Caroline Eastman, UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA Class of 2024
Age: 27
Hometown: East Granby, CT
Undergraduate Institution and Major: United States Coast Guard Academy
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Officer in the United States Coast Guard
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I was at a turning point in my career where I was really enjoying the type of work I was doing and wanted to expand the scope of what I could work on. Prior to business school, I was in the Coast Guard as a systems integration officer. I worked with teams to acquire, integrate, and enhance systems that supported operations. The position gave me the opportunity to solve complex problems, personally lead teams to implement the solution, and then optimize the process to make it as efficient as possible. After that experience, I knew I wanted to continue working in problem-solving roles across different industries and needed to pursue an MBA to learn the hard skill frameworks to be successful in my transition.
Why did you choose UNC Kenan-Flagler? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I chose UNC Kenan-Flagler because of my experience talking to prior MBA students. I initially reached out to the Veterans Association and the people I talked to went out of their way to help answer my questions and were incredibly kind. They periodically reached out to see how I was doing and put me in contact with other students to talk to about my more specific questions. Even after I was accepted, they gave me advice on where to live, how to make the most of my transition to grad school, and gave me career advice.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2024?
I think my contribution to the class of 2024 is my temperament. I am surrounded by incredibly smart and accomplished classmates who are pursuing demanding but rewarding careers, so when times inevitably get very stressful for all of us, I think my contribution will be my stability.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
My car has a small dent on the hood that has an odd story behind it. I was stationed on a ship out of Key West, Florida when Hurricane Irma made landfall. I was underway at the time, so before leaving, in preparation for the storm, I parked my car on the highest part of the island, which is only a few feet above sea level. My car survived the hurricane with only a small dent from a fallen light post, and later that year, I drove it across the country to California. I kept the dent for the memory and took this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge after the end of my road trip!!
Post-MBA career interests:
I am interested in consulting. The idea of getting to work on projects across industries to solve challenging problems for clients is incredibly appealing to me.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Reach out to current students and alumni. The students and alumni I talked to helped me so much that their guidance has quite literally changed my life. I was initially worried about reaching out to people because I didn’t want to take up anyone’s time, but people want to help, so don’t hesitate to reach out.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have visited the campus prior to my application. I didn’t have the opportunity to visit prior to submitting my application, but if I had, I would have been even more convinced that UNC Kenan-Flagler was the correct fit for me.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would not have skipped this part, but writing a resume was challenging. Coming from a military background, I had never needed a resume, and going through the process of translating my professional story without acronyms or jargon was a process. What helped me get through it was sending my resume to different people, both from similar backgrounds to my own and to people with completely different perspectives. It not only made the process of editing my resume easier, but it also made me more comfortable asking for feedback and understanding the “language of business.”.
What is your initial impression of the UNC Kenan-Flagler students/culture/community?
The community is why I am at UNC Kenan-Flagler. People here are incredibly approachable and kind, and that was important to me because this will be my lifelong network. My initial perspective is that UNC Kenan-Flagler is very focused on teamwork, and it is clear that if you don’t work as a team, this experience will be very difficult. I appreciate the emphasis on teamwork in the UNC Kenan-Flagler community because it has given me the opportunity to work with and learn from my peers.
What is one thing you have learned about UNC Kenan-Flagler that has surprised you?
How much work has gone into preparing first-year students for internship recruiting. I did not know what to expect coming into the recruiting process, but we have been completing career labs since before school even started. Now we are working with clubs and concentrations to further prepare for recruiting. The knowledge that there is a large support structure in place has been incredibly reassuring.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
At this stage of the program, I am anxious about the academics, but part of the reason why I am pursuing an MBA is to learn these topics, so it is a good anxiety. Additionally, I am interested in pursuing the Business Analytics Management Science concentration and I know some of the courses in that concentration will be challenging but rewarding.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I am excited to get to know my classmates. We have already started working with each other and, so far, that has been the best part of the experience. From talking to peers, I have learned about professions I did not even know existed, learned about different business practices across the globe, and been able to hear about their exciting career goals. Getting to listen to what my classmates are passionate about has made me even more eager for the professional and educational opportunities we will have in the future.
