Eliza Warren-Shriner, Kellogg MBA Class of 2020
Age: 27
Hometown: Brattleboro, VT
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Bowdoin College, environmental studies/romance languages major, chemistry minor
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Smallholder agricultural development in East and West Africa for five years, first as a strategy consultant with the UN World Food Programme and later with One Acre Fund, a social enterprise.
Why business school? Why now? I am passionate about building healthy, sustainable food systems and believe companies are best positioned to drive change in this space by effectively engaging consumers to buy “better” food—food that is good for them, good for the planet, and good for producers. Business school allows me to pivot to the private sector and will equip me with the knowledge and skills to have an impact on the issues I’m most passionate about.
Why Kellogg? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? During the application process, I was looking for a school that 1) provides a very strong foundation in business fundamentals to complement my non-traditional background, 2) fosters a supportive environment for students interested in social impact, and 3) creates a strong community that would allow me to maximize the opportunity to learn from my peers. Kellogg fit this bill perfectly.
I was impressed not just by the school’s outstanding reputation in marketing, but also by the active network of alums at some great companies I want to work for post-MBA. Kellogg’s reputation for collaboration was also a deciding factor for me; when I asked one student what she valued most about her Kellogg education, she said, “Learning how to solve problems you can’t solve on your own.”
Conversations with other current and former students confirmed the importance of teamwork and collaboration at Kellogg. I’m really thrilled to be joining such a strong, active community.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020? Living and working abroad for the past five years with diverse teams, I’ve learned how to build and maintain a strong community across cultures and in many different places. I look forward to bringing some of the traditions I’ve maintained abroad—from the Sunday family dinner series to cooking classes to YogaSoup—to the Kellogg community.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? While living in Burundi, I made my own sourdough bread and aged cheese using local ingredients (efforts especially appreciated by my French colleagues!).
Post-MBA career interests? I’m passionate about improving access to healthy, sustainable foods and want to work for companies providing consumers with healthy, affordable, and sustainably sourced/produced foods. I envision working for a CPG company in a brand management or marketing role to help shape consumer decisions about the food they eat.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Talk to current students and recent grads! This was the best way to get a sense of the culture at different schools and explore possible post-MBA career paths.
–One thing you would change or do differently? Visit campus. I applied Round 3 and was living abroad, so was not able to get to Evanston before submitting my application and making the decision to attend once accepted. It would have been the quickest way to get a feel for a school’s culture.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? Studying for the GRE. I’m not sure anyone finds this especially enjoyable, but it was definitely the most tedious part of the process! Creating a really detailed study schedule for myself and setting deadlines for practice tests (and the real thing) was super helpful for me.
What is your initial impression of Kellogg’s students/culture/community? I’ve been super impressed so far by how welcoming and tight-knit the community is—I’ve already had great conversations with several recent alums, as well as fellow members of the Class of 2020.
One thing you have learned about Kellogg that has surprised you? The percentage of the student body that is international! I was worried making the transition back to living in the United States after five years abroad, but I believe more than a third of my class is international! I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to get to know and learn from people who are really different from me (and hopefully keep up my French/Italian!).
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? Moving back to the United States! I’ve been abroad for five years and am expecting a little bit of culture shock during the first few months.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? Getting back to school. I love learning and am looking forward to classes with great professors. I’m particularly excited about Kellogg’s lab classes, which allow students to focus on a specific topic or region in the classroom, then go out and solve a real-world business problem.
