Clara Roth ’22 MiM
Clara Roth grew up learning about architecture from the time she was a child, thanks to her dad, an architect himself. “It was a big factor in my life. We were always doing tours of cities on vacation and learning about buildings and architecture,” she said.
So, a career in architecture seemed like a no-brainer for this Princeton undergrad who came to Northwestern on a scholarship for field hockey. Except: “I was on the fence after finishing my architecture degree in undergrad on whether or not I wanted to become an architect myself. Or if I wanted to pursue something different.”
Her decision to do the Master in Management program at Kellogg was simple, she planned to explore her options in the architecture field, gain clarity around her career path, and not spend three more years in school.
A factor for me in choosing Kellogg was Chicago. I was excited about moving here. My friends and family were excited that I was coming here for school. I'd always wanted to visit and the fact that the MiM program was downtown, right in the city, was exciting to me.
A welcoming, diverse Kellogg community
Her first impression of the student community was that it was open and welcoming. “It’s something that Kellogg promotes but you never know if it's true until you're there. But it was.”
Another thing she liked right from the start was the diversity. “People's personal backgrounds, academic backgrounds, the kind of experiences that they've gone through in life. I knew from the start that it would be an interesting time with interesting people.”
Getting comfortable in the unknown
One of the hardest parts for Clara was the rigor of the new subjects in the MiM program. “You think you've learned everything in undergrad and then you take Intro to Finance, and you think, ‘I haven't learned anything in undergrad.’ You take so many different classes on so many different subjects,” she said. “So yes, it was definitely challenging but not undoable. It’s good to be uncomfortable.”
As classes started, a larger theme evolved. “Collaboration. Every single class revolves around group work. You have to fully integrate yourself in the cohort of people to make it work,” she said. “There's no way around it. You have to ask others for help. You have to collaborate with others. You have to share your ideas with others and listen to their ideas and find a middle ground. It’s exactly how I work at my job now.”
Engaging academic mentorship
Clara knew she wanted career options that didn’t involve another three years of schooling. “The MiM program is only 10 months long, and it goes by really fast. You have to make the most of the classes and soak everything in and take every opportunity from the beginning.”
Another program benefit? The professors. “They were extremely engaging,” she said. “They were curious in learning about me as a person, about my career interests, and what I wanted to do. They cared about my holistic development as a person and my holistic skill set rather than just driving me in one direction.”
How MiM changed her career trajectory
“I knew I wanted to be in architecture,” she said, “but I didn't know quite where. This program gave me insight into different areas of work, like marketing, accounting, finance, consulting, management and communications. I quickly found that I really enjoyed communications, which I didn't know about prior to starting the program. It’s definitely had a big impact on my career.”
The program also helped Clara gain confidence in her choice of career. “This might sound cheesy,” she said, “but I felt in charge of my destiny. I could choose where I wanted to go with this degree. I could choose what I wanted to do compared to after my undergrad. I have options.”
Clara’s advice for those considering pursuing the MiM program is this: “Either you know what you're doing, but you feel that your undergrad didn’t quite prepare you for it,” she said. “Or you don't quite know what you want to do yet, and you want to explore different career options. This program will help with both.”
And for a student just starting the program? “Ten months goes by really, really fast. Connect with your cohort as early as possible. Make the most of it from the first day.”
It's great being part of the alumni network at Kellogg, both connecting with older alumni and within my own cohort. I made a lot of friends through the Master in Management program. I was new to Chicago, and about half of the people in the program stayed in the city after graduating. We all still stay in touch, and we still meet on a regular basis.
Discovering her career confidence and direction
