Sarah Wales

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

“A lifelong learner and creative problem-solver who thrives on projects and meaningful connections.”

Hometown: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Fun Fact About Yourself: Thanks to credit card points, I’ve flown to Alaska three times for free, where I’ve enjoyed camping, hiking, and rafting with college friends.

Undergraduate School and Major: Virginia Tech – Bachelor of Science in Human Development

The College of William and Mary – Master of Arts in Teaching Curriculum and Instruction Pre-K-6

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: FCI Brands, Project Manager of Digital Programs and Content Marketing. Before that, I was an elementary school teacher for five years.

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? It would be the Consulting Academy interests me because of the emphasis on real-world projects with clients and the opportunity to collaborate with other Kelley students on cases. It will be an amazing way to gain practical experience and hone my problem-solving abilities.

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 choosing an MBA program, I was looking for a program that would be an immersive experience that fosters real leadership development and transformation. Kelley’s commitment to student growth shines through in everything they offer. You can immediately tell from interactions with students, faculty, and alumni that everything that Kelley does is intentional. From Me, Inc. to the academies, GLOBASE to the many student-led organizations, it’s clear Kelley isn’t just about the degree; it’s about the transformation process. As someone who is pivoting from a “nontraditional” background in education, the intentionality behind Me, Inc. and the academies excites me as I continue exploring what’s next in my career journey.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley? I’m really looking forward to GLOBASE because I’m excited to gain international leadership experience, explore a new culture, and collaborate with others to solve business challenges for the social good. I’m also excited to join the outdoor club and adventure through the Midwest with my classmates.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Indiana Kelley was the right program for you? Why? It was a combination of factors that solidified Kelley as the right program for me. The program’s size is around 100 students in each class felt like the perfect size for creating a strong sense of community, all while maintaining large impact and strong network connections. I also really liked the intentional focus on leadership development and the opportunity to study entrepreneurship in an academy. Every alumnus and student I spoke with was very kind and genuine, and I discovered there were several alumni who had teaching backgrounds and they found great success at Kelley. It was easy to picture the growth and transformation that I could experience at Kelley.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Throughout my career as a teacher, my proudest accomplishment was leading 2nd graders through “Leadership Day” each year. Throughout the school year, I taught my students The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People from Stephen Covey. We explored each student’s gifts, talents, interests, and cultural backgrounds through projects that integrated Stephen Covey’s leadership habits into our daily routines, instilling skills such as communication and teamwork. Through morning meetings, mentor texts, passion projects, and student-led conferences, students developed the confidence to take ownership of their learning and growth. On “Leadership Day,” my students took the stage to demonstrate leadership habits and showcase their classwork to families and our community. Part of what made this experience remarkable was that seven and eight-year-old students led the event of “Leadership Day” while I remained in the audience. They gave speeches, handshakes, and presentations to a crowded room full of adults. My students and their families still talk about and use many of the habits they learned throughout the year, and it makes me so proud every time I get an email from them sharing about their success.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026? Why? I’m really excited about helping build a strong sense of community amongst our class! I love bringing different people together and creating fun, welcoming spaces. Back home, I’ve enjoyed helping to organize book club, cookbook club, and most recently, pickleball club, and I can’t wait to share that same energy and community with my classmates.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2026