Amanda Ritchart-Scott

“I want to leave the world in a better place than I found it”

Program: EMBA

Hometown: Southern California

Fun Fact About Yourself: My research on the phonetics of “uptalk” went viral when I was a 2nd-year Linguistics graduate student.

Undergraduate School and Major:

– UCLA, BA Degrees in (1) Communications Studies and (2) Linguistics & Spanish

– UCSD, MA in Linguistics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: 
Google, Senior Technical Program Manager for Gemini

When you think of your school, what is the first word that comes to mind and why?

Flexible. Quantic allows me the flexibility to work on an MBA while juggling both my family and work responsibilities.

What are one or two key aspects of this MBA program that stood out among the others, and why were they so important to you?

It was really important to me that I didn’t give up nights and weekends with my family in order to complete an MBA. Quantic allows me to work on my MBA during my commute as well as during different pockets of free time which allows me important quality time with my loved ones.

What course were you/are you most interested in taking coming into the program and why?

I was most excited to learn about entrepreneurship and finance because these are areas I’ve had less time to study throughout the course of my career. I want to have the knowledge in case I’m ever inspired to create my own business one day.

What club, activity, or experience at the school have you most enjoyed so far, and why?

I’ve really enjoyed the group projects! I’ve met some incredibly interesting and talented people, including someone who lives in the same small town as me!

What do you consider the biggest accomplishment in your career so far?

I was so proud to be part of the team that built the voices for the Gemini Live product. This launch required an incredible amount of cross-functional collaboration, creativity, and operational savvy to make it to the finish line.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to other prospective MBAs? Why?

I was really inspired by an NPR podcast about the economics of childcare. It’s so important to me that we create an economy that is supportive of both working parents and caregivers.

What are two things you have learned at your school that have surprised you so far – one academic and one non-academic?

Academic: How only a tiny fraction of accounting fraud is discovered by auditors!

Non-academic: The global interest in the Quantic EMBA has been inspiring! There is such a diverse group of talented students in my cohort.

What advice would you give to help prospective MBA gain admission into the MBA program?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions to past alumni or the admissions staff to help you decide if the program is right for you. And make sure to complete the five introductory courses during the application period so you can familiarize yourself with what the program is like.