Breanna Jackson

Home City: Aurora

Home State: IL

Home Country: United States

Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Undergraduate Degree and Major (and minor, if applicable): B.S. Civil Engineering

Pre-MBA Industry: Oil & Gas

Pre-MBA Company: ExxonMobil

Pre-MBA Title: Project Manager

Desired industry post-MBA: Oil & Gas

Desired job function post-MBA: Business Development

Student Organization Membership: Black Business Student Association, Forte

What has been the most surprising part of your Rice MBA experience? When I started my MBA, I expected a competitive and transactional atmosphere. Rice is known to be a very rigorous program and I expected the students to be "out for themselves". Instead, I was met by some of the most collaborative and helpful classmates, which became my community. Most of my life revolves around my job and even my friends are all people I met through work. Attending Rice has allowed me to escape the ExxonMobil bubble and way of thinking. I have so many bright classmates who bring their experience and background to class every week. Each class I learn something new about them or how to approach or think about a problem. There is a culture of sharing resources, group problem solving, and encouragement that I did not expect. This extends beyond just my classmates and to the faculty as well. There have been a few professors who have really gone the extra mile to provide me feedback beyond what the course requires simply because they want me to grow. The culture that Rice has made being a professional MBA student more manageable, because there are so many genuine people that want to help me. This is reinforced for me that success looks different for each person but still is not individual, it truly is a mindset shared and pursued by a collective.

What has been your favorite thing about your MBA experience so far? My favorite part of my MBA experience has been the breadth of programming hosted by the various student organizations. As a COVID graduate, I specifically sought out Rice for the in person campus experience, and these events have been a meaningful way to fully engage. Coming into my first year, I was intentional about not overcommitting by joining every club. Instead, I focused on attending events across a variety of organizations, including RBWO, volunteering with WILC, RBSAP partios, parliament dinners, happy hours, and CDO programming. My goal was to stay engaged while being thoughtful about how I spent my time. This approach has been incredibly rewarding. Participating in these events has allowed me to expand my network beyond my evening cohort and connect with students across different backgrounds, industries, and interests. It has also given me the opportunity to explore spaces I may not have otherwise considered. As someone not actively recruiting, I’ve valued the chance to learn about different career paths in a low pressure yet engaging environment. The accessibility and inclusivity of these events have made it easy to show up, be curious, and be part of something larger than my immediate cohort.

What is one piece of advice you would share with a prospective student – one sentence? Invest in yourself beyond the textbook.