Justin (Jake) Leahy, Chicago Booth MBA Class of 2020
Age: 28
Hometown: Ashburn, VA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: United States Naval Academy, Economics.
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I served in the U.S. Navy for six years as a nuclear submarine officer.
Why business school? Why now?
After achieving the goals I set when I joined the Navy, I decided to leverage my experience in the military to transition to a career as a business leader. In the Navy I led, learned from, and worked with the most talented group of men and women I have ever met. I chose to attend business school, and Booth in particular, to build upon these experiences and equip me with the tools and network necessary to make the transition to the business world as smooth as possible.
Why Booth? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
My family and I were living in Rio de Janeiro when I received an invitation to interview for a spot at Booth. I immediately reached out to the President of Brazil’s Booth Alumni chapter on LinkedIn, and within five-minutes he put me in contact with a Booth alumnus who is the CFO of a company in Rio de Janeiro.
A week later we met at a coffee shop during his lunch break and had a great conversation about Booth, Chicago, and career/life advice. What really struck me, however, was that he reached out to me after my interview to see how it went and again to congratulate me when I got in.
There are many other great reasons to attend Booth: the flexible curriculum; the world class professors; the variety of learning methods (case-based classes, experiential classes, analytical classes, etc.); the philosophy of analysis, reason, and logic in decision making; opportunities for deep and meaningful exposure to various industries (PE/VC lab, startup-summer, etc.); the reputation with companies around the world—all of these were factors for me—but what really did it for me were the people I met, such as the Booth alumnus in Rio de Janeiro, and the pay-it-forward culture.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
As a 27-year-old, I was in charge of a team of over 40 people operating state-of-the-art equipment to submerge a giant steel tube worth $2 billion and carry out missions vital to national security. These types of experiences provided unique leadership challenges that will shape the way I approach problems at Booth and hopefully enrich the learning environment for my classmates.
I also plan on contributing by assisting veteran applicants in applying to Booth as a way to pay forward the help I received when I was an applicant. There are great resources for this: if you are a veteran you can reach out to the Armed Forces Group at Booth or Service to School (a non-profit organization that provides college admissions consulting to veterans).
However, the coolest things about me, by far, are my two kids. I plan on being an active member of the Parents of Little Ones club and involving my family in as many Booth events as possible.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I have extraordinarily bad luck with animals. I’ve been bitten by a dog, stung by a jellyfish, stabbed by a stingray, and kicked by a wild horse—luckily, I was unscathed when running with the bulls in Pamplona.
Post-MBA career interests?
I hope to find a role at a company that surrounds me with bright people, offers challenging and interesting work, and continues to build upon the skills I developed in the military and at business school.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Reach out to students and alumni—discuss the school’s strengths and weaknesses in depth with as many people as possible. This will give you a much better understanding of schools than from researching them on the Internet.
It is the best way to ensure the schools you are applying to are schools you would, in fact, be happy attending. It is also a great way to gain meaningful experiences particular to each school that you can include in an application or talk about during an interview.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
Start early! Due to my submarine’s schedule, I started my application to Booth after a stint at sea. When I got back, there were only three weeks until the Round 2 deadline! Without the help of a first-year student who helped me (and a lot of coffee), I would not have passed to the interview stage.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The worst part of getting a late start on my application was asking recommenders to write thoughtful recommendations with such short notice. Luckily, I had some awesome supervisors who were willing to help me out.
What is your initial impression of Booth’s students/culture/community?
Bright, selfless, outgoing, and welcoming.
One thing you have learned about Booth that has surprised you?
The size of the pre-MBA Startup Summer internship program. This program affords incoming students the opportunity to intern at alumni-founded startups the summer before starting at Booth. I heard of this program before applying, but I had no idea how large it had grown.
When the application for these internships went live I was very surprised to see dozens of start-ups listed all over the world—over 10% of the incoming class participated in Startup Summer this year. I just wrapped up a summer internship at a fintech startup in São Paulo, and I can’t imagine a better way kick off an MBA program!
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Balancing academics, extracurriculars, professional, social, and family responsibilities to maximize my experience as well as that of my family. I’m also worried about my wife’s reaction to Chicago winters (she’s practically lived her entire life in tropical Rio de Janeiro).
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Meeting my incredible classmates and raising my family in such a vibrant community.
