Kennedy Sapp

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“An optimist who is looking to make an impact and have fun while doing it.”

Hometown: Oak Park, IL

Fun Fact About Yourself: I binged 17 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy in one month!

Undergraduate School and Major:

Vanderbilt University

Double Major: Communications; Human and Organizational Development

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Consultant at Deloitte Consulting

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Chicago Booth’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The emphasis Booth puts on developing quantitative capabilities and an analytical mindset was a key part of why I chose it. Given my communications-focused undergraduate education, I felt like an MBA at Booth could help me develop a more well-rounded skill set. I was also looking for an MBA experience that would challenge me, and believe Booth’s curriculum will do that.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Chicago Booth, and why? I’m most excited to take one of the lab courses Booth offers. The lab courses allow students to work with partner companies to solve real business problems. I’m looking forward to all that I’ll learn at Booth, and am excited to test and apply those learnings before heading back into the corporate world.

What has been your first impression of the Booth MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far? My first impression was that Booth students are both accessible and supportive. Before I applied, during my interview process, and since I’ve committed, Booth students and alumni have been there. In our conversations, they’ve shown genuine interest in getting to know me, understanding my goals, and identifying how they might be able to help. The “Pay it Forward” culture is something you hear about when researching Booth, and the experience definitely lives up to the hype!

What makes Chicago such a great place to earn an MBA? I’m originally from the Chicago area and have gotten to see first-hand why Chicago is one of the greatest cities in the world. Chicago has amazing food, is easy to explore, and has great culture All this makes it a fun place to live. Chicago is also a business hub, and it’s exciting to expand your business knowledge in a city where you are surrounded by it.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: A lot of my time in consulting has been focused on improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for my clients. However, my biggest accomplishment hasn’t necessarily been a project or deliverable – it’s the feelings I’ve been able to foster. Being able to create something that allows others to feel seen and heard is powerful and it’s something I hope to continue doing in the future.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I started my career in consulting and part of me always knew that I’d want to explore a different career path at some point. However, I didn’t know what it might be so I spent my years as a consultant focused on developing core skills that would serve me throughout my entire career.

Over the past year, I’ve honed in on what I loved about my job and what I wanted to change, which has led me to pursuing an MBA. I’d like to transition to a career in marketing, and felt that an MBA would provide me with the resources and knowledge I need to make the change. I also wanted to continue cultivating my leadership skills, and am hopeful that an MBA will help me be a better leader in my career.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Columbia, HBS

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Chicago Booth’s MBA program? My advice would be to lead with authenticity! Every applicant has a unique life story and perspective and the school wants to hear it.

DON’T MISS: MEET CHICAGO BOOTH’S MBA CLASS OF 2024