The WMU MBA: Flexible education for women executives

Sarah Grill is a leader who “believes in integrity, values education, promotes equality, and believes anything is attainable through a willingness to work hard."  

Because her values aligned with the core values of Western Michigan University, she decided to earn her MBA at the Haworth College of Business. Read below to learn how Grill describes her path through the program in her own words. 

How do you define yourself as a leader and what have been some key drivers for you? 

I am a quietly confident woman while simultaneously possessing a ‘bring it’ attitude, leading by example. Combining my intelligence, ambition and resilience with the flexibility of WMU's MBA program, I am completing the program in one year with a 3.9 GPA. As a female MBA student at WMU Haworth, the most outstanding achievement of my life is obtaining my education, despite coming from a community where many did not receive higher education and few women did. I dream of shattering Wall Street's glass ceiling, making it easier for the next generation of women world-changers—I want opportunities to be more accessible. 

What and who has shaped your experience as a leader? 

I am from a town where sexism and racism were highly prevalent. As a woman, facing bias was commonplace. Growing up surrounded by such bias, I watched my grandmother combat sexism every day. I also watched my grandfather proudly support my grandmother every step of the way. They are my most incredible mentors, instilling the foundation of my values and leadership style. 

It is fair to say, ‘the apple did not fall far from the tree,’ as I have inherited my grandmother's ‘bring it’ attitude. However, I am resilient for reasons few people understand. My partner of more than 10 years is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan; he became disabled during that conflict. The physical and invisible wounds he sustained during the war caused me to dig into my stores of courage, compassion, strength, wisdom and love. I am a woman who is a leader; it is in my DNA, but my leadership style has been fine-tuned by life circumstances.   

Why did you decide to get an MBA? 

As a woman who places a lot of importance on the value of my time, my degree and what matters most in life, I enrolled in the MBA program at the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University to pursue my dream career as a Wall Street investment banker. It has been my privilege to attend an AACSB-accredited business school ranked in the top 5% of business colleges globally.  

The experiences I have had access to such as a one-on-one Advanced Management course taught Dr. Jennifer Bott and the opportunity to manage close to $3 million in WMU Foundation funds in the Student Managed Investment Fund—which outperformed the S&P 500 by 23% during my active participation—have been incredible. The skills I have gained in these courses and others make me more marketable in my chosen field. 

My entire MBA curriculum at WMU has been strategically planned to help me achieve my investment banking career goals. I am keenly aware that my professional success directly results from the tremendous support I've received from professors at Western Michigan University, including mentoring, letters of recommendation for jobs and more. MBA alumni also have been extremely helpful, connecting via LinkedIn and other means to give me insight into job opportunities. 

How will an MBA help in your career? 

The primary reason I'm obtaining an MBA degree is to secure a full-time investment banking job. In addition to my MBA, I plan to go to law school. I will take the LSAT in June of 2022 and graduate from Western Michigan University with my MBA in August of 2022. My ultimate dream is to be the "RBG of Wall Street," as I like to say.  

Women are drastically underrepresented on Wall Street and in the legal profession. My first step to breaking through the glass ceiling in both fields was enrolling at the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University. It is my privilege to be an MBA candidate, and the faculty and staff who serve students at Haworth are those I hold in the highest regard.