“They are the all-in difference makers, curious and galvanizing go-getters, eager to give back to others—refusing to fit into any stereotype of the young professionals who pursue a graduate degree in business,” Poets & Quants says of those who made its list of “The Best and Brightest MBAs—Class of 2017.” And among the selected is Katie Philippi, M.B.A. ’17.
Poets and Quants is a popular news site devoted to the coverage of business schools. The website made its selections on the basis of discussions with faculty and administrators of the nation’s top M.B.A. programs.
Philippi focused on marketing in the full-time MBA program and interned at Hasbro in her home state of Rhode Island. She will continue there as an associate brand manager on Hasbro’s Nerf team.
In written Q&As with all of the Best and Brightest, Poets and Quants asked, among other questions: What was the most surprising thing about business school for you? In response, the 31-year-old Philippi spoke of the relationships formed at Boston College.
“In the past year and a half, I’ve developed a number of significant friendships. I didn’t realize that I would form such close relationships with my classmates so quickly. Between the classwork (especially all of those group projects!) and social activities, you are able to bond with people in a matter of weeks. It is a great feeling to graduate BC with so many people who I will continue to keep in touch with for years to come,” said Philippi, whose undergraduate degree was in government from Hamilton College in New York.
And what’s her ultimate long-term professional goal?
“When I was in San Diego [working as an advertising account executive], my passion outside of work was volunteering to help foster children better their lives through mentoring and support programs,” Philippi said. “Working with and helping children remains a passion of mine and I hope to one day be a chief marketing officer at a company whose mission is related to positively influencing the lives of children.”
Photo originally appeared in Poets & Quants