Like many young professionals, Kristina Radlein experienced more than one “course correction” early in her career journey. After graduating from Atlanta’s Emory University, she taught an introductory marketing course at the Universidad de Navarra in Spain (near Pamplona, site of the annual running of the bulls). One student team she coached, Kristina recalls with pride, placed second in an international case competition in Budapest.

When she returned to the U.S., she worked in health care operations for a private practice in Florida specializing in management of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C. After several years, she says, “I realized I wanted to move into a more strategic role, working with providers in the role of a consultant.”

And that brought her to Vanderbilt for an MBA. The opportunity for a health care concentration, in one of the nation’s leading cities for health care, was an important draw.

But especially, Kristina says, “I chose Owen for its relatively small class size and focus on ‘personal scale.’ As I chose where to spend a crucial two years of my life, the warmth and down-to-earth nature of the students, faculty and administrators were important to me.”

So far, she feels like her initial instinct about the people has been validated. “I’ve made friends from all walks of life,” Kristina says. “While the experience in the classroom has been extremely valuable, it is the time spent outside class, talking to my classmates and attending extracurricular sessions, that has allowed me to learn more about myself.”

Fun Fact: American by citizenship, Kristina was born and raised in Jamaica.

"My time at Owen has been best spent learning from my classmates, who have a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences.”