eventually become an entrepreneur. Subsequently, I decided to pursue an MBA so I could build relationships with fellow entrepreneurial-minded students & alumni as well as obtain an Internship that would accelerate my journey towards Brand Management.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UNC-Chapel Hill (Kenan-Flagler), Georgetown (McDonough), Cornell (Johnson), USC (Marshall), New York University (Stern)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Culture, corporate connections, and innovation were my top priorities when considering MBA programs. To evaluate programs, I attended various diversity weekends and informational sessions. Physically visiting schools, attending events, and speaking to current students gave me insight into the culture of the programs I applied to. Specifically speaking with alumni, second-year MBA candidates, and reading over online articles including the school’s website and job placement statistics helped me realize what program best fit my personal and professional goals.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? One day, a family member of mine stated, “You don’t speak Spanish, so you are not Honduran, and you don’t speak Twi, so you are not Ghanaian, then, what are you?” I was dumbfounded by the question because no one had ever verbally challenged my identity before. Nevertheless, this question was somewhat warranted; I wasn’t strictly Honduran nor solely Ghanaian, I was somewhere in between. At home, I was the curly-headed girl who snuck plantains from the serving plate while my grandma was cooking. Outside of my home, I was the black girl from the suburbs who realized her blackness was not the norm. Occasionally, I felt isolated living within this intersection of ethnicity and socioeconomic status. However, this experience fostered my passion for creating inclusive environments where people feel compelled to share their stories and learn from each other’s differences.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In ten years, I see myself creating a home with my dog, future husband, and children in Southern California and building on my brand management experiences. Specifically, I want to expand my project, ‘Faced by Aba’, a brand that embodies generations of African culture. I hope to grow my website, ‘Faced’, into a seamless digital-to-physical community where people can discuss self-discovery and social issues within the black community and learn more about the African Diaspora. Overall, I want to create a lifestyle that prioritizes my physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, while still being able to spend time with my future family and provide for them financially.