1. Hometown: We moved around a lot when I was a kid, so I don't really have a "hometown" per se. My parents were missionaries in Namibia (Southern Africa), where I lived from age 5 to 13 and my family comes from Oklahoma and Alabama.
2. Current city: Baltimore, Maryland
3. Other degrees: BS in Economics, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2010); Graduate coursework in Arabic Language and Literature as Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, American University in Cairo (2010-2011); Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance, Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University (expected 2026)
4. Current Role: Full-time music student
5. How did your career start? My career started as a McKinsey summer intern in the Dubai office when I was studying at Georgetown. I spent a summer working with different clients in the UAE and Qatar and really enjoyed my colleagues, the learning environment and travel opportunities from a place like Dubai. I chose to return to McKinsey full-time after completing my degree at Georgetown and over the next five years, had the privilege of working in more than half a dozen countries and helping some of the region's public and private sector leaders make big decisions about the future of their organizations and countries.
After 5 years in Dubai and 2 years in Paris (also with McKinsey), I returned to my childhood home of Namibia to work for a local Private Equity fund and, in parallel, set up a school for the performing arts. However, once there, I realized that I first needed to attend music school (a lifelong dream) before trying to create that opportunity for others. This realization led me to return to the states for a second Bachelor's degree in music, which I am now pursuing at the Peabody Conservatory.
6. What is your favorite IBD memory? Class presentations for Professor Marc Busch - an adrenaline rush I will never forget, and great preparation for the real world of high stakes presentations to senior audiences.
7. How did your experience in IBD prepare you for your career? IBD helped me most by clearly illustrating the interplay between private sector commercial interests and public sector forces that are at play globally, but particularly visible in regions such as the Middle East, where the state plays a very visible role in the private sector
8. What was your most memorable IBD course? INAF 508 - Marc Busch's IBD gateway course was my favorite IBD course. Why? I loved how Professor Busch was able to break down the most complex topics into the most obvious-sounding insights. I also appreciated the cross-pollination between Georgetown undergraduate students, SFS graduate students and MBA students.