Billy Lescher, Georgetown McDonough MBA Class of 2025
Billy Lescher, Georgetown McDonough MBA Class of 2025Age: 27
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Pennsylvania, Political Science, Political Economy concentration
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Professional Baseball Player, Detroit Tigers Organization, 6 years (7 seasons)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Retiring from baseball was not an easy decision to make, but after earning admission to Georgetown, doing some personal reflection about what I wanted my next chapter to look like, and evaluating how my body was holding up after pitching for so many years, I was at peace with leaving the playing side of the game. I’m fortunate in being able to continue working in baseball with the Tigers front office and I want to broaden my skills and perspective at MSB to make the strongest possible transition from playing to the front office, and the strongest possible contribution to bringing a World Series Championship to Detroit.
Why did you choose McDonough? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The depth and quality of the MSB program, the values that the University upholds, and its location in the great city of Washington D.C. were prominent factors in my decision. I grew up in the DC area and, having spent so much time traveling across the country during my playing career, I understand just how fortunate I am to go to a great business school and be a part of the Hoya community in my favorite city.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Georgetown McDonough School of Business Class of 2025?
That’s a tough question given the breadth of talent in our McDonough class. I took a great deal of pride in being the best teammate possible on all the teams I played with throughout my career, and I would say my ability to help bring people together to accomplish their goals as part of a winning team will be a source of valuable contributions to our class. Professional baseball features teams rich in cultural diversity competing daily in a challenging environment, and I believe the lessons from my experience will translate powerfully to my time here at MSB.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I am all in on pickleball. About a year ago, an old friend of mine joined a local pickleball club. I gave him a hard time because I was under the impression the game was for an older demographic. Wow, I could not have been more wrong. I played a ton in the offseason before 2023 spring training, and in the month after retiring from baseball, before school started, I was at the courts with him daily, putting in pickleball work for hours.
Post-MBA career interests:
My career plan post-MBA is to continue to work in professional baseball. I have a ton of passion and love for the game, and my goal is to help an organization compete in October and win a championship. The game has given me, and my teammates, so much throughout my life; I will do my best to give back to it as well.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Try to meet someone who is involved with or works at the school you are considering. I was fortunate to meet Glen Nuenighoff, an associate director of operations in the MBA admissions office, who was an incredible help to me. He answered my questions and helped show the alignment of the MSB program and my career goals.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I probably waited a little too long before deciding to apply, and that made my window to complete the application tight. Like most people, I was caught up with work and still trying to determine if this was the right time to go back to school. In hindsight, I would start the process earlier, even before making a final decision, to provide a bit more time during the application window.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I never needed a resume before so the process of writing one was not the most enjoyable part of the application. I relied on the advice of family and friends in developing the resume and I think it turned out pretty good.
What is your initial impression of the the Georgetown McDonough School of Business students/culture/community?
Just incredible. Everyone is so welcoming and willing to help others with whatever they need. The student population is filled with brilliant people from all over the world who are here to learn and experience new things. It’s an awesome and exciting environment. We learned during opening term that one of Georgetown’s central tenets is the Latin phrase ‘Cura Personalis,’ which means ‘care of the whole person,’ and you see this tenet emphasized daily in all the people involved with the school.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Transitioning from the baseball diamond back into school. There aren’t a lot of financial accounting methods and finance involved with throwing a baseball. Fortunately, my classmates and professors have been a great help in making sure we have all the resources needed.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Continuing to get to know and learn more about my classmates. It has been an absolute blast getting to meet some of the incredible people who are here in the Class of 25.
