By Arial Starks
Kia Quinlan
Vanderbilt Business is known across the globe for its high caliber of students, faculty, and staff. In this edition of People of Vanderbilt, we spotlight second-year MBA student Kia Quinlan, who shares a little about herself.
What’s your secret talent?
It’s a tie between choreographing hip hop and my ability to nap anywhere at any time.
Who or what empowers you at Vanderbilt?
My friends, my family, and my faith.
What are 1 or 2 experiences that have really shaped your time here at Vanderbilt?
The first experience that comes to mind is starting off my first year with the assigned reading How to be an Antiracist by Dr. Ibram Kendi. It was a great book, and I remember having fascinating discussions around it at the beginning of that year. After the chaos of 2020, it was a very rousing and welcoming introduction to a new, unfamiliar setting.
What’s your favorite way to connect with the Vanderbilt Owen community?
My favorite way to connect to the Owen community has been through the Affinity Pass. People, cultures, and their interactions have always been my passions. I have loved being on the board of the Owen Black Student Association (OBSA) for the past 2 years. I have made incredible friends through OBSA. I enjoy the events we host, the discussions we facilitate, and the communities we serve. Especially in 2020 and 2021, having the support of this group has been invaluable. Outside of OBSA, I enjoy learning more about the many other represented cultures, whether through powerful speakers from the Jewish Business Association or through Sushi Night by the Japanese Business Club.
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself during your time at Vanderbilt?
One thing I learned about myself is how to best manage myself in very different settings. I loved Ranga’s class Managerial and Organizational Effectiveness. It was where I first learned the concept of managing oneself. I feel like I had gone through a similar process in the medical school of figuring out how to thrive in the hospital setting – my preferred work styles, my strengths, where I belonged on the team, how I could best serve my patients from that position. Then, once I thought I had figured it out, the setting was wildly changed again when I started at Owen. Different people with different values, different work styles, different group work, different calendar apps. When I had to go through the process again at Owen of figuring out which academic areas are my strengths, in which clubs I can make the most meaningful contributions, and clarifying my values relating to the business world, I learned about my own flexibility and adaptability in managing myself. I discovered the areas where I am rather rigid in my methods and preferences versus areas where I am quick to learn and adapt. This understanding of myself and how to manage myself in diverse settings will definitely be helpful in the next few years that promise to consistently change.
Are you in a leadership role associated with Vanderbilt?
I am the VP of Communications for the Owen Black Student Association.
