Celebrating Mother’s Day: Reflections from our executive MBA moms

Happy Mother’s Day to all of Johnson’s MBA mamas! This year, we’re featuring nine executive MBA moms who are working full time while balancing their family commitments. Some have even found ways to apply classroom learning to their parenting styles—like the art of negotiation! As we celebrate the special women and mothers in our lives, hear how these EMBA students are showing their children that goals can be achieved with hard work and a network of support.

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Caitlin Matthewson, EMBA Americas ’20

“Completing my MBA as a mom of two young kids was a lot like hiking up this mountain with them—HARD. Everyone complained from time to time, and sometimes we wished we were a little more prepared. We also experienced a lot of cool things along the way and the view from the top was amazing. In the end, we all agreed it was well worth it and I’m glad to have shown my daughters the value in doing hard things. I was also lucky to have an amazing group of fellow moms in my cohort to share the experience with!”

Antoinette A. Danvers, EMBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership ’21

“Getting an MBA while being a single mom of a four and nine year-old while holding down a full-time job as an OB/GYN sounds crazy, ambitious, brave? After finishing my first year, I think I am all those things. But when I am not feeling overwhelmed, I enjoy the relationships I’ve built and the love and support that I get from the other moms in the EMBA/MS program, especially the ones that answer my 4 a.m. text messages in a way only another mom could understand.”

Shweta Gupta, EMBA Metro NY ’21

“Being a mom to an expressive toddler while attending Cornell is a whirlwind of an experience! I can’t help but giggle when she sits down with me at 7 a.m. with her upside-down Pooh storybook and tells my husband ‘don’t disturb us, mama and I are studying.’ These are the moments that make all the stress and pressure worth it! With no reservations, I also acknowledge the important roles that a supportive family, outstanding faculty, my amazing learning team (now my extended family!), and my encouraging and considerate colleagues at work play in my continued success and sanity. So far!”

Jescenia Bacchus, EMBA Metro NY ’20

“It has been challenging, yet rewarding, being a professional and a working mom while, at the same time, pursuing an MBA. The Metro NY program provided the flexibility to take classes every other weekend at the Cornell Tech campus and during four residential sessions in Ithaca. I am extremely happy to be part of a wonderful community and be an example to my daughter that through hard work and perseverance you can accomplish your goals. It was extremely important for me to share my Cornell experience with my daughter and I am glad I had the opportunity to bring her on campus on different occasions including the Family Picnic!”

Melissa Baxter, EMBA Americas ’20

“Being a single mother is stressful, but the Executive MBA Americas program allowed me the flexibility to stay close to home while becoming a more skilled leader. I was fortunate to have strong support from my boardroom, fellow mothers in the program, and help from my parents and fiancé. The journey of being in this program was incomparable, life changing, and deeply meaningful. I’m proud I could achieve this for my children!”

Leslie Weinstein, Executive MBA Metro NY ’21

“Being a mother in Cornell’s EMBA Metro NY program has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but at the end of the day I am so proud of what I have been able to accomplish. Cornell has become like an extended family to me, and I look forward to telling my daughter stories about my experience when she’s older. The EMBA program has made me a more effective parent by teaching me management, leadership, and negotiation skills that are essential to raising children—especially the creative negotiation skills required when parenting a preschooler.”

Janelle Sam, EMBA Metro NY ’20

“Parenting as a single mom during the pandemic in the Executive MBA Metro NY program changed my children’s perspective. My two teenage daughters now observe me in class first-hand. They listen to the professors teach and watch the cohort participating for hours on end. This encouraged them with their own school work because they no longer say, ‘Mom, you don’t get it.'”

Claire Dias, EMBA Americas ’21

“As a busy communications consultant and mother of four, I wanted to find an Executive MBA program that provided me the flexibility to work, travel to clients, take care of my family, and study. The EMBA Americas program allows me to juggle all of that and gain a world-class education that will help propel my business forward. The remote boardrooms provide the right balance of networking and team-learning, all close to home—so I can learn from the best then rush back to be with my favorite crew of all.”