We are excited to welcome the Oxford MBA Class of 2021-22 to Oxford this September. Get to know our incoming students in this blog post series as they prepare to join Saïd Business School.
Tell us about yourself:
- Sector/Industry you worked in pre-MBA: Research/consulting
- Sector/Industry you are hoping to work in post-MBA: Education or impact consulting
- Country of residence before coming to Oxford: India
- College: St Anthony’s
In one word, how would your best friend describe you and how would your manager describe you?
- Best friend: Dependable
- Manager: Resilient
Tell us about where you have come from and what has led you to Oxford and, more specifically, the Oxford MBA.
Originally from Kolkata, India, I grew up across different parts of the country. I spent my childhood in the southern state of Kerala, where my parents were professors of economics. I remember spending a lot of time in their offices as a child, especially during my summer vacations, and making friends with their PhD students! Academia and family life were one and the same for us.
Naturally (?), I went on to pursue economics too. After completing my master’s degree, I began my career at PwC US in the company’s Mumbai office. During this time, I also started teaching economics to college students from asset-limited households. I have always been a believer in the power of education to empower and uplift.
A year later, when I moved to Gurgaon to join Gartner as a research consultant, I was eager to continue my association with education. I joined the Ann Foundation, which facilitates online teaching for students in remote, rural schools in India. I was paired with a rural school for Muslim girls in West Bengal, since I knew the local language, and I began to teach English to students in grade 10.
The girls face multiple counts of discrimination on account of their gender, religious-minority status, and poverty and have had to overcome significant adversity to exercise their right to education. Most of them are first-generation learners and struggle to make informed decisions about their future.
When my 2019-2020 batch graduated from grade 10, I launched a mentorship programme to help them navigate higher studies, pairing each individually with successful women in my own network. After some initial success, the programme started stagnating with the onset of the pandemic. The girls had little digital literacy and lacked access to mobile phones and the internet, and I struggled to scale up the programme. It was during this time that I decided to move into the education space full time. But before I did this, I wanted a formal business education that would equip me as a leader in the intersection of business and impact, leading me to the Oxford MBA.
What have you done to prepare yourself for the MBA?
Since being accepted into the Oxford MBA, I have been connecting with my classmates virtually and am very excited to see everyone in person soon. I have enjoyed reflecting on my post-MBA plans and working towards them – I have been reading a lot and connecting with people in my target industries. I have also tried to spend as much time with my family as possible before the big move.
What do you hope to gain from completing your MBA?
I chose Oxford for its focus on socially responsible business. I can’t wait to be part of a cohort of like-minded, yet diverse, socially motivated ambassadors for change, and benefit from the exchange of ideas.
What is the best advice you received before commencing your MBA?
Prioritise! Oxford has innumerable activities going on simultaneously at any given time. The unequivocal advice I have been receiving from alumni is to be true to myself and prioritise three things that matter to me so that I’m making the most of my time there.
Do you have any advice about the Oxford MBA application process for candidates thinking of applying?
Really think about why the Oxford MBA is right for you: what attracts you to Oxford? What are you going to achieve from the MBA? I got my answers to these questions through the information events Oxford organised throughout the application timeline and the many conversations I had with alumni. I was also lucky to have friends, family, and mentors who were super generous with their time and provided honest feedback on my essays that helped shaped my authentic narrative about why I wanted to go to Oxford.
What part of the programme are you most looking forward to?
Where do I begin?! The Creative Destruction Lab, the Entrepreneurship Project, GOTO (Global Opportunities and Threats: Oxford), courses like Global Sustainable Business and Impact Investing, the student-led OBNs (Oxford Business Networks)… But what I’m most excited about is meeting my classmates and building lifelong connections with this impressive lot.
What do you think will be the most challenging part of the programme?
Dividing my time between the gazillion activities on offer and trying to stave off FOMO!
How do you plan to take the learnings from the MBA to influence positive change?
Going back to my interest in the education sector, I’m hoping to use my learnings from Oxford and my exchanges with fellow classmates to make strides in this direction. I aspire to lead my own education-focused social enterprise one day, and I’m positive the business acumen and leadership skills I pick up at Oxford will help me realise this.
Are there any sports teams, societies or clubs you’re hoping to become a member of?
Again, so many choices! I’m keen on getting involved in the Social Impact OBN, the Oxford Women in Leadership Alliance, and the Oxford Society of Bibliophiles and attending debates at the Oxford Union.
