Thank you, Reaching Out MBA

I just returned from the Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) conference. It was an incredible event, and so valuable for me. This article is an adaptation of the thank-you note I sent to my colleagues at Liberty Mutual, who supported my attendance in various ways (from my boss approving the travel expenses for my professional development to the leadership of Pride@Liberty for their sponsorship of the event and for providing me with a ticket to the conference and gala). I want to share it with all of you, too. If you were in any way affiliated with this conference, or if you have ever included someone who felt they didn't belong, thank you.

When I was growing up in Southern Indiana, the only people I knew with college degrees were my teachers and my doctor. Even as I was graduating from high school, I had no idea what options were available to me in college. I literally thought business school was where people went to learn to type. I never even considered it as an option.

My first undergrad degree was in Criminal Justice with minors in Sociology and Spanish (and one credit shy of an African American Studies major). I wanted to be a civil rights attorney because I had read about the ACLU somewhere. When I found out how much law school would cost and what “pro bono” meant, I abandoned that dream and took a publishing job that paid just above minimum wage.

I quickly tired of my limited job prospects and was unsure what to do next. A coworker suggested I go back to school for Computer Science. Not knowing anything about the field other than “companies are hiring and even giving sign-on bonuses,” I registered for classes and completed my second Bachelor’s degree. My understanding of business school evolved, but only very slightly.

Having worked in IT and the insurance industry for a combined 17 years, I recently decided that the best way to expand my horizons would be to pursue my MBA. Without a formal business education, I felt that I lacked not only the competency, but even the vocabulary, to move forward in my career. My first class at SNHU started in September, and I can’t believe how much I have to learn.

Spending three and a half days with people who understand the opportunities available in the world was eye-opening. To hear from people who are using their MBAs and business connections to make positive changes in the world (and not just to make money) was powerful. While I may be late to the party, I am so glad to finally begin to understand where I can go from here.

You probably have no idea what it means for a little girl from rural Southern Indiana to hear from people like:

• United Therapeutics CEO Martine Rothblatt, who not only invented satellite radio, but then researched, developed, and launched a new drug that has already saved the lives of 32,000 children, including her own daughter
• Pollo West CEO Michaela Mendelsohn, who founded TransCanWork.org, a nonprofit to help Fortune 100 companies hire trans women and help them escape extreme poverty
• Former McKinsey consultant Amit Paley, who now heads The Trevor Project, which is daily saving the lives of suicidal and at-risk LGBTQ+ youth across the country
• Rumi Spice co-founder Emily Miller, who bridged the gap between her military service and international MBA program to help curb the production of opium and provide lucrative distribution channels for saffron farmers in Afghanistan
• Stanford Graduate Business School professor JD Schramm, who thanked me for my engagement in his amazing session on executive presence, and who looked me in the eye and made me feel like I belonged in the company of these amazing people
• and at least 1,795 other presenters, sponsors, professionals, students, and other attendees who brought their A-game with honesty, compassion, insight, questions, experiences, handshakes, and (in some cases at least) business cards.

I am humbled and honored to have had this experience. Thank you for this amazing opportunity.