Meet UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Class Of 2020

Emily Hoffarth

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“An introverted leader with a creative and intellectually curious nature. Motivated by new challenges.”       

Hometown: Rochester, New York

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am an artist! Before business school I would spend most of my free time painting pictures for family and friends. At my previous job I filled up the office whiteboards with drawings of holiday themes or scenes from movies.

Undergraduate School and Major: Boston College, Psychology and Communication

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Edelman Intelligence, Research Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The opportunity to manage three junior employees at Edelman Intelligence has been my biggest career accomplishment so far. Managing has always been an important career goal of mine, as I have long benefited from the wisdom and guidance of many previous bosses, older students, and educators. I strongly believe in paying it forward. As a manager, it was a humbling and rewarding experience to watch my team grow, guide them as they turned constructive feedback into glowing reviews, and facilitate well-deserved promotions. In addition, as a true introvert I have always wanted to help change the perception that introverts are less effective as leaders. Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking had a profound impact on my career path and encouraged me to embrace my personality type as an asset. Being promoted to a manager was a significant accomplishment as it strengthened my belief in that message and (hopefully!) served as an example for my fellow introverted coworkers that introverts can succeed as leaders and the quietest voice in the room can make a difference.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humble ambition. The phrase might sound contradictory, but I believe it describes my classmates well. Every one of my classmates has a unique story full of incredible accomplishments—service in the military or Peace Corps, jobs at the big banks or top consulting companies, and experience running a restaurant. They are ambitious and have their own career goals and post-business school plans. Nevertheless, my classmates are kind, open individuals willing to lend a hand during the move-in process or share advice to those prepping for early interviews. They are excited to learn, contribute, and enhance the classroom experience for everyone in a collaborative effort. I am excited to grow with them as we achieve our ambitious career goals together.

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? The feeling I had on campus last fall was the single most important factor in choosing UNC Kenan-Flagler. While waiting for my interview, one of the admissions officers came out to greet me after learning I was from Rochester (where she previously worked), immediately making me feel welcome. My interview experience was unparalleled, as my interviewer seemed truly interested in hearing my story and career goals. After the interview the students answered every question I had, regardless of how trivial they may have seemed. At the end of the day I sat in front of the Old Well (the beautiful historic landmark that appears on every piece of UNC marketing material) and could picture myself as a Kenan-Flagler student. Plenty of other factors went into my decision of what schools to apply to (location, rank, professors, programs, etc.), but the fit and culture has always been the most important factor to me. Fit is a factor that cannot be quantified or analyzed. There is no valuation of fit in dollars or percentages—I only knew that if I could not picture myself being happy at a school, no post-MBA opportunities would ever be worth the cost.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to being part of the Carolina Women in Business (CWIB) club. I participated in many discussions of the role of women in business at the Forté Foundation conference in June and I am excited to continue the dialogue and share the message as a member of CWIB. I am equally excited to be a member of the Dean’s Fellows Program and work on projects to improve the school. UNC Kenan-Flagler has given me a life-changing opportunity to pursue my MBA and fulfill professional and personal goals. Thus, I am eager to give back in every way I can.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was ready for a slight pivot from market research to brand management. I knew business school would provide the tools and opportunities to pursue this path, particularly an understanding of finance, operations, strategy, etc. to make informed recommendations as a marketer. I also was ready for a new challenge and excited to get back into the classroom. As a lifelong learner, I knew graduate school was an inevitability, so when I felt I had reached a plateau in my career, an MBA provided the best path forward.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? It is hard to put a value on education, as I would like to think learning is a priceless opportunity. However, with the reality of student loans, I know this idealistic perspective is unrealistic. Thus, to determine the opportunity cost of the MBA, I evaluated several key factors—post-school career and salary opportunities, the alumni network, scholarships, and the quality of the program, including classes and professors. I knew if I was going to forego two years of salary and my savings, attending a top-tier program such as UNC, was critical. Based on my research and conversations with other business school students, the top schools would offer connections to my target employers, a high quality education to develop my business knowledge, and scholarships to help limit the costs.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Duke University Fuqua School of Business

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Determining my fit was fairly easy—I only applied to three business schools. I knew I wanted to attend a top-tier school where I would receive the most out of my education. Additionally, I wanted a collaborative culture and, after many years enduring Rochester winters, a school in the southeast. Based on these factors, I quickly narrowed my search down to three schools. When deciding between my three schools, I conducted extensive online research—I read class descriptions and business school ranking reviews, such as U.S. News & World Report. However, the most important evaluation tool was the campus visits. When visiting the schools, I asked students question-after-question. I met with the heads of clubs and talked to professors of the programs I was interested in. I also observed the environment and watched how the students interacted with each other. Were these people I could see myself working with on late night student group projects? Did they look happy? For me assessing culture and fit came down to question of whether or not I could see myself at the school when I was physically on campus.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? It would be impossible to define one concrete instance that shaped me, rather thousands of everyday moments with my parents had the most profound impact on my life. My parents fostered a deep love of learning in me at a young age—the start of a life-long pursuit of new challenges and educational opportunities. Many cherished memories from my childhood included afternoons reading with my mother, endless trips to the local public library, and playing games to learn the basic math facts. From kindergarten through high school, my father always was willing to work with me on a tough math problem or explain a science concept. At our ritual of family dinners, my parents would ask about my school day and we would discuss the interesting new topics I learned in class. My parents never pressured me to achieve and only desired for me to put 100 percent effort into everything I did. They also made many personal sacrifices to save for my college education, enabling me to attend the school of my choice. These countless moments, seemingly inconsequential at the time, helped formed my drive to achieve and love of learning, which ultimately shaped me.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduation I would like to pursue a career in brand management, ideally for a large consumer packaged goods company. Marketing lies at the intersection of data analysis, strategy, art, psychology, and consumer behavior. Therefore, it is an ideal fit for my skills, interests and abilities. I look forward to shaping perceptions of a brand that will benefit people’s lives. I also hope to manage others again, as management continues to be an important career goal.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, first and foremost, I hope to be maintaining a strong work-life balance, with plenty of time outside of my career for family and friends. I hope to still be working in marketing, with the ultimate goal of being a CMO for an organization with a mission I am passionate about (e.g. the education of women across the world or curing breast cancer). Additionally, I would like to pursue my own entrepreneurship venture on the side of my marketing career, ideally combining art and technology. I also see myself continuing to change the perceptions of introversion in the workplace and strengthen the presence of females in the business world. I would love to support younger generations and provide them with the opportunities to get involved in business that I wish I had when I was younger.

Ultimately, I can see myself following several paths in five years, as I never know what kind of opportunities may present themselves. Regardless, I am certain the next two years at Kenan-Flagler Business School will provide me with the education and experiences to successfully pursue any potential path on my career journey.