Kennan Murphy-Sierra, Wharton’s MBA Class of 2022
Age: 29
Hometown: McLean, Virginia
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Stanford University, Computer Science
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Goldman Sachs, FinTech Startup, Yext
Why business school? Why now?
I definitely recommend you have a thoughtful and authentic answer for this for your essays and interviews. For me, I’ve wanted to get an MBA for a while and even journaled about it in high school. I had worked at a few companies in New York City, most recently in product management, and wanted to shift to a more organizational view of business. At the time of application, I was authentically interested in pivoting into the music-tech industry (Spotify, YouTube Music, etc) to work in a corporate strategy role. I also emphasized a passion for honing my own leadership style and enrolling in the various offerings, including a trek to Antarctica to apply leadership concepts in an unusual and difficult environment.
Why Wharton? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
School reputation, large class size, very large and influential alumni network, flexibility with coursework – you can test out of or waive several courses to take more electives, a real focus on entrepreneurship with the investment in a new center, Tangen Hall. The McNulty Leadership Program offers great leadership development programming. I like the idea of being bi-coastal and having an option to take a semester in San Francisco. A major differentiator for Wharton is the community and collaborative aspect – students take a lot of initiative to organize events, conferences, and experiences. I think this all culminates in Wharton MBAs having a lot of flexibility to design your business school focus and experience to suit you – and overall Wharton MBAs have a pretty fantastic experience. Philadelphia is a great city to be in for school, great food scene, and living.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2022?
One of the Wharton essays asks about how you plan to contribute to the community, which I think is really important since the MBA experience is really influenced by how your classmates contribute to each other. I wrote about how my experience as a DJ (DJ KozMoS) and music show producer in NYC positioned me to enrich the lives of my classmates through my passion for music. So far that has come true as I have volunteered to DJ several Wharton-wide events (virtually via Livestream of course). Everyone has a passion to share, looking forward to hearing about yours.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I often draw on examples of leadership from sports.
Post-MBA career interests?
Founding, launching, and scaling a business. Currently, I’m exploring the intersection of wellness, personal development, and community.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I worked with an admission consultant and would highly recommend you do so if you’d like to talk through your story, use the application process as a time for deeper reflection, and more importantly receive guidance on which school would be a great fit for you. I worked with Lulu Curiel from Ivy Advisors, and she was absolutely fantastic, insightful, and strategic. I highly recommend you reach out to Lulu!
–One thing you would change or do differently?
I would have tried to stress less and enjoy the business school application process more, especially the essay stage. When else do you have a real opportunity to think, reflect on your life, and envision your ideal trajectory?
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would have worried less about the outcome and had more faith that all you can do is be authentic and put forth your best effort. There are factors outside your control and some schools may be a better fit for you than you initially realized. Since you continue to learn more about the schools during the application process and admit weekend programming, I would hold off being emotionally attached to any school until you have received plenty of information, experienced the culture, and met some of your prospective classmates.
What is your initial impression of Wharton’s students/culture/community?
Super collaborative, absolutely phenomenal classmates. Very community-oriented.
One thing you have learned about Wharton that has surprised you?
The school offers so much for entrepreneurs. As an example, my first-semester elective coursework includes entrepreneurship, venture capital, operations strategy, and competitive legal strategy for entrepreneurs. I look forward to taking venture implementation next semester where I plan to work on my entrepreneurial venture in class with the support of professors. Additionally, professors are very open and happy to help advise you, especially regarding entrepreneurial ventures.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Finding the right balance and prioritization for my time allocation and basking in JOMO (joy of missing out).
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Building meaningful and lasting relationships while testing startup ideas to get a venture off the ground.
