Best & Brightest MBAs: Gabrielle Kuey of Maryland's Smith School of Business

When Gabrielle Kuey was all of six years ago, she started her first business--a nail salon during recess. Some 22 years later, she is graduating with her MBA from the University of Maryland's Smith School of Business and on her way to a new career as a consultant with PwC Advisory.

Before enrolling at Smith, she had been a e-tail strategist for Totes Isotoner, an international market associate for Kate Spade Saturday, and an e-commerce coordinator for Calvin Klein. As one of Poets&Quants' Best & Brightest MBAs in the graduating class of 2017, she describes herself as “energetic and compassionate." someone who goes "about life fiercely seeking new adventures while taking methodical risks.”

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized I had a job and not a career. Though I loved my experiences in the fashion industry, fashion was not my passion. I wanted to be a change agent, to truly feel that I was making a difference. It was time to get the necessary skills to transition into a direction that brought growth and passion.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…miserable – and seated at a desk, deep in thought about what I was going to do with my life. I definitely wouldn’t have my dream job at PwC.”

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? The diversity of perspectives. The Smith program is a small program that allows you to form personal relationships with everyone. One thing that I enjoy is understanding the core of a person and how they see and navigate the world. About 6o percent of my learning during business school has come from observing and interacting with others. Smith provides an environment that generates a lot of organic conversations and student-led programming, such as International Night and “Unconscious Bias” and “Women in Business” panels. My peers, plus alumni and staff, have taught me different ways to approach tactical problems and create solutions. Overall, they have made me a more open-minded person. There are multiple people in my program I admire, who have helped shaped my professional and personal development. It is because of people of all of these different perspectives that I truly believe I am leaving the MBA program as a better, more well-rounded person.

What was the most surprising thing about business school for you? Transformation! You come into business school with expectations that you’ll be challenged and walking away with great knowledge. But the amount of growth is astronomical. With more confidence, I can speak to my unique value. Reflecting back to the start of my MBA, I was full of discomfort when asked to define “what made me unique.” During first-year orientation we had to record an elevator pitch, and I didn’t finish the task, feeling ashamed. Working with my career coach, and observing my role in group projects helped bring to the surface my true value and understanding of myself. For that, I will always appreciate the MBA process because I humbly know and appreciate who I am.

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Understand your fit and understand the community! Know what will make you propel forward. As a current student, I tell prospective students that they can experience the classroom rigor from any program. But knowing what environment and culture you need to succeed is the most important factor when deciding on your program. Sit in on classes and observe student interactions, because at Smith we are collaborative and team-oriented.

Meet all of Poets&Quants' 100 Best & Brightest MBA Graduates of 2017