Katharine Hawthorne, Haas MBA Class of 2020
Age: 30
Hometown: San Mateo, CA / Singapore / Wayzata, MN
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Stanford University, B.S. physics
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Tiedemann Advisors, impact investing pre-MBA internship;
UCSF, senior contract manager, 8 years, managing the financial and contractual aspects of global health clinical trials;
Professional dancer & choreographer, 12 years, running my own dance company and performing professionally with 10 dance troupes in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Why business school? Why now? For the past eight years I worked full time at UCSF simultaneous to my career as a professional dancer. When this “double life” no longer felt sustainable, I began considering my next steps. I decided to attend business school to further my interests in finance and data science and to enhance my leadership skills, which I had developed over the past seven years running my own dance company.
Why Haas? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? Values and integrity. Berkeley’s commitment to social action speaks for itself. The Haas MBA program attracts bright, ambitious professionals with a keen awareness of society’s challenges and a profound desire to affect change.
My Haas interview stood out. I felt seen and valued, and I greatly admired my interviewer, who was the kind of purpose-driven professional I hope to be.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020? I am an excellent listener, and I am invested in the success of others. I am also a connector. Whether living in the space between art and science or bridging finance and social impact, I thrive on contradiction. I will contribute my ability to hold complexity and celebrate the achievements of others to the Class of 2020.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I can jump extraordinarily high.
Post-MBA career interests? Impact investing. As a financial manager for global health studies, I experienced the limitations of grant-based funding, which motivated me to search for more effective and sustainable financing for social impact and systems change. My pre-MBA internship at Tiedemann Advisors exposed me to the exciting solutions currently on the market. As the field of impact investing grows rapidly, I look forward to being involved in its evolution and hope to someday run my own impact fund.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? I highly recommend collaborating with a writing coach who understands you and your values. I worked with Luke Taylor of Spark Prep, who pushed me to be rigorously precise in my language and encouraged me to be authentically myself. Completing my application essays became a process of personal discovery and aligning my goals with my purpose.
–One thing you would change or do differently? I would have visited schools earlier in the process. Com
pleting full due diligence by visiting campus, attending classes, and watching the action in the school courtyard or cafeteria proved necessary to making my decision. I would have liked to have had these insights earlier in the process.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? Many people offer advice throughout the application process, both welcome and unsolicited. Eager for feedback and guidance, I did not selectively choose what advice applied to me and what did not. If I could go through the process again, I would have more confidence in my choices and story.
What is your initial impression of Haas’s students/culture/community? With a student-driven and entrepreneurial culture, Haas strikes me as a “choose your own adventure” kind of place.
One thing you have learned about Berkeley that has surprised you? On a recent clear day, I stood to the west of the Campanile (the Berkeley bell tower) and realized there was a direct sight line through Alcatraz to the Golden Gate Bridge. I have lived in the Bay Area for half my life and never experienced that view before. I look forward to Berkeley continuing to shift my perspective.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? I am anxious about staying grounded. I am pursuing an MBA in order to expand my toolbox and become a more effective change agent. It is an incredible privilege to take two years out of my career to invest in myself, and I hope to remain clear-eyed and connected to the broader world while embracing personal growth and transformation.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? I’m excited to learn new things, be challenged, and connect with my classmates.
