Meet Washington Foster’s MBA Class of 2019

Kate Neupert 

University of Washington, Foster School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I aspire to live my life in all caps.

Hometown: Seattle, WA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I never set the alarm clock on an even number, ie always 5:33 am never 5:30 am.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Southern California –  Major in International Relations, Minor in Communication Design

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

• Employer: GlobalScholar/ Title: Marketing Manager
• Employer: BBDO / Title: Assistant Account Executive (accounts: FedEx)
• Employer: mcgarrybowen/ Title: Account Executive/Supervisor (accounts: Verizon, United Airlines)
• Employer: GREY / Title: Account Supervisor (accounts: the National Park Service, Downy)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment thus far was receiving a full refund from a vendor project gone wrong. While working with a fairly conservative client, we were constantly trying to expand their advertising efforts to new mediums. We had finally convinced them to partner with a technology vendor to build an innovative social platform for their centennial. While this vendor was thoroughly vetted and recommended by our agency, things quickly took a negative turn and the end product was far less than what was promised. For months, I had to work with an incredibly difficult and unwilling vendor to get the project finished while managing an upset client. We completed the project to contracted standards and I was able to receive a full refund for the client.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  One piece of advice I would give future applicants is to utilize your essay to describe how that specific school will help you achieve your professional goals. Many of the applications host similar questions and one could easily copy and paste answers to schools varying greatly in size, location, concentrations, etc. I strongly believe that business schools look not only for talented candidates, but candidates that will excel at that particular school. For that reason, be thoughtful in where you apply and explain how that particular school program is best for you.

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 key factor that led me to choose Foster is the location of the school: Seattle. It’s no secret that Seattle is the birthplace to many of the greatest companies in the world today and for that reason alone I knew I wanted to attend to attend Foster. There’s entrepreneurship in the city’s air and I knew I wanted to be a part of that community.

Additionally, though I may be biased as I grew up there, I know first-hand how incredible the people of Seattle really are. Seattlites are full of ambition, adventure, and compassion and I couldn’t think of a better environment to get my MBA.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  A successful first year of business school will mean I’ve learned more than I could imagine, met some great friends in my classmates, just completed a successful internship, and am on a path to land a job!