Larisa Friesen Hall - Why an EMBA after 15 years in the nonprofit sector?

The following is an computer-generated summary of the video transcript.

So after 15 years in the nonprofit sector, I started the executive M. B. A. program at Georgetown because I knew that it was going to be part of my discernment process for figuring out what was next for me. I didn't know exactly what I had been in an organization that supported my growth. I had moved through several different roles over the years, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to make a pivot to corporate in some way. Um I knew without a shadow of the, of the doubt though, that if I decided to stay on the nonprofit sector, that there were key principles from business, um, and my business acumen and understanding that I wanted to strengthen, uh, and to bring back to the nonprofit sector. I'm also someone who likes to do things a little bit different. Um, so when someone notices that I have an M. B. A. In the nonprofit sector, um I love it when they ask me why did you choose an M. B. A. You could have done a lot of different things. My answer for folks has typically been, um, that it helps me to stand out. Uh, it has helped me to expand my network and it has allowed me to bring something unique, um, back to the space, not completely unusual, but also not nearly as common as a lot of other degrees that you find in the nonprofit sector. Really an example of uh, the space that this program creates for you to grow and expand in so many different ways. Before I started the program, I went to perspective student program. One of the things I remember the most was that the student alumni said that the key things that they took away from the program with the soft skills and that always stuck with me. You never really fully realized any of these things until you actually go through the program. I think a deep sense of self awareness really develops uh in ways that you can't predict when you go through a rigorous program like this. That also has some very intentional pieces built into it as well. How critical those uh deepening that sense of self awareness is uh in expanding and deepening uh my leadership journey as well has been really critical. You know, if you're looking for key skills, if you are looking to deepen and expand your network, if you are looking to really catapult yourself into a commitment of excellence and lifelong learning, this program is really, really excellent regardless of what industry or sector that you come from. I would say that uh, you know, like any NBA program, folks from the nonprofit sector like myself are in the minority. I think there were several more folks at, uh, in the Georgetown program than there would have been in a typical program that was gonna be about six or seven of us. We really were able to not just learn from each other in terms of how we're taking this work back to the sector, but also, uh, really learn from our colleagues from all different business industries and sectors as well in ways that are, we're just so incredibly important for our personal growth.