Isaiah Wilson, Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2025
Isaiah Wilson, Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2025Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of North Carolina, Charlotte with a double major in Finance and Accounting.
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Bank of America, 7 years, 2 years as Commercial Banking Relationship Manager.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I decided to attend business school now because I felt as though I had developed enough experience that I could meaningfully contribute to my classmates and enough maturity to which I could successfully navigate and take advantage of all that the business school experience has to offer. Throughout my career so far I have been able to explore — having the fortune of trying out different roles, experiencing life in different cities across the U.S., and working with many different talented professionals in the financial services industry. I saw business school as an opportunity to continue my exploration of career and lifestyle while connecting with experienced professionals from all over the world and from different industries. The academic environment is an experimental platform that allows me to safely step out of my comfort zone and test new ideas for what I want the next stage of my life to look like.
Why did you choose Berkeley Haas? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I was drawn to Berkeley Haas for a few different reasons: the entrepreneurial spirit and tech industry ties that flow throughout campus and the Bay Area, the robust academic offerings, a community focused on inclusion, and an institution with a history of developing leaders who desire to have a positive impact on the world. All of these reasons were important but one that truly influenced my decision was the culture of students who genuinely want to help. When I was looking at deciding on what school to attend, I was focused on what communities I felt were the best fit for me, where I could be challenged both personally and professionally in ways that would help me grow, and where I could learn from others who have achieved or are working on the types of things that I aspire to do.
Also, coming from the Midwest, the prospect of leaving the snow behind for sunshine and access to nature year-round helped a bit in my decision-making process!
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Berkeley Haas School of Business Class of 2025?
I am known to have somewhat of a stoic temperament, something I believe can be valuable, especially during times of stress such as recruiting and finals. Business school is a two-year journey filled with many highs and lows and so I think it’s helpful to have someone in your corner who can be a supportive voice when it feels like life becomes a bit too loud.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I enjoy being able to teach people new things and during the summer, with one of my best friends, I was able to coach 11 and under boys’ traveling basketball. Although a stressful experience at times, it was incredibly rewarding to be able to see the development of the kids and have the opportunity to use sports and competition to teach life-long lessons such as the value of resiliency and perseverance. Sports were a big part of my childhood and development throughout my adolescence so being able to give back and share that with others was meaningful to me.
Post-MBA career interests:
I’m interested in exploring product management and strategy roles within the tech industry, either in the BigTech or FinTech space.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Allow yourself to write freely when brainstorming ideas in the early stages of crafting your essays. Don’t place limits on yourself by feeling like you have to have the foundation of your essay written the first time you sit down to write. Enjoy the process and allow yourself to be creative when structuring your story in a way that is truly authentic to you. Your story is unique and interesting so it helps to find anecdotes from your life that are meaningful to you and can speak to the type of person you are and aspire to become. The essay writing experience can be somewhat of a therapeutic exercise if you allow yourself to embrace the journey and not be solely focused on the end result.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would start studying, in a much more structured way, earlier for the GMAT/GRE. When I began studying to take the GMAT, I took the approach of just trying to get many questions and reps done to remember concepts and see trends but it wasn’t the most efficient use of time or the best way to reinforce learning. It became hard to drill down on areas that I found more challenging to master and eventually when I began using an error tracker, I was able to become more strategic in my approach to studying the concepts and the tricks for successfully tackling the different question types.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Probably a common answer among many but I would have skipped the GMAT/GRE. I was able to get through it by writing down why I was doing it as a reminder to keep progressing and by becoming very disciplined in my approach to taking the test. If I wanted to make progress, I needed to make studying a priority because life would get busy and it would become easy to justify putting off studying. Although it was a rewarding feeling to be done with testing, I would have rather spent time outside instead of with my GMAT questions and whiteboard 😊
What is your initial impression of the Berkeley Haas students/culture/community?
Amazing! So many of the students come from different places across the US and from around the world so students are always looking for ways to connect and get to know each other. Whether it be through weekend trips, group dinners, game nights, or bar crawls, there has been no shortage of opportunities to connect with genuine people who are both interesting and interested in learning about you as a person. The community has showcased a culture of being very inviting, supportive, and understanding, which I have greatly appreciated.
What is one thing you have learned about Berkeley Haas that has surprised you?
The many different opportunities to get involved to be able to try things that you might be interested in learning about or are passionate about. From being able to work with startups during the semester through Berkeley SkyDeck to volunteering with Bay Area nonprofits through the Bears on Boards program there are plenty of ways outside of the classroom to have an impact while exploring something new.
I also didn’t realize how strong the school spirit is…Go Bears!
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Finding the time to balance everything. As soon as I stepped foot on campus, my calendar immediately filled up with classes, social events, networking opportunities, and industry exploration sessions, and so it has become a challenge, albeit a good one, to figure out what and how to prioritize. There are so many options for how I can spend each day, so it can feel a bit overwhelming when trying to figure out what to turn down and what would help me maximize the value of each day. As a professor told us during the first week of class, it is advantageous to embrace JOMO (joy of missing out)!
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
The opportunity to travel with my classmates, whether it be on an international trek, a weekend of fun in Vegas, a camping trip to Yosemite, or a visit to a corporate headquarters. It’s not often that you get the opportunity to travel with hundreds of your new friends!
