2020 MBAs To Watch: Tierra Evans, Emory University (Goizueta)

Tierra Evans

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

Hometown: Grew up between Philadelphia, PA and Dover, DE

Fun fact about yourself: I have performed on stage as part of a choir singing backup for Smokey Robinson. I was such a fangirl in the stands!

Undergraduate School and Degree: Georgetown University – Mathematics Major, Government Minor

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school?

Company: Freddie Mac, Multifamily

Role: Underwriting Associate, Targeted Affordable Housing

Where did you intern during the summer of 2018?

Beacon Capital Partners – Boston, MA

Where will you be working after graduation? TBD, but deciding between offers

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

  • President – Goizueta Real Estate Group
  • Impact Fellow – Project Destined – In this role, I teach financial literacy to minority undergraduate and high school students, but through the lens of real estate development and investment. It’s a joy to share an industry that I love with others who look like me.
  • Consortium for Graduate Study in Management – Member
  • Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors 2020 Diversity Mentorship Program – Mentee

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My proudest achievement has been serving as the President of the Goizueta Real Estate Group. As a black woman, I take a lot of pride in leading a professional organization that falls within an industry that is dominated by white males. I did not hold any leadership positions in undergrad, so this was an opportunity to test and enhance my leadership skills. Since I’ve been involved in the organization, not only have I succeeded in creating resources and opportunities for others who have an interest in real estate, but I’ve also gained a new level of confidence in myself as a leader. Serving as the President was a goal of mine when I first started my MBA journey, and not only did I achieve my goal, but I crushed it. This year, the Goizueta Real Estate Group was the most active professional organization on campus, setting a precedent for the other organizations to follow. It has truly been an honor.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At this moment, I’m proud of my ability to make a shift into real estate private equity. Upon starting business school, I never considered that part of the industry as achievable. It always seemed so far outside of my grasp and my capabilities. That’s because I was scared and I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Once I educated myself, I discovered that it was possible. Not only did I intern at a real estate private equity company, but I’m well on my way to accepting a role a prominent one post-graduation.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I would have to say Tom Evans. He is currently an Adjunct Professor co-teaching the Advanced Real Estate Finance course. I admire the way in which he has created a unique lane for himself within the debt side of industry, but still makes time to give back to the Goizueta community. He is extremely smart and down-to-earth. Along with the other professor, he makes sure that we are Day-1 ready to take on a job in the industry. He pushes myself and my fellow classmates to be the best we can be. On top of all of that, we have the same initials and last name!

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Thursday night K.E.G.S. (Keeping Everyone at Goizueta Social). Every Thursday there’s a set time for us to wind down together as a class over food and drinks. Although it’s a tradition in some form at many business schools, I think it shows that Goizueta prioritizes our ability to build relationships with each other and that we should work hard but have fun. Not only are relationships a major key in the real estate industry, but also in the wider business world.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Goizueta because it offered three things:

  1. An exciting location in a city that had a booming real estate market and was one that I could see myself living in after graduation
  2. An attractive curriculum that offered sufficient real estate courses and opportunities, as well as a built-in experiential learning component (i.e. IMPACT 360)
  3. A smaller, supportive community that allowed me the space to create achieve everything that I wanted to get out of my MBA experience

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Goizueta wants and needs students who are not afraid to come and make a positive impact on the program. The culture is determined by the students in each class, so it’s important to be able to communicate how you plan to be an active participant in the community. Other than that, just be yourself!

What is the biggest myth about your school? Many believe that coming to Goizueta means being forced to limit your job opportunities to the Southeast region. However, Goizueta students have managed to find success all over the country. Most of my interviews for summer internships were for jobs outside of the Southeast. I’m choosing Atlanta for full-time not because I have to, but because I want to. You’re only as limited as you allow yourself to be. We’re equipped to #GoBeyond all boundaries, limitations, and expectations throughout our time here.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I look back on my MBA experience with very little regrets, as I’ve been extremely intentional about everything I do. If I could change one thing, it would have been going on our annual ski trip last year, rather than missing out. I had so much fun on this year’s trip!

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire a Catie Mannarino. She is a friend, a fellow member of the Consortium at Goizueta, and was one of the first few classmates I met. She kicked-butt this year as the President of our Graduate Business Association, making sure our voices were heard. But no matter what stresses life throws her way, she has always managed to handle them with unspeakable light and poise, and positivity. On top of that, she goes above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome and included. She is always a joy to be around and I thank her for that.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? Charisse and George Johnson. They are husband and wife and graduates of the MBA program at The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. After I graduated in 2014, they gave me an opportunity to work part-time on a mobile start-up idea of theirs. I had no prior business experience but was put in charge of market research and creating a go-to-market strategy for the product. I admired the fact that they were a successful African American couple with strong entrepreneurial spirits. Working with them opened up my mind to new possibilities, and I knew business school would be in my future.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

  1. To own my own portfolio of real estate.
  2. To find myself in a place where I can make a significant monetary contribution to a cause that I care deeply about.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? I would like to be remembered as a go-getter and leader who was passionate about real estate, who loved to have fun, and who always did what she could to help her fellow classmates.

Hobbies? Both international and domestic travel, CONCERTS, and going to brunch!. I also love a good book

What made Tierra such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“Tierra Evans is an assiduous volunteer and leader that has demonstrated great sensitivity to organizational needs, as well as, creativity in solving problems. She is perceptive, emphatic, and committed to every task she takes on.

Tierra’s knowledge of the intricacies necessary to resuscitate an underperforming organization is unrivaled amongst her peers. Tierra is a club leader, currently serving as the President of the Real Estate Club; a student-run, career-focused organization that provides professional resources for students interested in pursuing real-estate after graduation.

Since taking the mantle of President, Tierra has led the charge for much of the career-focused initiatives for the real estate career track. She masterfully organized and facilitated a career week for her constitutes, a task usually managed by the full-time Career Management Center at the business school. Tierra contacts real estate investment firms in the area to conduct site visits, and regularly recruits highly regarded guest speakers to engage with students on campus.

Tierra has the innate ability to create “Caviar” level programming with a “peanut butter” budget; she enthralls me with the quality and frequency of events that she can produce with limited resources and support. This is a testament to Tierra’s dedication to excellence and her resilient spirit. Tierra is the gold standard for club presidents at Goizueta.”

Irving Williams
Associate Director for Student Affairs, Full Time MBA Program Office

DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE 2020 MBAS TO WATCH or THE BEST & BRIGHTEST MBAS OF 2020

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