Chris Adusei-Poku, Northwestern Kellogg’s MBA Class of 2026
Age: 26
Hometown: Haymarket, VA/Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Stanford University; B.S. in Management Science & Engineering; M.A. in Communication
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Director, Investor Relations at Gateway Group (3 Years, all based in Newport Beach, CA)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I always had an inkling that business school could be in the cards for me. A few of the classes that I remembered and enjoyed most during my undergraduate experience were from the MBA program, and I remember feeling impressed enough by the exceptional students and professors in those classes to take the GRE in my Senior Year! Then, although I very much appreciate the early responsibility and experience afforded by my first professional position out of school, I could tell that it was time for me to pursue additional opportunities if I wanted to make my career goals a reality.
Why did you choose Northwestern Kellogg? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
First of all, Kellogg checks all of the standard boxes that most incoming students consider. Clear recruiting opportunities (and lots of support), well-renowned faculty, proximity to Chicago, etc., were all important factors in my decision. Most importantly, though, to the idea of making my career goals a reality, I can’t imagine a more perfect opportunity than attending Kellogg! I was considering several programs when I visited for DAK (Day at Kellogg), and within a few hours I could tell that Kellogg felt like the place I was destined to choose. There is such a focus here on becoming a “Kellogg leader,” or an executive who is both able to influence change and emphasize ethics and deeper purpose (“high-impact, low-ego” is an oft-used mantra in our discussions). Keeping these two priorities in tandem is an important part of my vision for the type of leader that I would like to be someday, and I am confident that Kellogg will be an important step along my career journey to help me get there.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2026?
By background, I have had the privilege of living, attending school, participating in extra-curricular activities, and working in a wide variety of places and environments. I hope to use the breadth of my background both to be able to connect with a wide range of my classmates on a deeper level and to supplement our class discussions with unique examples and experiences. That said, this is also an area where I’m so excited to meet more of my classmates so that they can do the same for me!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
A fun fact… well, when I was 15, while living in Saudi Arabia, I played in a high school baseball prospect camp that rated me as the top U-16 baseball prospect in the entire Middle East! I also was able to play in games with the Burj Khalifa hovering over us in the background. I did enjoy several other cool baseball experiences in my career (like catching bullpens in the Cape Cod Baseball League, for example) but few of those came close to playing under the Dubai skyline.
All I ask? Please don’t ask how many players there were in my age group at the time…
Post-MBA career interests:
Over the long term, I am really passionate about the impact that professional sports have on shaping culture and society globally. In my Master’s program, I wrote a thesis that compared the many examples of athlete activism and examined how the professional leagues for which these athletes played either empowered (or, in many cases, hindered) those athletes’ pursuits of driving social change. In my career, I aspire to work within a professional sports franchise, combining sports, business, and societal impact. How do I define the best path for me to get to those positions? Well, I plan to use my time at Kellogg to figure out just that answer!
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Attend DAK, or at least the virtual component, if possible! Many of the ideas that are communicated on the website, through conversations with alums, and even through my answers here are easy to understand but harder to feel. I was on the fence about attending at the time, but being on campus really helped crystallize what it means to attend Kellogg, and I am already glad that I did.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I think that I could have more clearly defined my priorities in what I was looking for in an MBA program, and once I had those priorities in order, I believe I could have asked better questions of the alumni and mentors with whom I spoke in order to really circle the program or programs that were right for me. In the end, I’m confident that I got to a place where I knew what I was looking for, but it was an extended process for sure.
Candidly, my finances and my ability to cover the cost of attending Kellogg definitely played a factor in my decision as well. Pursuing an MBA is such a personal decision, so I won’t speak to how others should feel. Still, I nearly let the fear of too much of a short-term financial commitment stand in the way of what I believed to be the better decision for me over the longer term, and I am glad that I resisted the urge to reduce my loan amount for what may have turned out to be a lesser opportunity. I very much feel as if I am making a strongly positive investment into my future, and I am confident that Kellogg will prepare me to build a financially stable future for myself – loans notwithstanding.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I was admitted after being deferred in Round 1… so that’s probably the part that I could’ve done without! Still, though, I took every opportunity to stay engaged and submit updates on my progress over the months between my initial response and my admission decision, and thankfully, patience and perseverance worked in my favor.
What is your initial impression of the Northwestern Kellogg students/culture/community?
What a social and supportive group the people at Kellogg are proving to be! I have consistently felt and very much appreciate the supportive and collaborative nature of my Kellogg peers. We have landed on what feels like a shared belief in both climbing our respective career ladders together and extending helping hands to others when we have advice or help from which they can benefit. Also, Kellogg has a side that is just plain fun! Whatever fun means to you, there seems to be a Slack Channel and a community for that here.
What is one thing you have learned about Northwestern Kellogg that has surprised you?
I came in with the impression that much of the socializing that takes place in business school is with “building a network” in mind. There’s some of that, sure, but I have consistently felt that the connections that I’m making at Kellogg are with people who want to be my friends first and connections second. That feeling has made for what feels like such a healthy set of early interactions, and I can’t wait to see where my new relationships go from here.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Honestly, cold weather! I am constantly reminded that “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,” and I’m really trying to believe that. Still, I’d gotten comfy in California, so I’m sure there will be a few shockingly cold mornings ahead for me this winter. Otherwise, I hope to be able to effectively manage my time to fit everything in all at once – class, socializing, clubs, recruiting, etc. (sleep?) are all on all of our plates at once, and I look forward to finding a balance that can allow me to get the most out of my time in Evanston.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Exploring and traveling! Kellogg students seem very motivated to plan and take interesting trips (or treks, as they are often called). I can’t wait to travel with my classmates, whether that is to far flung hometowns or on completely new excursions, I’m sure those experiences will be a blast. Picking and choosing may be the hardest part!
