Back in high school, my strongest subjects were English, Social Studies, and Art, while I struggled with math and science. This cultivated a fear of STEM subjects, and as a result, I self-labeled as an “arts and humanities” person. In hindsight, that label was a fence I built around my own potential.
When I pursued my undergraduate degree in Business, I concentrated on marketing and international business, areas I felt were complementary to my skills. This decision was largely driven by my desire to maintain a high GPA and be competitive for job opportunities. I avoided quantitative courses out of fear I wouldn’t perform well. Imagine my surprise when I got an A in an upper-level Business Data and Decisions class, the final required course in my degree.
Even more unexpected was how much I enjoyed the class, especially the module on solving linear programming problems using Excel Solver. That class planted a seed that would remain dormant for years to come.
After graduation, I began my first job in management consulting. I wasn’t placed in a specific functional area but was consistently assigned to roles that did not ignite any spark within me. As someone who “lives to work,” I needed my job to contribute to a greater purpose. (For any personality test nerds, my top CliftonStrength is Significance, which translates into doing meaningful work that is part of something larger than myself.)
The first two years of work taught me a lot, but they weren’t fulfilling. I hypothesized that my dream role might lie at the intersection of business and non-profit but had no idea how to make that a reality.
In consulting, it’s encouraged to take on extra projects like volunteering for employee resource groups, supporting proposals, or leading internal initiatives. I decided to say “yes” to everything that came my way, in hopes of better understanding what kind of work I was interested in. One day, a proposal landed in front of me that would completely change the trajectory of my career.
It was a proposal focused on developing responsible labor practices for a group of clothing retailers. I remember thinking, “This is it.” I couldn’t explain why, but I felt a sense of connection greater than anything I had felt towards my other work. I decided to follow that intuition.
Over the next year and a half, I sought out coffee chats, joined mentorship programs, and researched the supply chain field. With every conversation, it became clearer: this was the path I was meant to follow. When I discovered the Supply Chain MicroMasters offered through my employer, I signed up without hesitation.
The commitment required for the MicroMasters was substantial —five courses and a comprehensive final exam, all while balancing my full-time job and personal life. Colleagues who participated in the program warned me about the heavy workload and quantitative focus on math and statistics. The thought of diving back into math was daunting, but I knew this was necessary to pursue my passion. The fear that once held me back had faded, and I wanted to be capable of more.
It took me three years to finish the MicroMasters. During that time, I continued working full-time and studied during evenings and weekends. My study buddy and I spent more time together than I did with my family (love you, Victoria!). There were countless late nights, weekends sacrificed, and moments of teary frustration. I was determined to finish no matter how long it took as this set me up for my next milestone: applying to the Supply Chain Management Blended (SCMb) program at MIT.
That milestone became my north star—sometimes shining brightly in the distance, other times barely visible against a clouded sky, but always there, guiding me forward.
Fast forward to today: I’ve accepted my offer to join the class of 2025 SCMb cohort and have been living in Cambridge for two months. Every day, I feel fortunate to learn from world-class professors, collaborate with incredible peers, research with a brilliant capstone partner, and immerse myself in a field I love.
I look back fondly at the twists and turns that brought me to the world of supply chain. From growing up with a fear of math to diving headfirst into analytics, data science, and machine learning, my journey to MIT has been one of personal growth, hard work, and sacrifice. There are moments when I regret not pursuing my intuition from that Data and Decisions class sooner—what might my life look like today if I had listened to myself? But whenever that regret creeps in, I remind myself of this proverb:
The best time to start anything was yesterday. The second best time is today.
Pre-MIT: I came to visit MIT in Aug 2023 prior to applying for SCMb, and got to see the campus and meet the famous Dr. Josue Velazquez
A family photo with my roomies (we’re all in SCMb)
Christina (my capstone partner) and I at the SCALE Research Expo
My team making the finals for the Supply Chain Network Design challenge, taking a photo with our instructor Austin
My study buddies from work (Victoria, Ashley, me) and I finally getting together after I moved to Cambridge and meeting the famous Dr. Caplice in person