Bria Booker

Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business

“A passionate, vibrant leader unafraid of challenges and striving to leave a meaningful footprint.”

Hometown: Pickerington, OH

Fun Fact About Yourself: Prior to starting graduate school, I was a member of a fun, all-female podcast called SHEnanigans.

Undergraduate School and Major: Butler University, Lacy School of Business, Accounting & Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Eli Lilly & Company, Senior Marketing Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I helped launch four lifesaving medications that help make lives better every day. I’m also proud to have been a co-leader in transforming the Lilly marketing undergraduate internship program. We grew it from 12 to 22+ interns a summer and increased acceptance retention rates to over 90%.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humility. Many of my classmates have in leadership roles around the world, and their ability to first-and-foremost connect with you as a human being is what makes our program so prominent and renowned.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Class size played a huge factor for me. I have always been an in-class learner, and having an individual classroom filled with 200+ students was not my speed. I’ve always appreciated having the “big city” feel of Columbus while also taking advantage of personalized and engaging classroom experience. The surrounding campus resources feel individually tailored for me to succeed. This was the reason that I chose my undergraduate institution, and it held true when I was searching for graduate school opportunities.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am ecstatic to represent my class as a voice on the Ohio State student body council. I’m also eager to remain involved in Fisher’s Women In Business (WIB) chapter, the Association of Marketing Professionals (AMP), Fisher Follies, and Fisher Board Fellows.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? It was the question asked in almost every interview, but it was always the hardest (yet most rewarding) for me to answer: “Why this program?” It constantly made me reflect on who I was and why this program would help me build upon that.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I felt like I was becoming complacent in my career. While I was still doing great work under the eyes of my company, I had begun to lose that fire that drove me to push boundaries and change the status quo (if it’s inadequate). I wanted to return to school to re-ignite that fire by learning new tools and competencies to break down barriers, overcome adversity, and accomplish a lifelong goal I set for myself.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Northwestern (Kellogg), NYU (Stern), Indiana University (Kelley) and Georgetown University (McDonough)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? It’s cliché, but the class size, people, course curriculum, and location.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The first time that someone told me I only got something because of a specific physical feature I was born with. It discredited all of the hard work I had put in and diminished my real-life return on investment. From then on, I no longer let my validation rest in the hands of others. I’m more than my skin color and gender. I’m a diligent worker who earned where she is today.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Owning a brand marketing firm that helps bring others’ visions and dreams to fruition.