Mackenzie Schafer

University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business

“I am an extraverted and empathetic problem-solver, with a passion for teaching and world travel.”

Hometown: Austin, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love language learning and speak 5 languages.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bowdoin College, Majors: Computer Science, Theater; Minor: Hispanic Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Google, Software Engineer

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA? Austin is an incredibly diverse, kind and welcoming city. People really invest in the community here and so there are lots of amazing activities, events, and nonprofits to get involved with. I always tell people Austin has all the best of Texas, while also being its quirky capital.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Texas McCombs’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Texas McCombs has a small school feel with big school resources. The administration has very carefully and intentionally crafted a smaller cohort experience, so you get the opportunity to get to know people in a profound way. At the same time, the larger University of Texas ecosystem is massive, performs cutting edge research that attracts world class professors, and has an incredible outreach around the world. This combination has allowed me to get my footing and feel like I can make a meaningful impact on my community, and also cast an extremely wide net of alumni, faculty and professional connections.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Texas McCombs? I am most excited about the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition student group at McCombs. As an aspiring entrepreneur, it fills my cup to be able to connect with current students and alumni who are on a similar path. I love that the alumni regularly attend meetings and give real-world perspectives on the not-so-clear path of how to fund the purchase of, operate and improve a business.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Texas McCombs was the right program for you? Why? I went on a student-led tour of McCombs last winter, and I was blown away by the warmth, connection and support I felt in every interaction I had in the building. Between the combination of how the students, faculty, and staff all greeted each other with big smiles and kind questions, my tour guide telling me how close and collaborative she was with her classmates, and the sheer beauty of the brand-new building, I was sold.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When I was a software engineer at Google, I was promoted with a rare “superb” rating for displaying “L+2” leadership while scoping work for a 20+ person team of mobile engineers that ultimately allowed Google Chat to increase Spaces size limits from 400k to 500k users.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience at McCombs successful? I want to do the following:

1. Form strong connections with classmates from diverse backgrounds that are passionate about different areas of business.
2. Develop a deep understanding of the fundamentals of business.
3. Take advantage of as many international and entrepreneurial opportunities as possible.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE TEXAS MCCOMBS MBA CLASS OF 2026