cmcquarters’s Articles at Heller Admissions Blog

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Event recap: Waffles and Wellness

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Why did Waldo go to therapy? To find himself. HA! Just trying something different to start today’s blog…did you laugh? No? Well, that’s fine. But that joke does lead us into what we are talking about today!

Last month, Brandeis Counseling Center and the office of Equity Inclusion and Diversity teamed up to put on a Self-Care series. The series hosted Waffles and Wellness on Thursdays and Mindful Mondays. Being that it was midterm month, I had no intention of stopping in at any of these events. I needed every minute of my day for tests and papers! But one fateful Thursday, the smell of waffles drifted into my classroom and all at once, my classmates began to look around wondering where that beautiful smell was coming from (that’s how they lure you in, free food). I had coffee and breakfast already that morning, so I wasn’t too hungry, but after class, I chose to follow my friends to a nearby study room where Waffles and Wellness was just getting started and sat down waiting for my friends to finish eating. I wasn’t looking to talk about wellness or really to talk at all. I was just patiently waiting.

Now let me pause here and say I LOVE therapy. I am a big advocate for everyone to do at least a few sessions every couple of years just to check in and make sure they are in a good place mentally. I did therapy during my undergrad years, and it was truly lifesaving. So, by no means am I opposed to the practice of therapy, but on this particular day, mental wellness was not at the top of my to do list. Now let’s get back to the story.

As I sat waiting patiently, watching waffles, both gluten-free and gluten-filled, being made fresh and passed out, Heller’s community therapist, Roxann, began going around the room presenting a deck of note cards for students to pick from. Each card had a definition for mental wellness. For example, the first card read “Mental wellness is taking a break”. Again, this was smack dab in the middle of midterm season, so I wasn’t the only one to chuckle after this card was read aloud. Roxann sensing the overwhelming rejection of this definition began asking those who were present questions and explained how essential stepping away from work was to overall productivity and success of any assignment. After this, another student picked from the deck and read aloud “Mental wellness is going to therapy”. Again, I chuckled, but this time, I was the only one… And if you didn’t know, laughing at going to therapy in front of a therapist is the fastest way to find yourself as a new client of that therapist, willing or unwilling (I’m kidding, sort of). Recognizing that I was the only one that laughed, I immediately looked up to lock eyes with Roxann, knowing that I wasn’t going to get away without sharing the reason behind my reaction.

Again, I want to pause. Please don’t think I was pressured to share or even be in the space. I was very much a willing participant. But there is something about being in an open space, with open people that compels you to be open too. And that was the point of the series, creating an environment for people to come together, share, learn how to care for each other and ourselves better, and get the necessary tools to practice every day. But once more, back to the story.

I won’t divulge everything that was discussed after that moment, but I will tell you that before I left that room, I sent Roxann an email requesting to start sessions with her the next week. Just like that, following people who were following the smell of waffles landed me back in therapy. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

That’s my story of Waffles and Wellness. As I tend to leave tidbits of advice in my blogs, I will leave you with this. Stay away from waffles. Kidding! You are never too busy to take care of you. Never.

Midterm Madness with Calah

April 18, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Hello and happy Spring! Last week, Waltham weather decided to give us a quick tease of warmth before reverting back to the cold and rain. Seeing as winter is my favorite season, I am in no rush to get to summer. However, it was nice to experience a bit of sunshine.

Today, I am going to share about something I accomplished this semester that I feel proud of: I made it through midterm season! Now you may be thinking, “Calah… really? That’s the accomplishment you want to highlight?” And the answer is, YES! From March 1st to March 31st, I completed 4 papers, 2 slide decks, 1 accounting midterm test, a 3 year budget projection spreadsheet, ended a Module 1 class, and started a new Module 2 class, all while working 2 jobs, attending board meetings as a board fellow, and engaging in extracurricular activities. *cue applause*

March 2023 was no doubt the longest month of my academic career dating back to preschool. But we made it! And before we start to panic about finals, which literally begin next week, I want to take a moment and celebrate!

When you’re going grad school, oftentimes it can be hard to recognize growth. Waking up and doing almost the same thing every day tends to feel more like just going through the motions rather than frequent eureka moments. This is exponentially true during midterms. When you’re focused on meeting the next deadline, you can lose sight of the knowledge you’re gaining along the way. Sometimes it isn’t until you get to apply your new skills to tasks outside of the classroom that you really see the fruits of your labor. This leads me to the accomplishment I really want to highlight.

A couple of weeks ago, I was on a coordinating call for my job as a program manager at a local non profit. The team was discussing the need to hire a few new people and wanted to figure how changes in hours and pay may affect our long term budget. *Cue my moment to shine.* My boss asks me if I can work on doing some budget projections to figure out the best course of action. Now, had he asked me this in January, I probably would have been able to figure something out over multiple days and through some tears. But it just so happened that the next week I had a midterm due in financial management around budgeting out a new three year program for a non profit organization. So what may have taken me days in January really only took me an hour and a half in March because I had been learning and practicing everything I needed to know for the last two months. *sheds a tear of joy*

I cannot express how great it felt to be able to immediately apply what I was learning in class. Like I said, when your days are filled with reading, Powerpoints, and lectures, it can be difficult to see how all of the learning pieces come together, or how all the theoretical and hypothetical will translate to “the real world”. But that moment of realization was also the moment of reassurance I needed to boost me through the rest of the semester.

So! I made it through March, a little wiser and with the gray stress hairs to match. But I celebrate those hairs with joy. They’re the proof in the pudding. 😉 And with that I will bid you all adieu for now. Don’t forget to step outside, get some Vitamin D, and watch the flowers bloom during this lovely Spring season.

Day in the Life of a Social Impact MBA Student

March 21, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Hello! Welcome to a day in my life as a Heller grad student. I am so happy to have you here. While you’re here, please don’t touch anything. My life may look messy, but it is organized. And though it is organized, it is currently balancing delicately on a tightrope and very sensitive to the slightest disturbances. So hands to yourself. And no judgment either! Let’s get started.

7AM: My alarm goes off

7:01 AM: Snooze my alarm (Remember, no judgment!)

7:15 AM: I get my day started to make sure I’m out of the door on time. Every morning usually starts with a cup of coffee and a weather check. Surprisingly, winter hasn’t been bad this year. For a person that loves winter, I am disappointed. But for everyone else, it’s been nice.

8:30 AM: I head out and start my trek to campus. I moved to Massachusetts with a car, but I also moved with my sister who works in Arlington. So most days she takes the car and I get a workout. Fortunately for me, I only live about 20-25 minutes from campus (depending on how fast I want to walk that day). Unfortunately for me, about 15 of those minutes are uphill.

9AM: I arrive at Heller to start my shift as a Graduate Assistant in Admissions. This semester I work Mondays and Tuesdays. I answer emails, do some assigned tasks, and conduct an admissions interview for an MBA applicant (one of my favorite parts of the job). Because my shift is only three hours, time flies by.

12PM: I pack up my things and try to find a quiet corner to spend a few minutes studying. Why? Stay tuned and find out!

12:20 PM: I head downstairs for a meeting that starts in 10 minutes, but I don’t quite make it there because the Zinner forum is all decked out! It’s not just any Tuesday. It’s Valentine’s Day. There are chocolates, cupcakes, and coffee galore! And directly in the middle of Zinner is a table for people to stop by and write affirmations for the special people in their lives. I see a couple of my friends/cohort mates and take the opportunity to grab a treat!

12:30 PM: I head to Heller Alumni Lounge for the Board Fellows Orientation. Social Impact MBA students have the opportunity to serve as a Board Fellow starting their second semester. The program lasts one year, during which students are matched with a local non-profit and serve as a non-voting board member. Though many of us have already attended our first board meeting, this is an opportunity for all of the Board Fellows to come together, talk about our experiences and get insight from the Career Development Center on how to take full advantage of the year. Today, we also get to speak to Sean C. Rush, who serves on the Board of Advisors at Heller. This is a prime example of unique opportunities made available to students.

2PM: As all interesting meetings tend to do, the orientation starts to go a little long, but we end just in time for all of my cohort mates to scramble to an open room and take 20 minutes to panic and study. Why?

2:20 PM: Managerial Accounting. We have a quiz. I go in, sit, get my quiz, say a prayer, and get to work. I finish and go back out to Zinner, where I eat more sweet treats and write a couple notes on the affirmation cards. As my classmates get done, one by one, they start the conversation of “what did you get for this answer” and “I got all A’s for multiple choice”. Normally I don’t engage in these conversations. It is a trap to make you doubt everything you know in the world. I especially don’t engage in this particular conversation because I did not get A as an answer for any of the multiple choice… Eventually, everyone finishes and we all file back into class for the second half, where we learn new information.

5:10 PM: Class is over and I hitch a ride back down the hill to my apartment.

5:20 PM: I take some time to do nothing. This is very important in grad school. Life cannot always be go go go. That is the easiest way to experience burn out early in your grad school journey. Remember, it is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself.

6PM: I get dinner started. I love to cook! So this activity doubles as a hobby outside of school and a requirement to stay alive.

7PM: I sit down to eat and check emails. In addition to working at Heller, I also have a part time job as a program manager for a local non profit. This job allows me to set my own schedule. So on days my schedule is a little more packed, this work gets reserved for the evening.

8PM: I start reading for my Thursday class. My general rule for grad school reading is to start at least two days before it is due. If you start the night before, chances are you won’t get to everything.

10PM-11PM: Do more nothing. One thing I truly hate is dreaming about what I am studying at the time. When this happens, I never really feel rested the next morning. So I like to take time before bed to do more nothing, whether that’s watching a show, scrolling on Tiktok, or talking to my parents. Remember, nothing is important!

11PM: Fall asleep thinking about all the things I have to do tomorrow.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my life. As I said before, it is messily organized and hectically balanced. But overall, I love it. I’m still trying to schedule in a few workout sessions a week in addition to my hike up the hill. And I did choose to ignore my laundry today, but all of the doing and not doing comes together to make an abstract picture of me.

The Ultimate Balancing Act: School and Work

March 7, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

The most common question I have been asked during panel discussions, prospective student visits, and interviews is “Is it possible to work and go to school at the same time”? Well, I am here to answer this question once and for all for everyone: it depends. I know, I know. That is likely not the answer you were anticipating or wanting to hear, but it’s the truth! Every person is different. Every person’s capacity is different. Every person’s needs are different. Because of this, there is no one answer to this question. However, today, I will tell you about my experience balancing work and school.

This semester, in addition to taking 6 classes (20 credits), I also have two part time jobs. (I got exhausted just typing that out!) I am a Graduate Assistant for Heller’s Admissions department, hence the beautifully written blog posts you all receive from me regularly ;). I also work as a Program Manager for a local non-profit organization dedicated to healthy aging. I started both jobs in the same week and about a month after classes started (it was a very busy September). Combined, my jobs take up about 20-25 hours of my week outside of class and each requires something very different of me. As a GA, I spend the majority of my time talking to you all through emails, visits, and interviews. As a Program Manager, I am responsible for making sure programs run smoothly, grant reporting, meeting with local stakeholders, and whatever else is needed (such as being a website designer…). My GA role is in person while my other role is remote. As a GA I have a structured weekly schedule, but as a program manager I set my own hours. (Side note: flexible, remote jobs can be equally amazing and tricky. While you can work when you want and in whatever attire you want, the battle between napping and productivity is real and difficult every day. If I am transparent, napping has won more daily battles than productivity…) These two jobs are very different in so many ways. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and each is teaching me something new almost daily! I share this information for two reasons: to show it is possible to work and be a full-time student and to also show the range of jobs accessible at Heller and the greater Boston area.

Now, before you run to start submitting job applications, let’s all take a step back and remember what I said in the beginning. Everyone is different. It has taken much trial and error to learn how to semi successfully balance school and work (not to mention extracurriculars). I have three different calendars and alarms galore to help me manage my time, and even with all of that, some days I still get behind. So why do I do it? Two reasons: capacity and need. As a person that loves being on the go, I tend to be energized by doing. I love being a busy bee and I haven’t run out of capacity (yet… we’re coming close). Also, life in the Boston area can be expensive (especially for a girl coming from Oklahoma!). As I said, everyone’s needs are different and right now, mine require a little extra money for monthly movie outings to keep me from going crazy :).

So there ya go! Is it possible? Yes. Is it necessary? That’s up to you, your capacity, and your needs. Either way, make sure what you’re committing your time to is serving you just as much as you are serving it.

Sample Semester Schedule from A Social Impact MBA Student

February 16, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Here we are, five weeks into the semester. The New Year seems like it was just yesterday, but somehow midterms are just a whisper away. With time racing by and deadlines approaching, I thought I’d stop and take a moment to give you all a glimpse into what it’s like being a second semester Social Impact MBA Student.

Let’s start with Tuesday, Managerial Accounting (required). “Calah! What about Monday?” Well, there are no MBA classes on Mondays this semester. However, for many of us, that day is filled with work, internships, future planning, etc. But let’s not get into that right now… Back to Tuesday. Managerial Accounting starts at 2:20 PM and ends at 5:10 PM. For this class, reading and homework are voluntary, but I would strongly recommend both! When testing rolls around (like today), it comes in handy!

On Wednesdays I have two classes: Social Policy and Management through the Lens of Equity (elective) from 9 AM to 12 PM and Financial Management (required) from 2:30 PM to 5:20 PM. The electives you choose to take are often just as important as the required courses, but not for the reasons you may think. While you are still learning theory and/or practical tools in your elective courses, these courses are also almost like a refreshing pause. It is a time to really engage in material you are passionate about. Not to say someone can’t be passionate about balance sheets and process flow charts, but I would much rather discuss intersectionality. Reading for different elective courses may be optional, but I have found that it is often some of the most engaging material. We are always more inclined to read what we are passionate about. As for Financial Management, this class provides multiple opportunities to engage in real world application. All of the opportunities are mandatory assignments (lol), but as I recognize my understanding of financial planning and decision-making grow, I don’t mind them too much (most of the time…).

Strategic Management (required) happens on Thursdays from 9:35 AM to 12:25 PM. This is where reading becomes a little more mandatory and also a little more intensive. Recommendation: don’t start the reading for this class the night before. You will not finish. The same goes for Operations Management.

Friday mornings are for Operations Management (required) from 9:35 AM to 12:25 PM. You can’t get to the weekend without going over process flow, capacity, and bottlenecks, right! Although they are content heavy, a particular highlight of the Strategic and Operations Management courses is the field project for each class. Do you have an idea of what you want to do post-graduation and/or the organization/sector you want to work in? The field projects allow you to get a head start. While it personally feels a tad daunting, I am grateful for the challenge and the encouragement to start thinking about the future. After all, I won’t be in school forever. *asks self if that is an option…*

A common theme for all of my classes this semester and classes at Heller in general is: you choose. You choose when, what, and how much to read and engage with the material given. Most courses only have an average of 3 to 5 required assignments for the semester, but outside of those, it’s up to you. This has been one of the biggest adjustments for grad school life. During my time in undergrad, I was the all nighter, study beforer, and never reader. My, how times have changed! Not necessarily because the amount of content changed, but because I chose to change. I knew coming into Heller, I wanted to learn and take advantage of every group project, individual paper, case study, and article reading. Now, realistically have I skimmed through a handful of articles while ignoring a couple others? Yes. But who doesn’t! It is all about balance. Doing what you need to do today so tomorrow isn’t too hectic. But if you choose to take a nap instead of making a spreadsheet, don’t worry. Lack of rest can cause a bottleneck in your brain and limit capacity. I learned that in Operations. 😉

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in the Application Process

January 24, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

“Impostor syndrome, also known as impostor phenomenon or impostorism, is a psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.”

Recently, a prospective student asked how my application process for Heller was. I chuckled to myself and responded, “dramatic”.

I quickly let her know this was not because of anything Heller had done. Every student and admissions director I spoke to during my application process was kind and engaging (shout-out to the admissions office!). But that left the question, why was it so dramatic?

Well, the short answer is: me. However, the longer answer speaks to something I believe we all feel at some point in our lives, especially when trying something new.

Prior to attending Heller, I worked in my hometown, helping to open a museum about the Historic Greenwood District and 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre (if you haven’t heard of this before, take some time today to learn about it!). Prior to that, I was in school, double majoring in Afro-American Studies and Political Science.

I tell you this to show how far my interests were from anything related to business! But when I decided to pursue an MBA, I did so with the same enthusiasm and vigor I had when pursuing my love of history and politics. Starting September 2021, I signed up for any and all virtual MBA fairs, signed up to take the GMAT, and got to work.

About a month later, all my work had stalled or stopped. I dreaded going to MBA fairs, just to be told I should think about not pursuing an MBA until I knew exactly what I wanted to do post-graduation. I got anxious every time I thought about studying for the GMAT. I felt so unmotivated. And as I reflect on that time now, I can see I was really just afraid. Afraid of not knowing, afraid of failing, and afraid of rejection.

I don’t know about you, but oftentimes when I am trying something new in life, I tend to come down with a serious case of amnesia. I forget about all the accomplishments, skills, and lessons learned I have acquired over the years. Impostor syndrome starts to creep in, and sometimes it wins. But if I could go back and talk to myself during my one too many crying sessions, I would shake myself and say “REMEMBER!”

And that’s what I say to you now. The process of applying to anything, let alone a master’s program, can be daunting, but remember. Remember that everything on your resume was not an accident or chance (maybe a little grace in my case), but it was your talent meeting your hard work. The words your recommenders have to say about you are not lies, but reflections of the value you’ve brought to each room you’ve entered. And maybe you lack some experience and you just barely scraped together three recommendation letters, that’s okay! Remember your why and start planning for the memories you will create.

Please don’t let the application process for you be as dramatic as it was for me! Breathe, take your time, and remember. (You should especially remember that the second application deadline for most programs is March 1st for domestic students, and the final application deadline for international students is February 1st :P)

Brief Reflections on my First Semester at Heller

December 20, 2022 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

This past Wednesday I submitted my last paper to complete my first semester of graduate school around 11:30 pm (yes, I procrastinated). After pressing “submit”, an overwhelming feeling of nausea came over me. Partially because I was second guessing if I listed all of my sources in the bibliography, but partially because while I had been clawing my way to the finish line of the semester since Thanksgiving, I didn’t expect it to come so soon. I hear more and more these days how it feels like time is always flying. Hours are turning into minutes and minutes to seconds. As I sit 4 months removed from when I first arrived in Waltham, I can certainly say it feels like I just got here yesterday. But now that readings and assignments are on pause until the new year, I want to take time to reflect on my learning experience during my first semester at Heller.

When I first began thinking about going to school for an MBA, my excitement was matched by my fear. Not having come from a business background, I didn’t know if I had the expertise needed to know the material I was going to school to study for. Turns out, I was right. Of course I didn’t! In my first class of the semester, Financial Reporting and Analysis, I arrived early, sat in the front, and listened earnestly to the professor, understanding 99% of what she was explaining. I left feeling on top of the world, ready to breeze through my time at Heller. Fast forward to my second class, Economic Analysis for Managers, I repeated the same process. I arrived early, sat in the front, and listened earnestly to the professor. Except this time, I promise she was speaking an entirely different language. By no fault of her own, no matter how many times she explained the material, the neuro pathways in my brain refused to allow the new information in front of me to sink in. I left that class, called my mother, and said plainly, “I think I’m dumb”, laughing but really wanting to cry. Over the next hour, my mother and I broke down that statement and I came to the realization that I in fact wasn’t dumb, I just didn’t know this new thing I never studied before. Now, you might be reading this thinking, “duh Calah! Of course you’re not going to know what you’ve never learned before”. But honestly, somewhere in the time between being accepted into graduate school and actually starting graduate school, I created this unrealistic expectation of knowing all I needed to know before I learned it. This semester reminded me that it is okay not to know everything (it’s actually unrealistic). Instead of obsessing over what I didn’t know in the beginning, I chose to be intentional and diligent about learning over time so I could be a little wiser in the end. I read, studied, worked with classmates, and talked to professors to ensure I was gaining all I could. It’s funny to remember that call, especially now that I understand the time value of money (look at me using econ terms 😉 ). But I am grateful for the patience and grace I offered myself then and in many more moments along this semester. To anyone thinking about applying to something you’ve never done or learned before, do it! The process may be scary and there will likely be moments you feel a little dumb, but what you learn and gain in the end is always so worth it! It has been for me.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take a couple of lines to acknowledge a source of so much laughter and happiness during my first semester: my cohort. I am grateful for the experiences shared, heartfelt moments had, friendships formed, and events planned (shoutout to the Boston Commons crew) thus far. And I am so excited to continue to grow together and make more memories over the next year.

One semester down, three more to go.

Calah’s Experience Shipping Off to Boston

November 29, 2022 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

At the time I was accepted to Heller, I lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Tulsa but moved in 2017 to attend my undergraduate university in Washington DC. In March 2020, like many people around the world, the coronavirus pandemic brought me back home from college to finish my junior and senior year on zoom. While I enjoyed living with my parents again and taking advantage of free groceries, post-graduation I was eager to figure out what the next season of life looked like away from home. First, I made a plan: work for one year, then start grad school. The end. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, where I wanted to live, or how I was going to get there, but I knew my plan and I was determined to see it through. So, when I received my acceptance letter from Heller on April 1st, two questions were answered. I knew I would be studying for a Social Impact MBA, and I knew I would be moving my life to Boston, Massachusetts. However, those two answered questions raised so many more. Where was I going to live? How do I even find an apartment? What do I need? Why are utilities not included and so expensive?!

And thus began the tumultuous, emotional, exciting, and draining journey towards August 12th, the day I arrived in Massachusetts to sign my first ever lease on an apartment. I will sprinkle words of advice as I detail this journey, but please remember this experience is different for everyone. I have heard the transition for some was seamless, while for others it was less than pleasant to say the least.

I began looking for an apartment in the greater Boston area in February. Now, if you’re following along, you will remember I didn’t get accepted to Heller until April 1st, but I knew if I was to be accepted, I would need to be ahead of the curve. Having said that, I was definitely a little too far ahead. Any place I called, emailed, or messaged on Apartments.com said the same thing: “We’re looking for tenants to move in around June 1.” I wasn’t planning on moving until late July at the earliest, so this quickly dashed my dreams of finding an apartment fast and checking that off my to do list. (1) Start looking for an apartment a couple months in advance, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t find something immediately. Good things come in time!

As I said before, I was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a nice 2 bed 1 bath apartment (my exact criteria) cost no more than $1100 max (utilities included!). Armed with this knowledge, I began my search for an apartment with the same general expectations. My bubble was quickly busted. Not only did I need to adjust expectations for rent and utilities, but also for other necessities I had been taking for granted in the warmth of my parents’ home, such as groceries, gas, or fun activities (those are important!). (2) When looking into a graduate program, also look at expenses related to living in surrounding areas and take note of what adjustments you need to plan for in advance (eg. will you need to travel by car or is public transportation available).

Fortunately for me, I convinced my sister to come along for the ride of graduate school with me, so I had already found my roommate. Check! However, in our excitement, dreaming of our new life together not far off in the distance, we may have dreamed a little too big and not quite practically enough. We spent entirely too much time at Target, Walmart, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross, and Burlington in the month before moving to Massachusetts. Our list of “needs” very clearly and quickly expanded to a list of wants and that is how we ended up with a key bowl that now holds potatoes. (3) When thinking about what you will need after moving, stick to your needs! There are lots of opportunities to purchase your wants when you get to where you’re going. Targets are everywhere. This will also make the process of packing and unpacking so much less stressful. Also, take advantage of second hand if that’s your thing. I can definitely thank Facebook Marketplace for my couch and coffee table.

August 10th, my sister and I began our three-day journey across 1,500 miles in a 10-foot U-Haul towing a car headed towards a new experience. This journey, much like our overall journey, was full of fun memories, hangry moments, exhaustion, and lots of coffee. And it was worth every second. Living, working, and studying in the Boston area has been a dream come true. The people are nice (mostly). The food is good (mostly). There is always something to explore (after getting through traffic). And life overall is good (and sometimes stressful). (4) Whatever your experience, make sure you take moments to pause and reflect on all that you have learned to make it to now. Don’t be discouraged. The moment is coming when life overall will be good (and still probably a little stressful).

Letter to My Future Self: Calah McQuarters

October 18, 2022 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Dear Future Calah,

Stop, breathe in, and take a moment to fully live in this amazing moment. You did it! You endured, persevered, conquered, learned, fell down and got back up. Now you’re at the finish line a little wiser, a lot stronger, and at least half ready for whatever this new season will bring. I am very proud of you.

You made it graduation, so you passed all your classes (hopefully with all A’s). But hopefully that’s not all you’ve done. I hope you really learned from your classes and professors and maintained the skills you gained along your MBA journey. I hope you developed real relationships with your peers that will last for the long haul. After all, your cohort is truly a group of world changers. I hope you took advantage of every guest speaker, working group meeting, and free food opportunity you had capacity for. And most of all, I hope you took time to leave Heller just a little bit better for the dreamers coming after you.

Calah McQuarters, M.B.A., we did not see this coming when we were young, dreaming up our life. But that’s what happens when you accept the plan for you that’s so much bigger than just you. However, this degree and title means nothing if you haven’t grown internally as much as you have added to your resume externally. So here are some personal ways I hope you’ve grown. I hope you learned to have patience and grace for yourself and those around you. I hope you let go of the perfectionist inside you and learned to live in the beauty of imperfection that is this world. Knowing us, we’re still working on that one. I hope you have learned to be okay with the unknown and to find excitement in discovering more about you and your unconventional path.

Now, all this growth and accomplishment hasn’t come without hard work, but I know you have put in the work! You have probably read more pages of material in the past 16 months than you had in the 23 years before starting the program. You have also likely learned the hard way how to manage your time between classes, work, extracurriculars, and moments of self care. Hopefully, you didn’t bite off more than you could chew, but again, knowing us, you probably did, more than once. Lastly, you have no doubt used your voice and your action to be the change you want others to experience as future Heller students.

So what’s next? Are you staying in the Boston area or going off to start a new adventure elsewhere? Are you starting your career in consulting or going back to nonprofit work? Whatever you do and wherever you go, I hope you hold on to the learner in you. I hope you don’t let the questions and unknowns overwhelm your excitement and curiosity. I hope you take time to celebrate this noteworthy moment in your life and I hope you remember, this is just the beginning! “Don’t be afraid of work that has no end.” That’s your motto, so let’s get to work!

Love.

Current Calah

Hello, Heller! Calah McQuarters’ Acceptance Story

October 4, 2022 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

My sister knew I had been accepted to Heller before I did. It was Friday, April 1st (what a horrible April Fool’s Day joke this could have been), exactly one month after I had pressed submit on my first grad school application (they really meant 4-6 weeks!). After ending a long week at work, I was chatting with my sister about what she wanted to do for the evening when I decided to go through my email and delete the many promotional emails I had received that day (a daily occurrence). In the midst of talking, scrolling, and deleting, I saw an email from “The Heller School”. Now as a prospective student and applicant, I received MANY emails from the Heller School so initially I didn’t think much of it, but after seeing “Application Update” on the subject line, I got quiet and my heart started racing.

In the months leading up to Friday, April 1st, there were many days filled with questions, uncertainty, a few tears (okay, a lot of tears), and all around dread through the admissions process. As a person that didn’t come from a business background and wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be when I grew up, I encountered many moments of imposter syndrome, self doubt, and discouragement from administrators in other MBA programs. However, Heller was the one school that was different. When I expressed my inexperience and slight disdain for traditional business programs, Heller students encouraged me. When I expressed uncertainty due to my age and limited work experience, Heller students reassured me. And when I expressed my desire to find a program that would equip me with the necessary skills to change current systems, not further enable them, professors, administrators, and students all let me know Heller was exactly where I needed to be.

My sister, noticing my silence and change in facial expression, asked what was wrong. I told her I got an email about my application. I ran down the hall to grab my laptop and after returning, we sat down on the couch together very slowly, both of us freaking out. I said a quick prayer while logging in and paused for just a moment before clicking on my status update. When I did click and the page switched over, my brain stopped working. I was looking at the screen and my eyes were racing around the page, but I could not make out any words. It was like I literally forgot how to read! So how did I know I was accepted? My sister screamed and if I remember correctly, she may have punched me.

After a few minutes, my brain rebooted itself and I was finally able to read for myself that I had been accepted as a Social Impact MBA candidate at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. In addition to excitement and relief, I felt peace. I knew without a doubt that the journey that led me to that moment was worth it all and it was just the beginning.

Now, it was time to find a place to live in one of the biggest cities in the US, in a crazy market, in a pandemic, but that’s another story 4for another time…!

Heller Admissions Blog

Author: cmcquarters

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Hello, Heller! Calah McQuarters’ Acceptance Story

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