Leah Jackson and her husband shared a dream. At Fort Campbell, Kentucky—an hour’s drive from Nashville—he was finishing his time in the U.S. Army and preparing for his transition to civilian life. At the time, Leah worked remotely as a senior healthcare consultant for Optum, and her mentors were Vanderbilt MBA alums.

The couple decided to apply to Vanderbilt’s MBA program simultaneously. “We knew that if only one of us got in,” Leah explains, “we would still go, as the opportunity was once in a lifetime.”

As it happened, both were accepted and earned their Vanderbilt MBAs together.

Her biggest concern coming in was the daily commute from Clarksville, where the couple maintained their home. Then, midway through their second year in the program, Leah gave birth to their first child.

“Navigating the program together, driving together, and becoming parents together brought us closer in more ways than we could have imagined,” she says. “It taught us a lot about ourselves and working with a partner and teammate while being able to lean on each other for support.”

Leah also found support within the program. “The accommodations and family-friendliness have been the best part of my experience,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for the advisors and support from the Career Management Center, allowing us to have some virtual meetings and to select classes early so we could arrange our schedules accordingly.”

Leah particularly valued the support from the Career Management Center during the first-year recruiting season, which included information sessions and coffee chats with other companies. “I was looking to shift not only in my role, but also in the industry in which I work and my overall job focus,” she says. “The sessions enabled me to learn about other companies, expand my interests, and open my eyes to organizations and industries I would never have seen myself entering.”

The process led to a planning and strategy internship in the automotive field with Toyota—and a postgraduate job in an entirely different industry, with Dollar General. “I came into this program expecting to expand my business acumen and develop hard and soft skills,” Leah says. “Instead, while expanding my knowledge, I’ve also gained a diverse community and shifted the fixed mindset of my career to a growth mindset.

“This isn’t just an MBA program from a top business school. It’s an opportunity to explore a new pathway while gaining a community that truly cares about you.”

Fun Fact: Leah enjoys walking her dog and spending time with her son Everett, who was born while she was in the Vanderbilt MBA program.

It’s an opportunity to explore a new pathway while gaining a community that truly cares about you.