Meet the MBA Class of 2026: Chris-Ann Thomas, Washington University (Olin) by: Jeff Schmitt on June 05, 2025 | 25 Views June 5, 2025 Copy Link Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share on Reddit Chris-Ann Thomas Washington University, Olin Business School in St. Louis “I am one part industrious and fiercely resilient, and one-part wanderluster and adrenaline enthusiast.” Hometown: St. Catherine, Jamaica Fun Fact About Yourself: I have lived in three countries and visited 32 countries to date! Undergraduate School and Major: University of Technology, Jamaica – BBA in Accounting and Finance & Banking (double major) University of Birmingham – MSc in International Accounting and Finance Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Accounting Lecturer – University of Technology, Jamaica What has been your favorite part of St. Louis so far? What makes St. Louis such a great place to earn an MBA? My favorite thing about St. Louis has been the vibrant student-friendly community that it offers. This made the transition to the US and to WashU remarkably easy, and I was able to quickly feel right at home, even as an international student. Aside from the global immersion, what was the key part of Washington Olin’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? A key consideration for me was the robust entrepreneurial ecosystem that WashU Olin is widely renowned for. As someone with strong entrepreneurial interests and experience, I was excited to find a program that offers extensive coursework, faculty expertise, and streamlined resources to further explore and develop that interest right alongside the core MBA programming. What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Olin? My favorite courses to date have been Introduction to Management and Strategy, and Managerial Economics. I have found the content from both to be very insightful for understanding higher level business strategy and managerial decision-making, and both offer a great deal of practical applicability. An added bonus is that they are taught by very knowledgeable professors who have made the content very relatable and engaging. Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: A highlight of my career was returning to my undergraduate alma mater to join the academic staff as one of the youngest lecturers across the institution. To then be afforded the opportunity to direct one of the largest accounting courses offered by the university for several years, and to also lead teams compromising senior colleagues who once taught me as a student, was a very humbling and formative experience. Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far: I have scored in the top 20% of all seven courses I have completed so far, thus securing a High Pass (HP) for each. I am particularly proud to have done this despite the rigorous courseload and while also working two part-time jobs averaging 15-18 hours per week. What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? My best memory so far has been the time spent in Barcelona in October 2024 for the second leg of our global immersion experience. My birthday coincided with the trip, and a few of my classmates coordinated a fun dinner outing to celebrate with me which made the day very special! DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON OLIN’S MBA CLASS OF 2026