Women's History Month intends to honor, inspire, educate, unite and promote women in the face of forces intent on subjugating and silencing them. It is about those who overcame overt and imbedded assumptions and prejudice to be their best selves. RGB said it well:
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”
DAY 17: DR. RACHELLE KATZ
(Image from the Loyola Marymount University MBA school web page)
Former Associate Dean & Director of the LMU MBA Program.
Dr. Katz was the Associate Dean and MBA Director at Loyola Marymount University when I did my MBA in the early 2000s. My evolving career had created opportunities for which such a degree would be useful, and while I had been taking courses regularly to stay abreast in technology and such, it had been over a decade since I engaged in multi-course, formal education.
My application essay spoke to that. How returning to the classroom for this degree was my goal. How I’d really, really wanted to attend LMU out of high school, but could not afford to. How this degree at this moment of life would be a valuable contribution as I diversified my career and managerial options.
She spoke to this at our first meeting. She pointed out that my range of work experience and past education made me eligible for a shorter Executive MBA program, which was 9 classes instead of 21. I thanked her, but noted that much of my knowledge had been from a bachelor’s degree that I'd attained over ten years prior, on-the-job learning, and focused courses on a range of topics.
“I want full pain,” I joked. “I need to ensure that any gaps in my current knowledge were properly filled.”
She appreciated my approach, then went on to say that there were six different degree disciplines to select from: finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, organizational behavior, human resources and information systems.
"What specific discipline are you selecting?" she asked.
My response was easy. “I'll take courses that inspire & challenge me, and will lead towards my future career goals," I responded. "You can give it a name when I'm done."
She was intrigued by that, and we found ourselves in conversation often as I updated her on my journey. She came to appreciate my candor in discussing the program in general, and feedback on materials and instructors.
When I was entering my last semester, she called me into her office.
“You need to pick a discipline,” she said.
“What do I qualify for?” I responded.
She perused the courses that I'd completed.
“Finance, entrepreneurship, or organizational behavior,” was her response.
Given where my career has evolved to during my three years of part time classes while working full time, organizational behavior was the best fit. I had found that many employers didn’t focus on the discipline anyway, and my past experiences involving finance and entrepreneurship already had better recognition and certificates of completion anyway. This diversity led to me leaving a job title off of my business cards. There simply wasn't a single title that encompassed all that I offered.
My career grew robustly, and enabled my choice to leave that line of work after 35 years and pursue other interests. Dr. Katz and I remained kindred spirits, for her support and influence at the right place, at the right time, proved to be pivotal in my future successes.
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