Bridget Nolan

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

“I would say I’m friendly and will likely ask you a ton of questions (hence the journalism). I love yoga and walking.”

Hometown: Summit, NJ

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve been to all US states except 5 (mostly traveling for work and covering campaigns).

Undergraduate School and Major: Duke University, Political Science (international relations)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: CNN Producer for Dana Bash, Chief Political Correspondent

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? The case method is unique in that you’re presented with real world problems that you’re expected to solve. It gives students the opportunity to put themselves in the shoes of managers or decision-makers at so many different types of companies. I can’t think of a better way to prepare for the business world than to see real challenges that companies have faced and think for yourself about how you’d handle them.

Another invaluable advantage of the case study is you’re able to learn from your fellow students. You’re expected to come to class with a position and a take on the case and ultimately, you’re learning from students all over the world and with all different backgrounds about how they find solutions to real world problems.

What word best describes the Darden MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far and why? Friendly and collaborative. Darden students have gone above-and-beyond to help me as I applied and decided which school to attend. Everyone I spoke with was always so eager to help me in any way. I wanted to be a part of community that felt really collaborative as opposed to competitive.

Even as I’m now on campus, I realize that sense of community is really engrained in everything we do at Darden. Our learning teams are specifically designed so we learn from each other and share our opinions.

Aside from cases and classmates, what was the key part of Virginia Darden’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I knew that Darden had a challenging business school program and that was something that was really attractive to me. Coming from a liberal arts college and a journalism background, I wanted to attend a school that really challenged me and made sure I was truly prepared for the business world. The core classes are an opportunity for me to push myself out of my comfort zone and feel confident in my business knowledge.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Virginia Darden? GWIB (Graduate Women In Business) Club is something I’m really excited about. I love the idea of women helping each other advance in their careers. I already feel like the women at Darden are so supportive of each other and I can’t wait to see how GWIB pushes that even further.

I’m also excited to join the Media, Entertainment and Sports Club. I’ve spent the last 9 years working as a Producer at CNN, so I’m looking forward to meeting other students who have a passion for the media industry.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a producer for Dana Bash at CNN, we interviewed Evelyn Yang, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, and she revealed for the first time that she was sexually harassed by her OBGYN when she was pregnant with her first child. Because of our reporting, the doctor that she claimed assaulted her was federally indicted and arrested. It was my biggest accomplishment because so many women who were survivors of this doctor felt like they got the justice they finally deserved.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? COVID taught me how important it was to slow down and take breaks when I need to. Working in the news industry for the last 9 years meant that everything was extremely fast-paced. COVID really forced me to slow down and find ways to take care of myself.

During COVID is also when I decided to apply to business school. I decided it was important for me to continue growing and challenging myself, and Darden was the perfect school for me to do that.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? After graduation I’d like to stay in the media industry and work at a streaming company like Netflix or Hulu.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Duke, UCLA, Stanford, USC, Georgetown, HBS

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Virginia Darden’s MBA program? I would definitely talk to as many students and alumni at different programs to get a sense of school culture. I think finding a program that matches with your personality and what you’re looking for at school is one of the most important things you can do. Each program has a culture and I would spend time figuring out which school is the best match for you.

DON’T MISS: MEET UVA DARDEN’S CLASS OF 2023