Meet The Class Of 2018 At Kellogg

nattariya-wittayata-poetsandquants-classof2018

Nattariya Wittayatanaseth

Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A full-time banker advocating for financial inclusion and female education.

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love public speaking. I once made demos of myself hosting a music show and sent them to a radio station. Though I never heard back, I found myself advancing my interests in a completely different ways when I became my university’s spokesperson and, eventually, an interviewee on currency outlooks on national TV.

Undergraduate School and Major: Assumption University, Thailand – Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Kasikorn Bank – Capital Market and Economic Research Specialist (2013-2016)

Pratthanadee Foundation – Board Member (2013-present)

Bank of Thailand – Economist (2011-2013)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The accomplishment that most fulfilled me was through my role at Pratthanadee Foundation, a non-profit organization that empowers disadvantaged women through career training. When its major donor threatened to terminate funding, I managed a team to organize fundraising campaigns and structure new training programs that appealed to all stakeholders. With the donor’s continuous funding and a more diversified funding base, Pratthanadee’s programs were enlarged and thousands of women were trained that year. A group of students later gave me a handmade gift and told me how their lives had improved through the trainings. From that, I learned that a person’s value is not derived from how much she achieves, but how much she gives.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? 

Start as early as possible: Visualize yourself in three to five years early on in the process. I started my preparation two years ahead of my application; others may have spent even longer. Early preparation will give you enough time to raise your potential as a candidate. Enroll in activities out of your comfort zone, such as non-profit activities and special work projects. These experiences broadened my perspectives, sharpened my values, and really shaped me into a well-rounded person.

Take the GMAT in advance: When you encounter your weak areas, allocate 70% of your time to fix them. Seek a tutor if needed, note rationales and solutions for wrong attempts, and learn them by heart. If not, you will often make the same mistakes. Leave at least two months for the application; after all, the GMAT is only one component of your application. The more important part of your MBA journey is taking the time to learn about the schools and reflecting on your life.

Don’t get bogged down by the rankings: Be true to yourself and treat your MBA journey as an introspective process. Do extensive research on prospective schools, assess yourself, and choose the school that ‘fits you’ (your criteria and your goals). Then, use the essays to show how you fit the school, how your values align, and how you will contribute above and beyond the curriculum.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? There will always be a program that teaches me how to succeed on my own, but I want to be in the program that teaches me how to succeed as a team. Kellogg’s emphasis on educating growth-minded leaders who inspire others and ignite collaborative communities aligns with my goals. The school’s collaborative and tight-knitted community really stands out, and I was even more certain of this fact following my admission. The staff would go above and beyond to make sure I have an enjoyable MBA experience. Current students would answer my questions, even during recruiting season. The alumni would not hesitate to reach out to help me resolve all kinds of problems.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life?  Since I received a scholarship from a leading Thai commercial bank, I intend to return to Thailand in order to develop its financial services industry into a regional powerhouse. I aim to expand financial services access and financial literacy to micro, small and medium enterprises in developing Asian countries so as to reduce poverty in the region.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I want my peers to say I have contributed to their MBA experience one way or another. I came to Kellogg knowing what I wanted to get – I want to leave it knowing what I gave. I aim to share my insights to enhance my classmates’ learning experiences, leverage my MBA knowledge to broaden the impact of non-profit organizations, and meaningfully connect with peers through the vast array of extracurricular activities offered at Kellogg. I hope my peers will look back at our Kellogg MBA experience as the best two years of our lives, the same way our alumni do.

DON’T MISS: THE STEREOTYPE-DEFYING MBA STUDENTS IN THE CLASS OF 2018

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