Clark Pastrick, Georgetown McDonough MBA Class of 2019
Age: 26
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland Born and raised
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Vanderbilt University, major in human and organizational development; minors in corporate strategy and leadership and organizational effectiveness
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Three years at Under Armour Headquarters (Baltimore, MD) on the Digital Marketing team focusing on customer acquisition and lower funnel conversion tactics via underarmour.com
Why business school? Why now? I attended MSB for two core reasons: First, a more general reason was to improve my quantitative skills. Second, was to pivot into a completely different industry—real estate. Business school provides students with a unique opportunity to be able to pivot to a new industry without having any or little specific experience in that industry.
Why McDonough? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? I chose McDonough for two reasons: First, was the location. Because I decided to pivot into real estate, there are few real estate markets better than the District of Columbia. In tandem with this, Georgetown offers an elevated Real Estate experience through the Steers Center for Global Real Estate. This is a highly dedicated Real Estate Center on campus that offers classes, clubs, and other extracurricular opportunities in order to take your real estate knowledge to the next level. Finally, I felt I aligned with the culture at Georgetown; It is collaborative, energetic, and friendly.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2019? Although I only worked for three years before attending MSB, I was able to work for a company that prepared me well for business school. I was at Under Armour during a time when they were growing +20 percent each quarter for every quarter I was there. The experience and skills I was able to arm myself with during this time prepared me for various business challenges. It is a great feeling having friends at MSB approach me about wanting to work at Under Armour for their internships and post-MBA careers as I have nothing but great things to say about the brand and culture.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I’m 6”7’ and yes, I play basketball.
Post-MBA career interests? Commercial Real Estate Development
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? I would highly recommend traveling to your school(s) of choice for the interview process. Not only will you get a better feel for the school, but you will be able to immerse yourself in the culture and environment of the institution before making your decision to attend, if you are awarded the opportunity. In addition, it shows you are serious about wanting to attend that specific MBA program.
–One thing you would change or do differently? I would re-write my essay. I made the mistake of writing my essay about what I thought the school would want to hear instead of what I wanted to write.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? The video. Not all schools require this but Georgetown does, and I had a tough time with it. I am not the most overenthusiastic person so it was hard for me to act excited and passionate even though that’s how I truly felt about the opportunity to attend MSB. My recommendation would be to do something fun that shows who you are. It is a very vague assignment for a reason; get creative and do something that you think no one else will do.
Greatest highlight so far at McDonough? My cohort, better known as Saxa. It is common at business schools to be assigned a smaller group within your larger MBA class. I was lucky enough to be placed in an amazing cohort which makes classes a lot more enjoyable and interactive when everyone gets along and builds a strong rapport with each other.
One thing about McDonough that you didn’t expect before arriving? The collaborative and positive culture. I knew I wanted to attend MSB for this reason, but it really came to fruition when I stepped on campus. Everyone works together to achieve success. The support the students and faculty provide at McDonough makes for a much more conducive and enjoyable learning environment.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? Landing an internship. I think I am in the same boat with most MBA 1st year student’s when I say that but that is the priority goal and most stressful aspect of year 1.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? Taking electives second semester. The core classes are obviously important for a strong MBA foundation, but once you get to choose classes you are interested in, the value of an MBA increases dramatically. I know for me at least, part of the reason I went back to get my MBA was to take interesting classes that would not only help me in my career, but in life as well.
