2020 MBAs To Watch: Audrey del Rosario, Georgetown University (McDonough)

Audrey del Rosario

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“I want to create more inclusive employee experiences through data and human-centered design.”

Hometown: Southlake, Texas

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve been collecting postcards since fifth grade! I’ll periodically send them to friends all over the world as a way of staying in touch.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Stonehill College, Honors Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a Minor in Spanish

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Technology Consulting Analyst at EAB, an education consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2019? Google in Mountain View, CA

Where will you be working after graduation? Program Manager in Google’s People Operations (human resources) department

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow; Forté Foundation Fellow; McDonough Leadership Fellow; Vice President of Career, Student Government Association; Career Center Peer Advisor; Admissions Welcome Ambassador; Founding Board Member, Georgetown Design + Innovation Club; National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Leadership Trek Participant; and Consultant to the MBA Career Center

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school?  As the Vice President of Career for McDonough’s Student Government Association, I had the privilege of shaping my classmates’ recruiting experience. I served as the liaison between the full-time student population of 500+ students and the MBA Career Center and I provided student feedback on a weekly basis to the Career Center. I was also the main point of contact for all other VPs of Career in McDonough’s 40+ clubs, and I helped these club leaders achieve their career-related goals.

Under my leadership, the MBA Career Center and the Student Government Association revamped the incoming MBA class’s curriculum for internship recruitment. I wrote and facilitated an ongoing LinkedIn workshop series; co-created a new, peer-to-peer speed networking event; and developed a new newsletter series that went out to over 900 full-time and part-time students every week.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Before Georgetown, I created new roles for myself to push for more inclusion in the workplace. At my last company, EAB, I led an employee resource group for people of color at the firm. I wrote and facilitated many professional development workshops to help emerging leaders of color find their voices at the company. We worked on professional branding, internal networking, resume development, and negotiation strategies. As a result, I was asked to run a workshop for 40 executives at the company on communication strategies. I also sat on an executive working group that was tasked with shaping the company’s overall culture and employee engagement strategy.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? One of my favorite MBA professors is Evelyn Williams. She is a management professor who teaches classes like “Leadership Communications,” “Design Thinking and Service Consulting,” and “Coaching High Performance Teams.” One of my goals in business school is to learn how to be a better manager and coach. Her feedback of my coaching style has been instrumental to my personal growth.

One very important technique I’ve learned from her is how to deliver powerful and timely feedback, while still motivating people to succeed. I actually use these skills every day as a Peer Advisor in the MBA Career Center. Each week, I advise my fellow classmates on storytelling, interviewing, and general recruitment strategies. Seeing people’s growth on a weekly basis, as a result of this advising, is so inspiring.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite McDonough event is International Fest. Imagine a couple of hundred people representing their various cultures at a food fair and variety show. I love learning about everyone’s backgrounds and trying everyone’s home cooking. This event really reflects the cultural diversity of the school.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Georgetown because I wanted to be at a school that has a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and public service.

During the application period, I engaged with the school through the Forté Foundation and Consortium for Graduate Study in Management communities. I also attended Georgetown’s annual “Focus on Diversity” event. I was immediately impressed by the number of fellowships that the school has – with Prospanica, Reaching Out MBA, and Peace Corps Coverdell among many others. These fellowships make it easier for students, who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and public service to attend business school and make new connections with companies who have similar values. In 2018, I was named a Consortium and Forté Fellow. I also connected with my post-MBA employer, Google, through these networks.

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? I would say stay engaged in your local community! Do something that makes a positive difference at your organization, in someone’s life, or in society. There are so many opportunities to positively impact others at Georgetown, and the school really values community engagement.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I think one myth of attending Georgetown is that everyone ends up in consulting or banking roles that are based on the East Coast. There’s definitely a sizable number of students that go into these types of jobs for internships or full-time positions. Even though I went into tech and a West Coast-based company, I still felt supported by my school. I’ve also been amazed by my classmates who have taken on less traditional internships – in impact investing, nonprofit management, and international development. Georgetown has amazing alumni and company networks, and the support from the MBA Career Center is so invaluable.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could go back in time, I wish I could have participated in more Georgetown-sponsored treks. These trips are typically an opportunity to spend time with your business school classmates while volunteering or visiting companies in another country. I actually did one trek in the fall of 2019 that was more leadership-focused and was through the National Outdoor Leadership School. My group hiked through the canyons of Southern Utah, and we scouted for water each day. It was on that trip that I learned about the power of a shared experience – in this case, a shared adventure. I wish I could have done more trips like it!

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? One classmate that I admire is Audrey Voorhees. I have always appreciated her authenticity, and I think she embodies the spirit of Georgetown McDonough School of Business. Before business school, Audrey worked in various positions in the U.S. government and served in the Peace Corps. She has used her time at our school to work on projects that bridge the private, public, and social sectors. She’s also been an active student leader in our LGBTQ and Net Impact communities on campus.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? I actually didn’t pursue business in college. I studied international development, and my first exposure to working for a for-profit business was when I worked for a social enterprise one summer in college. It’s still running today. The company, EBY, sells women’s underwear for the benefit of other women globally. A portion of the proceeds from each product sale goes toward microfinancing women’s businesses worldwide.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?  The first would have to be publishing a non-fiction book. With the support of Georgetown, I’m now working on a manuscript that focuses on occupational burnout in the public sector. The second would be to give a TED Talk one day.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? I’d like to be remembered for being a career mentor/cheerleader at school, as someone who supported and encouraged others to find meaningful career paths.

Hobbies? Writing, improv theater classes, travel, photography, and cooking

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

“Audrey del Rosario seems naturally wired for leadership and service, with a keen desire to develop people. She genuinely wants to help people excel through her mentoring and career peer advisor roles. Audrey thinks creatively about new programming for MBA students in her role as vice president of careers in the student government. Some initiatives Audrey implemented include a school-wide, peer-to-peer networking event called Network & Chill; a LinkedIn workshop series called Level Up Your LinkedIn; a coffee chat “scramble” called McDonough Talks, where she paired random groups of students each week for networking; and a drop-in coaching event, with free snacks and fruit, called Don’t Go Bananas About Recruiting.

Audrey is the first to volunteer for panels of Georgetown MBA students speaking to prospective students so she can provide details for others to make informed decisions. She is innovative, from having launched her own educational services business to starting a new seminar to help part-time MBAs with networking.

Audrey is studious, ranking in the top 10% of her MBA class, and is thoughtful in considering her involvement and career opportunities, seeking to have a significant impact on the world. Her participation in the Outdoor Leadership Trek and subsequent implementation of leadership training for the Student Government board is just one example of her initiative and commitment to her fellow students. Audrey embodies the Georgetown and Jesuit ideal of “women and men for others.”

From Eric Young
Assistant Dean, MBA Career Center

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