Meet the MBA Class of 2023: Sarah Kiley, Indiana University (Kelley)

Sarah Kiley

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

“Spoiled Boston sports fan. Most often found drinking iced coffee regardless of the weather.”

Hometown: Dorchester, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Growing up, I was a competitive Irish Step dancer and I have performed on stage with both the Dropkick Murphys and the Boston Pops.

Undergraduate School and Major: Northeastern University, BA – Communication Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Georgetown University, Assistant Director of Development

In the second half of the year, you will be completing an Academy devoted to areas like Marketing, Finance, Operations, Digital Enterprises and more. Which Academy interests you the most and why? I’m most interested in Kelley’s Consulting Academy because it’s an opportunity to think strategically about how to approach consulting problems and gain hands-on experience working with clients before the summer internship starts. This kind of experiential learning that complements the core curriculum was important to me when I was researching programs.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Indiana Kelley’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? When considering business schools, career services and opportunities for leadership development were most important to me. The more I learned about Kelley’s Me, Inc. program, the more I wanted to be a part of it. Like many people, I had a chance to reflect during COVID and Me, Inc. provides an outlet for me to think critically about not only my strengths and weaknesses as a teammate, but also my core values and what I want to gain beyond the classroom during the next two years.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley? One of my biggest regrets from undergrad was not having a global experience, and at Kelley I’m most excited about the Global Business and Social Enterprise (GLOBASE) program. In addition to being an experiential learning opportunity, I like that GLOBASE teams work with nonprofit organizations on short-term projects that have potential for long-term impact.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At the risk of sounding cliché, I’d like to say that my biggest accomplishment so far was getting into business school and having the honor of being selected as a Forté Foundation Fellow. But professionally, my biggest accomplishment so far has been the success I experienced as a frontline fundraiser at Georgetown University. In my role, I had the opportunity to work with many individuals who cared deeply about the institution’s mission and supporting its students. Building relationships and helping them navigate their philanthropic relationship with the university was a profoundly gratifying experience.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? Like many people during COVID-19, I had the time to reflect on where I’ve been in my career, what’s important to me, and where I want to go in my next chapter. Since graduating college, I had worked for mission-driven nonprofit organizations because I wanted to make an impact. During COVID, I realized that my ability to promote positive change wasn’t specific to the non-profit sector.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? Prior to COVID-19, I thought that I was at a point in my career — and life — where business school was an unlikely option. Through self-reflection and speaking with family and friends, the idea of returning to school felt more attainable, and I became excited about the possibilities for my career post-MBA. After graduation, I am planning to pivot from nonprofit development into human capital consulting. I’m motivated by building relationships and working on a team to creatively solve problems, and I’m excited to be able to do both with my Kelley classmates in the full-time program!

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Michigan Ross and Texas McCombs

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program? My advice to potential applicants is to get to know the people. More than any other business school that I considered, the Kelley MBA program staff took a genuine interest in my story. Everyone also helped me get a sense of the Kelley culture, particularly because traveling to Bloomington last year was difficult. Gale Nichols and her team are a tremendous resource as you navigate the admissions process, and they’re able to make recommendations for you to network with students and alumni, depending on personal and your career interests.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2023

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.