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Forté Fellow Spotlight: Natalie Megrabyan

Natalie-MegrabyanNatalie Megrabyan

Caucasus University, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Finance, May 2011
Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University, May 2016
Hometown: Tbilisi, Georgia
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 3+ years of working experience in audit and assurance

As Neale Donald Walsch once said:

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So if you’re feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an ending.”

I am certain that the day when I decided to apply for MBA was the new beginning.

I started preparation for the MBA program few years ago: I passed the GMAT and TOEFL, I gained sufficient work experience, I researched target universities and finally I applied. After few months, I found myself in the MBA orientation program at Fisher College of Business in the United States.

Why an MBA?

Well, analyzing my background. I completed my bachelor’s degree in Finance and joined Ernst & Young in the Audit & Assurance Department. I believed that a career with an accounting firm would serve me in two ways: first, by enhancing my knowledge of accounting, which is the basis for all business transactions and second, by providing me with an excellent platform to the business world.

After having enjoyed this productive experience for three years, I wanted to pursue greater career opportunities than what the audit department could offer. An MBA was my next target!

My decision to start hunting for an MBA was supported by social environment as well. Originally I am from Georgia, which is a very traditional country, especially in defining social roles. As more and more women get higher education, traditional stereotypes of gender-defined social roles are gradually changing, but still it remains challenging for women to advance to C-level management.

I needed an MBA degree which would bring me to the next professional level, but the MBA gives me much more than I expected.

What’s Special About the MBA?

The MBA experience is the transformation process for me. Every day I reassess my strengths and weaknesses, and I get better understanding of the skillset I need for my future career. I enjoy meeting new people and broadening my horizons. As Robert Kiyosaki said:

“The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work.”

The MBA teaches you that this quote makes the reality.

An MBA isn’t only about discovering yourself but also about discovering other people. Imagine that amazing feeling when you sit in the room full of brilliant people, who help you analyze the problem from different perspectives; the feeling when you know that you are surrounded by network of powerful women who share your values about women’s role in the business world; the feeling when you know that you are learning something new every single day.

I think that the MBA program is all about self-belief. It pushes you beyond the limits you have set for yourself, it makes you believe that you are the master of your fate, and as long as you work hard you can create the future you have been asking for.

 

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