Erika Goldstein ’24

Our company, Otis Elevator, spun off from United Technologies in April 2020. It was a great opportunity to help the business grow and to grow myself, professionally and personally. My degree is in criminal justice, and I’ve worked mainly in the construction and service field areas, so I’d never had any formal classes in business subjects or economics. I knew an MBA would round out my skill set.

So many of my courses have been helpful. Introduction to Economics was an eye-opener. It taught me how to apply new concepts and see things from an economics perspective. I’m also enjoying Operations Engine. What we’re learning in class is closely linked to my job, things like looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction and balancing the cost of labor. A lot of what I’m learning overall in the program I’m actually using in my job right now, whether it’s when our manufacturing team talks about six sigma, our VP of marketing challenges us to improve customer satisfaction, or when we’re exploring how to work more efficiently with our regional offices.

In our leadership classes, I’ve learned that my biggest strength as a leader is adaptability. It comes from living in many different places and knowing the importance of understanding the environment and culture that I’m working in. A weakness of mine is active listening and communication brevity; I talk a lot. Even in my old report cards, I recall teachers commenting, “too talkative.” I need to be aware of how I can be more precise and effective with my words. You need that skill to inspire and lead a team. My goal is to become a well-respected but approachable leader who’s known for getting things done, someone people can trust and confide in and know that they’ll have my support.

It’s very hard to put a price tag or value on what the MBA brings to a career, but when you consider the time commitment you’re putting in, the curriculum you’re learning, the network you’re now part of, and the lifelong connections and relationships you’re building, it’s clear that the long-term impact of the MBA will far exceed the cost of the education.

This program is for anyone who’s ready to connect with inspirational classmates, faculty, and guest speakers who’ll give you that extra push to do more for yourself, for your career, and for society.