During the three years-plus that Thayer Rosenberg spent in Nicaragua, first as a Peace Corps volunteer and then as part of a global health organization, she came to believe that market-based solutions are the most sustainable way to increase access to high-quality health care around the world. She decided to pursue an MBA to get the additional skills to develop creative solutions to social challenges.

“Given my rather unusual professional goals (health care and social impact),” Thayer says, “I wanted to have access to people who could offer guidance and the opportunities to pursue my interests. Vanderbilt was one of the few places that was able to offer both.”

During her first year, she believed she was building a  broad foundation to help her pursue her aims. As an example, she cites her Marketing Strategy class, where she and her teammates developed and implemented a strategy for a car company. This project helped her understand how being a marketer also demands knowledge of operations, finance and other subjects.

Just as much, Thayer also appreciates what she’s learning from Owen’s distinctive Leadership Development Program. “Most people agree that hard skills are teachable, but soft skills are harder to develop,” she says. “Yet it’s the soft skills — persuasion, time management, strategic thinking — that are often the most valuable when working with others and achieving results. The LDP allows me to develop some of the soft skills in a personalized manner.”

Coming from a public health environment where most of her colleagues were women, transitioning to a majority-male community was an adjustment for Thayer. But it’s also been excellent preparation, she believes, both for her summer internship with Genentech and for her career. “Owen has pushed me to evaluate how, as a woman, I want to step into the role of business leader,” she says. “I am constantly learning how my gender influences the way I am perceived by others, and learning how best to express myself to ensure I am leveraging my unique experiences and skills to achieve results.

Fun Fact: Thayer’s favorite activity in Nashville is going to the Courthouse Square downtown for “Live on the Green” music performances in late August and early September. Thayer was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua.

“I wanted to have access to people who could offer guidance and the opportunities to pursue my interests. Vanderbilt was one of the few places that was able to offer both.”