Jennifer Norgbey, Kelley MBA Class of 2024
Age: 27
Hometown: Born in Accra Ghana, grew up in Holt, Michigan
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Michigan State University, BA in Marketing
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Five years comprised of sales, marketing, financial services
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I have always been fascinated by how a company is able to foster a bond between its products/brand and its consumers. I want to make an impact on society whether by leading a team to launch a campaign for a new brand or by creating and executing a marketing strategy for a new movie, TV show or artist. This is why I am interested in utilizing an MBA to pivot into and bridge these two areas: brand management and entertainment marketing. I also have a few business ideas I would like to launch later down the line and believe an MBA will afford me the knowledge, academic, professional and leadership experience necessary to make all these goals possible. I believe that based on my professional experiences so far, I am ready to take to my career to the next level and feel that an MBA would provide me a fully holistic experience that will allow me opportunity and flexibility to make this pivot.
Why did you choose Indiana Kelley? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
What attracted me to Kelley are its opportunities to gain hands-on experience, grow as a leader and its tight-knit community — attributes that I felt were crucial to my achieving my goals. Experiential learning opportunities through Globase and the Consumer Marketing Academy, will allow me to work with and problem solve for real companies, thereby equipping me to with the knowledge, skills and hands on experience needed to thrive in my future roles. In addition to its strong academic curriculum, Kelley offers numerous opportunities to grow as a leader through its professional and affinity clubs like the Marketing Club and Black MBA Association. Taking on leadership roles in these clubs while participating in the Leadership Academy will challenge me to elevate my leadership capabilities to even greater heights. When I visited Kelley during its Diversity Weekend in 2018, I left feeling like I was already part of the family based on my interactions with the faculty, admissions, current and prospective students. I experienced first-hand how close the current students were and their support of one another. They spoke of the collaborative culture, where fellow classmates were willing to offer interview prep for roles they themselves were after and these are reasons why I chose Kelley.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2024?
One of my most valuable contributions to the Class of 2024 is my ability to not be afraid to ask questions, especially in class. I think by asking questions regarding things I don’t know; I not only empower others to speak up when they otherwise would be afraid but I also help others get the answers to things they might have wanted to ask about but are hesitant because maybe they don’t want to put themselves out there or appear unintelligent.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
This past May, I competed in the Miss Michigan USA Pageant.
Post-MBA career interests: Post MBA, I would like to obtain a role as a marketing manager for a streaming service, movie or TV studio where I can help create opportunities for people to escape the sometimes challenging times in life. In the long term, I plan on returning home to Ghana and utilizing the experiences and skills I have gained in my previous roles to start my own marketing firm to help entrepreneurs launch their products and services as way of giving back to my country.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I was part of the Forte MBA Launch, a 10-month MBA prep program that walked participants through all the aspects of the application process and allowed me to take a GRE Prep course with my cohort. I really enjoyed this experience because I had the support of other women who were going through the same application process as I was and we able to help and keep each other accountable.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I remember spending a lot of time studying for the GRE and as I neared the application deadline did not have as much time as I would have liked to work on my essays. My advice for prospective applicants would be to work on balancing their time so that they don’t feel rushed toward the end as that causes a lot of stress.
What is your initial impression of the Indiana Kelley students/culture/community?
When I visited Kelley during its Diversity Weekend in 2018, I left feeling like I was already part of the family based on my interactions with the faculty, admissions, current and prospective students. I experienced first-hand how close the current students were and their support of one another. They spoke of the collaborative culture, where fellow classmates were willing to offer interview prep for roles they themselves were after and this still holds true now that I am here as a student.
What is one thing you have learned about Indiana Kelley that has surprised you?
This isn’t really surprising as I experienced during it the visit but it is really nice to see how my classmates are so ready and willing to support one another. I had a classmate offer to host a review session before an econ quiz and I think them taking time out of their busy schedule to help those of us who needed that extra time is what the Kelley Advantage is all about.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Learning how to balance class, networking, social events and the internship search.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I’m really excited to get to know my classmates and to close those knowledge gaps that brought me to business school so I can take my career to the next level.
