Lilah Maguire

Wake Forest University

“Ambitious, driven connector of people who values authenticity, collaboration, and continuous growth through new experiences.”                                            

Age: 26

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Fun fact about yourself: In my free time, I’m usually working on improving my tennis game.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Business Administration

Where are you currently working? Deloitte, GTM Strategy Consultant

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m most proud of the breadth of experiences I’ve pursued early in my career, spanning marketing, GTM strategy, and now product-focused work.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? Ultimately, when looking for an MBA program, I wanted the right mix of relevant course content, flexibility with my work schedule, and a strong alumni network. Wake Forest offered all of those things and more. I was especially drawn to Wake Forest because of its belief that business can be a force for good, rooted in Pro Humanitate, which reflects the kind of impact I hope to make in my career.

Everything from the faculty and curriculum to the career outcomes and alumni network felt intentional and designed to support both immediate impact and long-term growth. Even in an online format, the program still feels highly collaborative, connected, and community-driven. This gave me confidence that a Wake Forest MBA would help me accomplish my personal and professional goals.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? My favorite part is being able to immediately apply what I learned in class to my work and bring real workplace challenges back into the classroom. It created a constant feedback loop where concepts didn’t stay theoretical for long. I like how an online program empowers me to do it all- work, learn, and continue prioritizing the things I care about outside of school and my career as well.

How did your online MBA experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? The experience was dramatically different because the learning felt much more practical and immediately applicable. As a working professional, I approached coursework with a very different perspective than I did as an undergraduate student, especially since I could directly connect what I was learning to real situations in my career. Instead of thinking, “This might be helpful someday,” it became, “This can help improve or streamline the project I’m working on tomorrow.”

One highlight of the program was participating in Wake Forest School of Business’s BALANCE focus group. Toward the end of the program, we reflected on our shared experiences and the concept of “glass and rubber balls” while balancing careers, school, and personal responsibilities. As high achievers, many of us approached undergrad thinking everything was a “glass ball” that could never be dropped. Over time, we learned that as working MBA students, some things are actually “rubber balls,” and it’s okay to let them drop occasionally in order to maintain balance, perspective, and well-being.

How has your online MBA education helped you in your current job? My MBA has helped me become a stronger leader, sharpen my strategic thinking, and build technical skills that I’ve been able to apply directly to projects.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? Yes, I earned a promotion while in the program.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? I wanted to continue building my career while earning my MBA rather than stepping away from the workforce. The online format gave me the flexibility to grow professionally while immediately applying what I was learning in real time.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? Wake Forest integrated AI into many of the business analytics core courses and electives I took. One activity involved using AI to complete an assignment and then evaluating its validity and accuracy across different types of analysis. We also explored how AI can be applied to coding in the Python course and how, by building a strong foundation in the Python fundamentals, we can “vibe code” to create compelling dashboards and more complex analyses. This showed how AI can meaningfully expand on the core coding skills we developed.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 15-20 hours per week

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? My long-term professional goal is to serve in a global technology leadership role that bridges strategy, innovation, and cross-cultural collaboration, before eventually transitioning into academia. I also hope to be a mentor and advocate for women in business, helping to create more opportunities for growth and leadership.

DON’T MISS: BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBAS: CLASS OF 2026

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.