Sam Schmitt

University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

“A detail-oriented maximizer, passionate about redefining healthcare experiences, traveling internationally, and hosting dinner parties.”

Hometown: Horsham, Pennsylvania

Fun fact about yourself: I started making sourdough bread in 2020 and haven’t stopped since! To date, I have made 200+ loaves and love to share with my family and friends.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Penn State University – B.S. in Finance & B.A. in Sociology

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Deloitte Consulting – Senior Consultant

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? DaVita – Denver, CO

Where will you be working after graduation? Deloitte Consulting – Senior Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Leadership:

• Michigan Business Women (MBW): Co-President, VP of Campus Relations
• Healthcare & Life Sciences (HLS): VP of External Affairs & Alumni Relations, Director of Strategic Planning
• Career Development Office: Healthcare Peer Coach
• Sanger Leadership Center: Michigan Ross Leaders Endorsement Candidate and Ross Leaders Academy (2023-2024 Cohort)
• Nonprofit Board Fellows: Center for Success Network
• MBA Student Ambassador

Community Work:

• 2024 Global Health Supply Chain Summit (Lagos, Nigeria): Research Assistant & Conference Staff

Honors:

• Dean’s Impact Scholar
• Healthcare Innovation Scholar
• Forté Fellow
• Dean’s List (Top 10% of Class), Winter 2024

Named the Ross MBA Club Co-President of the Year for her work with the Michigan Business Women club

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of serving as Co-President of Michigan Business Women (MBW). From my first MBW meeting as an MBA1, I felt a deep sense of community among like-minded women and allies, and I wanted to create that same experience for others. A highlight was planning our signature Women in Leadership Conference. Here, I partnered with inspiring alumni and business leaders and brought together 200+ attendees to learn more about breaking boundaries and leading with confidence. It was extra special to partner with the admissions team to invite 100+ prospective students to two of our sessions during their prospective student weekend event. Beyond the conference, I worked to expand MBW’s reach by fostering cross-club collaborations and finding new ways to create community. None of this would have been possible without my incredible co-president and our dedicated board.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? My proudest achievement is supporting a healthcare client launch a next-generation CAR-T cell therapy product. As someone with a traditional business background, I learned so much about the complex science required for the treatment and how to ensure high quality at each step of the treatment journey. I was responsible for overseeing key stakeholder engagement and communications, while also creating training for the new team members. When developing training materials, I needed to understand not only the processes but how the technology would enable the team to place an order and get the treatment to the patient. I have always seen people as the catalyst for the success of any business, and I loved playing a key role in keeping key stakeholders informed and teaching the team how to use the order fulfillment system.

Why did you choose this business school? Community. I wanted a school and community where I could be my authentic self. From every current and prospective student I spoke with during the admissions process, I felt at home. The sense of collaboration and desire to see each other succeed is palpable – everyone is committed to helping one another grow. Additionally, I wanted the energy of being part of a large state university, with the vibrancy of a college town, the excitement of college football, and the strength of a global alumni network. Ross, the University of Michigan, and Ann Arbor provided the perfect blend of community and energy and has continued to exceed my expectations since coming to Ross.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? One of my favorite professors was Lindsey Gallo, who teaches Corporate Financial Reporting. The course focuses on reading and analyzing a company’s 10-K, which can be overwhelming, yet Lindsey makes it approachable and engaging. She breaks down complex topics with humor, real-world examples, and practical applications. She integrates several current news articles to show how financial reporting plays out in real businesses and includes a “scandal of the day” to further understand accounting failures. Though I initially found the topic intimidating, Lindsey’s teaching made it one of the most valuable courses I have taken. If I were ever to become a professor, I’d strive to teach with the same clarity, enthusiasm, and real-world relevance as Lindsey.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Coming from a Big Ten undergraduate school, I love the energy on a college football game day. Our MBA program is known for our Bus Tailgates – so much so that family, friends, and even MBA students from other schools come to experience The Bus. Every home game, we have a tailgate featuring an actual school bus, MBA student DJs, and lots of fun. I appreciate how The Bus is open to all MBA students, providing an inclusive gathering spot for everyone to get together before and after every home football game. It is also inspiring to have such a large-scale, fully student-run tailgate, highlighting how we choose to show up for each other as a community. At its core, The Bus shows the community at Ross – we all love to come together to have fun.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? The Ross MBA program offers endless events – club events, conferences, tailgates – that make it easy to meet people, yet it can be harder to build deeper connections at larger events. Looking back, I wish I had prioritized more one-on-one time earlier. Some of my closest friendships started with impromptu plans or casual chats between classes. While large events are great, my favorite and most meaningful moments often came from spontaneous interactions. My advice: Be open to new people, and make time for them when you connect with someone. Those unplanned moments often lead to the best experiences.

What is the biggest myth about your school?

Myth: It is hard to come to an MBA program with a partner.

Fact: Partners are so important to our MBA community, and welcome at all events!

When looking for an MBA program, I knew my partner would be moving to Ann Arbor with me (while working remotely). I wanted a program where he wouldn’t feel like my shadow, rather, he could be his own person. My partner has fully immersed into our program – joining clubs and attending countless events, including traveling to four different countries with our classmates! Sometimes at social events people ask why they never see my partner in class, only to then learn he isn’t a student. At Ross, there are no boundaries between classmates and partners. I am forever grateful to have a community that values partners just as much as students and I believe Ross is truly one of the best MBA programs for partners.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The Ann Arbor Public Library! A few of my friends are really into crafting and introduced me to the library’s craft events. It is a fun way to explore my creative side and unwind with friends. The library has invested thousands of dollars into specialized printing machines, craft supplies, and bringing in local vendors to teach classes. I have done printing, card embossing, fabric dyeing, woodworking, and more! They also a wide variety of items you can check out, ranging from telescopes, disco balls, board games, and so much more. I love being able to make the most of local community resources while also getting out of the “school bubble.”

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? Hear me out… Love Is Blind! The show reflects business realities by showing how major decisions are made with limited information, requiring trust in both instincts and strategy. Just as contestants commit to a partner based only on conversations in the pods, business leaders, consultants, and entrepreneurs must make critical choices without knowing every detail. Success in both relationships and business depends on adaptability – adjusting to new information while staying committed to long-term goals. The show also highlights the importance of aligning values with those you work with. Whether in relationships or business, you can choose a short-term engagement or a long-term commitment, but making the most of the experience – learning, adapting, and communicating effectively – is essential to success.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Before business school, I had never used AI chat programs and saw them as unfair shortcuts. Some professors encourage us to engage with AI to build familiarity and challenge its thinking. In our core strategy class, we used ChatGPT to generate responses and analyze its insights. This helped me “dip my toes” into the world of AI and see it as a strategic tool, but also to be aware of its limitations. Now, I see ChatGPT as a tool that can help me brainstorm, compare ideas, offer additional perspectives, or tailor my thinking. Additionally, ChatGPT can be a great tool in your personal life. As someone who loves to travel, I also started using ChatGPT to give suggestions for upcoming trips, which has saved me so much time – I highly recommend it!

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire Clare Henne. We first met at the 2022 Ross Women’s Weekend for prospective students, and I’m grateful we both chose Ross. Clare has become a close, trusted friend and an incredible leader. As my Michigan Business Women Co-President, we worked together to lead MBW and plan the Women in Leadership Conference. Clare is a true servant leader who fosters inclusivity and prioritizes personal connections. She intentionally builds deep friendships with people from diverse backgrounds. Beyond her leadership, I admire how she balances ambition with well-being, reminding me that success includes achievement, relationships, and a strong work-life balance.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1) Become a senior healthcare leader – whether it is as a consulting leader or industry executive, I aspire to be a trusted leader with a deep understanding of industry trends, patient needs, and healthcare innovations.

2) Serve on a community-focused board (e.g., school board, non-profit) – I want to leverage my business expertise to give back to my local community.

What made Sam such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Every few decades there comes along a student who leaves a deep impression on you. In my three decades of business school teaching, Sam is one of them. She is talented, proactive, diligent, tenacious and resilient. I was a co-advisor to her four-member team in Ross’s flagship action-based learning engagement in India working with EMRI, the world’s largest emergency management system provider. Placed in a completely new context, a new country especially for Sam, and limited time, the team delivered meaningful recommendations greatly impressing the sponsor and Ross faculty. Sam demonstrated adaptability and leadership through this engagement. I knew I had met someone truly special. I did not hesitate to recruit her to assist me in the organization of our annual Global Health Supply Chain Summit in Lagos, Nigeria later that year. Once again, another new context, new country, global participants, and scale of the even. She stepped up to the challenge, took initiative and assisted us in innumerable ways – from helping prepare for plenary panel discussions with leaders in the field, leading field trips in Lagos, assisting with very tactical tasks on site, and summarizing key takeaways from the event. It has been a joy working with Sam and I wish her all the best.”

Ravi Anupindi
Colonel William G. and Ann C. Svetlich Professor of Operations

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

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