Morgan Mason, Vanderbilt Owen MBA Class of 2022
Age: 30
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Virginia (UVA), Double Major in History; American Studies
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 6 years, Entertainment/Production; 1 year, small family company in General Management/Finance
Why business school? Why now?
I knew I wanted to make a career pivot, and I realized during my year outside of the media world working within a family company that I wanted to work in a more collaborative and structured environment. Similarly, I realized that it was hard to convey my skills gained within the entertainment industry to most since it is such a nuanced industry. Aside from the community aspect, I realized I wanted my MBA to add legitimacy towards these previously developed skills and also to sharpen my quantitative, analytical skills. I had produced content for various brands for six years, and I wanted my MBA to legitimize these skills and add to them.
Why Owen? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Owen’s rankings speak for themselves, but Owen had the community feel that I was looking for within an MBA experience. The class size is small, and everyone is very open to collaborating and helping out members of his or her community. Also, I wanted to be in a city, and Nashville was very appealing to me. Vanderbilt was somewhere I looked for Undergrad as well, so it was already on my radar.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2022?
Adaptability! Working under challenging circumstances! I moved from NYC to Nashville alone, having barely visited the city before, in the middle of a pandemic, without knowing any other classmates. I had to learn how to make connections over Zoom and other virtual forms of communication. More specifically to me, my prior work experience in live television production made me a good fit for public speaking and leadership roles. I didn’t anticipate how that would translate, but I notice these transferable skills on the multiple team projects we have.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
At 17 years old I had my first internship at Elle Magazine in NYC. I have always loved fashion as a way of expressing myself, but not as a career function. In the MBA world, I have found a way to be taken seriously as a businesswoman, while still being able to express myself through fashion.
Post-MBA career interests?
For me, it is more about a company fit rather than a super-defined path within one specific industry. They say there are three factors you must prioritize in your career search, and you have to compromise on one: location, industry, and function. I care more about function and location. I am interested in marketing and brand roles when I feel passionate about the brand and company. I also want an interactive, people-facing role, rather than an independent, secluded role. So stay tuned for exactly where I land, but I am tailoring my search to fit my strengths, weaknesses, and personal goals, rather than an exactly defined path.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I always find it helpful to reach out to anyone you know that has or is currently attending your school of interest. It doesn’t have to be a close friend, it could even be a LinkedIn connection or alumni from your undergraduate institution. Most likely, if you reach out and indicate your interest in their school, they will be more than happy to connect about their experience and perhaps provide you with advice for the application process.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
Knowing that there is no “right” path to business school! Coming from production and the entertainment world, I had the impression that I was not the ideal fit for an MBA program from the perspective of an Admissions officer. I would tell anyone applying that there is no wrong fit! Everyone’s unique career experiences and perspectives add something to the program and your MBA class.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
For Owen’s application, I stressed myself out over the video essay portion. They tell you this when applying, but they really are just trying to get to know you personally! I was very nervous and was trying to prepare aggressively for this portion because of the fear of the unknown. My advice would be to just be yourself and this part will go smoother than you anticipate.
What is your initial impression of Owen’s students/culture/community?
Everyone is super eager to connect, which is what drew me to Owen in the first place! I can email a second year that I have never met to connect about career interests or ask for advice, and I always get an immediate response. This is important in this COVID world because you are lacking those face-to-face interactions that would organically happen under normal circumstances. Therefore, you have to rely on the strength of the community connection to reach out to strangers essentially and ask to Zoom meet with them about career advice.
One thing you have learned about Owen that has surprised you?
I am accustomed to operating in rigorous academic environments, but I am still in awe of every person in my class. Everyone truly has so much to offer. From interesting, different, and impressive work backgrounds, to crazy life stories, to areas of expertise and passions – everyone has something to bring to the table and this really comes out when you are doing group projects and case studies. I never fear who is on my team for a group project because I know everyone has a skill of value in a collaborative sense.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
The internship process! Obviously, this is on the mind of every first-year MBA, but it is a little more difficult this year as we charter unprecedented territory in the structure of this process. For the past 30+ years, the MBA recruiting process has looked very similar, but this year we are having no in-person recruiting events, and we have to make an extra effort to make a connection with alumni or the recruiting department at a target company. It’s easy to second guess if you are making the right steps, or doing enough to get noticed in the remote year as you apply for first-year MBA internships.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I’ve said it before and I will say it again – the community! Having a new network of friends, alumni, professors, and colleagues from all over the world enriches my life on a daily basis. This extends to within business and professionalism, but also within my social network. There is so much I can learn from the people around me.
