Gracie Akin

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“Enthusiastic, driven to succeed, inquisitive, creative, trustworthy, adaptable, optimistic, active, family-oriented.”

Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a big country music fan! I was one of the top Keith Urban listeners in Nashville, Tennessee, and Spotify invited me to attend a private concert and meet him.

Undergraduate School and Major: Vanderbilt University, Political Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Consultant, Deloitte Consulting

What excites you most about studying in Washington, DC? I have been fortunate enough to call D.C. home for the last five years, so I’ve been able to witness first-hand how D.C. is a melting pot for cultures and industries. D.C. is, of course, known for being at the center of politics. As someone who has worked and plans to continue to work in the private sector, I appreciate the breadth of industries that exist here in the context of the global stage. Outside of work, D.C. has incredible restaurants, outdoor activities, and community. My favorite part of the city (other than Georgetown, of course!) is the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Georgetown McDonough’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One component of Georgetown McDonough that stood out to me from the get-go was the caliber and commitment of the Career Center. Even before I stepped foot on campus for my first semester, I had completed a Summer Webinar Series, reflected on my accomplishments to-date, reviewed my resume with a Career Counselor, and met one-on-one with a Career Counselor to identify my goals for my internship and post-MBA. I am someone who is planning to leverage their MBA for a career pivot. Hence, I knew I needed to seek out an MBA program that had a very strong Career Center, alumni connections, and relationships with leading businesses to guide me through these transformative years and decisions. It became clear to me Georgetown McDonough has all of those resources – and more!

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Georgetown McDonough? I am most excited for our Opening Term, which kicks off the first year of the MBA program with a three-week-long intensive, interactive learning experience on campus. One course included in Opening Term is “Leading Teams for Performance and Impact.” I’m excited to take this course because over the past few years I’ve had the chance at work to lead junior team members. This time will give me an extended step away to analyze and evaluate my own leadership style and how I can more effectively lead others for business performance. The other course is “Structure of Global Industries”, which I am equally excited about, since I know it will provide me with a firm foundation for the rest of my full-time curriculum. Opening Term will also be a great opportunity to get to know both my classmates and my professors on professional and personal levels.

Georgetown McDonough programming focuses heavily on instilling a global mindset. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? Georgetown McDonough believes that “business has no borders” – something I wholeheartedly agree with. In this age of globalization, business is more complex than ever, and it’s important to understand how the United States fits within the context of the global economy. It’s not enough to take a siloed, unilateral approach; we have to recognize the value of other cultures, industries, and communities. Having an international mindset can help shape even the most complex of business decisions.

For one of my consulting projects, I documented the economic implications of COVID-19 on the United States’ travel and tourism industry for a client. This case stood out to me because it underscored how U.S.-based hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions, for example, so heavily depended on international consumer behavior and international COVID-19 travel policies. In this instance, it was critical to contextualize an industry in the international environment to understand the nuances contributing to declining profits and so I could more effectively problem-solve. At the end of my research, I worked with my client team to bring together Fortune 500 travel and tourism executives for a roundtable to hear their first-hand perspectives about how COVID-19 impacted their businesses, and to validate our proposed solutions for re-invigorating their industry.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Georgetown McDonough was the right program for you? Why? During the application process, I attended a few events on Georgetown McDonough’s campus to get to know the program. The thread that wove all of these programs together was the emphasis on the Jesuit tradition of caring for others and serving the common good. Of course, I knew Georgetown McDonough would challenge me academically and professionally, but I wasn’t expecting to hear the MBA program would also challenge me personally. Georgetown McDonough helps cultivate purposeful business leaders who prioritize adding value to their organization and society, caring for their teams and peers, and collaborating with others. In a world where business can be primarily driven by revenues and costs, it was refreshing to hear that, for Georgetown McDonough, ethos is still a huge component of the business world, and professional success and caring for others can work hand-in-hand.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In my pre-MBA job, I supported a client in implementing cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to support their workforce development. This was a challenge initially, as I was simultaneously learning about AI and its benefits myself. As a Consultant, I was responsible for taking a complicated topic and communicating it in a digestible format for my clients. That way, I could give them peace of mind about the security of AI, and enable them to see what the future could look like with expanded usage of AI. In the end, the clients loved our AI-driven solution and ended up purchasing a contract extension. This was a huge learning opportunity for me because I was not only learning a new technology on the fly, but also growing in my confidence as a trusted resource for my clients.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? My MBA experience will be successful if I dive in and take advantage of every resource, opportunity, and connection that Georgetown McDonough presents to me during the program. It is such a privilege to pause working a full-time job to invest in myself, expose myself to new industries, and grow into a confident business leader. I know these two years will fly by, so I do not want to take anything for granted – from attending Career Treks, to participating in the Global Business Experience, to getting to know my accomplished peers and renowned professors. I hope to say “yes” often!

DON’T MISS: MEET GEORGETOWN MCDONOUGH’S MBA CLASS OF 2026