Rachael Augostini

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

“Family, friends, and food. Travel and exploration. Hard-working, loyal, and creative.”

Hometown: New York City, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: Over the last few years, I‘ve tried to take a trip in December to a place I’ve never been to do something new. The last two years have taken me hiking through Patagonia and surfing in Costa Rica.

Undergraduate School and Major:  Georgetown University, Sociology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Korn Ferry, Senior Project Coordinator

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the school’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I love Goizueta’s focus on impact and doing business with a purpose. Learning about the social impact initiatives during my campus visit, specifically working with coffee growers in Central America, was a huge selling point. I have a strong interest in storytelling in the entertainment industry and I feel confident that in this industry or any other, I will leave with the skills and experience to conduct business with social impact at the forefront.

What excites you most about getting your MBA at Goizueta? What makes you most nervous? I’m excited to meet my classmates, to explore a new city, and to start learning about different companies and roles. I love that Goizueta has a smaller class that will allow me to really get to know my classmates. Being interested in entertainment, I’m looking forward to talking to alums and recruiters and getting to know more about what’s out there! Atlanta has a lot of film production, and I feel like it’s a great place to be for the next two years!

I’m most nervous about taking classes in finance and economics! As a Sociology major in undergrad, I didn’t take many math classes and it’s been a while since those. I’m hoping it will all come back to me!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While at Korn Ferry, I had the opportunity to work on some large Diversity and Inclusion initiatives with our clients. Especially in today’s world, this work felt particularly meaningful and it was always great to see the participants come out of sessions saying “Wow, I never thought about it that way,” or “I didn’t realize how far beyond race and gender diversity goes.” These were projects where we left knowing we had made a difference and impacted the company’s culture.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I’m ready to make a career move! I’ve always had an interest in media and entertainment and did my college internships in sports. I’ve felt the itch to get back into that area and to do so in a different function. I have learned a lot about client services, project management, and leadership in the years since I graduated undergrad and I feel like business school will help me develop the skills I don’t have, enhance the ones I do, and expose me to many people and companies to really hone in on what is the right next step.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? NYU, Georgetown, Duke, and, Northwestern

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I always found the five-year plan question challenging for two reasons. 1) I plan to explore a lot in business school. While I know our recruiting starts early, I want to go into this program with an open mind. 2) I’ve also found that plans change and life happens so while I can create something, who knows what will happen!

How did you determine your fit at various schools? For me, visiting the schools and talking to current and former students was the best way to know the culture and how I would fit in. I visited almost every school I applied to, met current students, and reached out to people on LinkedIn. It was so valuable to hear their perspective and being on campus really allowed me to see myself as a part of each school. Prior to applying I did a lot of research and found the employment report from each school to be the best indicator as to whether or not former students had gotten jobs at companies or in the industry that I was interested in.

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? It was not one moment in particular. Whenever I’ve gotten to travel and explore different cultures, those have always been defining moments in my life. Seeing the world and meeting new people has opened my eyes beyond the city I live in and the work that I do. It has shown me that there are so many options out there and inspired me to think about what I really want to do.

What is the most important attribute that you are seeking in an MBA employer – and why is that important? The most important attributes I am looking for in a future employer are collaboration and creativity. I’m looking for a place that encourages their employees to test and discuss new ideas and to work together to develop them. Not only do I enjoy this working style, but I’ve found that when you get multiple perspectives, your eyes are opened to new ideas that then generate even more ideas. The team can have a lot of fun working this way!

DON’T MISS: MEET EMORY GOIZUETA’S MBA CLASS OF 2022