Hope Kabel ’23
When Hope graduated from Wesleyan, she moved to Bogotá, Colombia, to teach English for a year. She stayed for seven.
“It was a very long year,” she laughed.
Her experience living and working abroad has shaped her perspective as a Kellogg student where 36% of the class of 2023 is international.
“My entire career has been a mishmash of cultures working together. But I think that experience helps a lot in the classroom.”
Immigrating with Hope from Colombia is her husband, Mauricio. One of the reasons she chose Kellogg was the emphasis on opportunities for Joint Ventures (what Kellogg calls significant others) during the admissions process. “I knew I was going to have a built-in community," Hope said, "but knowing my husband was also going to have the same support and resources was really important. I think for people with partners, especially international students, it’s so important to have that.”
Joint Ventures are invited to participate in career coaching with the Career Management Center and to get involved with clubs. For example, Mauricio serves on the JV Executive Committee as the marketing and social director. It’s also possible for JVs to audit Kellogg classes.
"We decided that Kellogg was the best fit for us by thinking about the academic and social experience for Hope first, and then by thinking about how I would fit in at school and in the city," Mauricio said. "Kellogg had the perfect balance: great academics and culture, a strong community of JVs, and proximity to all of the opportunities that Chicago offers for me."
The JV experience was one of Hope’s biggest drivers for choosing Kellogg. The other? Kellogg’s world-class reputation in marketing. Hope’s main goal at Kellogg is to pivot into brand management for a consumer packaged goods company.
One of her biggest takeaways so far is that you don’t need to be an expert in everything to be a good leader. Maybe you’re interested in corporate finance, but you don’t want to become a CPA. Maybe you’re fascinated by marketing strategy, but you don’t want to run a marketing department. Hope says at Kellogg, that’s OK.
Coming from a psychology background, Hope wants to know why people do what they do. "I want to understand all aspects of the business to be a good teammate and leader.”
In the future, she’s looking forward to taking electives that will allow her to learn more about leadership, something very meaningful to Hope.
“I’ve been lucky to have some amazing bosses and leaders and my goal is to be like them for other people," she said. "I want to be the kind of leader that helps people become successful in whatever that means for them."
Besides new leadership opportunities, what is Hope looking forward to most about pivoting into CPG? Something she calls "tangibility."
Think about what you eat for breakfast. The shampoo you use.
"CPG is exciting because these products touch my every day life," Hope said.
She can't wait to see how Kellogg will help prepare her to make an impact in the things that appear in our cabinets and on our shelves.
There’s a school for everyone so really think about what’s important and meaningful to you. It’s an investment in your future and finding the best fit is something to think deeply about.
What has been your most memorable Kellogg experience?
The Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament during CIM (Complete Immersion in Management). It sounds silly because it's a very small thing that has nothing to do with academics, but it was amazing to see people get so enthusiastic to cheer each other on. My worst nightmare is standing in front of 500 people playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, but I still tried my hardest to win because I’m competitive. Happy I lost, though!
What has surprised you most during your time at Kellogg?
Everyone talks about Kellogg being welcoming, but we are all still high achievers. I was happily surprised it has been such a supportive environment. If someone has an insight to something that will help us do well on a paper or test, people will share it. It’s not like if someone else gets an A, I can’t get an A. It’s a very collaborative culture where people care about others being successful in addition to themselves.
Share something you’ve learned that you see being valuable throughout your career.
Be aware there are things you don’t know. Everyone has a unique perspective. Ask questions! I want to be a critical thinker who can lead others with that knowledge.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a Kellogg MBA?
There’s a school for everyone so really think about what’s important and meaningful to you. It’s an investment in your future and finding the best fit is something to think deeply about. Don't only focus on what the rankings say. Obviously, Kellogg is a top-ranked school. But a name is a name. The experience you have is more important.
