In 2001, twenty-five-year-old Monica Santana Rosen, a vibrant and passionate Latina from Manhattan, had
heard all the staggering statistics: Business schools accept only 10% to 20% of the talented applicants and
reject thousands of candidates, many with near perfect GMAT scores and G.P.A.; women at top business
schools make up a dismal 30% of the class; and the most daunting, Hispanics make up less than 5% of the
class at top business schools. But unlike many who had heard the figures and subsequently had thrown in the
towel without giving themselves a chance, Monica was more determined to shoot for the top. And in June of
this year, that determination-and a lot of hard work-will pay off as she graduates from Harvard Business
School.
For many Latinos questioning whether business school is the right path for them, the answer is a resounding
yes. Offering personal and professional transformation, business school is certainly an option worth serious
consideration. The return on investment is extremely high, with MBAs earning double their salaries and above.
It’s in the intangible benefits, however that an MBA really pays off: Most graduates experience a huge
confidence boost and gain immediate respect in the professional arena. With the MBA come new skills and
tools to tackle business challenges, as well as opportunities to break into new and competitive industries. But
for minorities in particular, having an MBA from a top business school carries bigger meaning: it brings with it
credibility and endorsement to be taken seriously in the professional arena.
Regardless of industry interest or career focus, earning an MBA can be a valuable, life-changing experience.
Monica, the daughter of Dominican Republic immigrants who placed a high premium on education and
encouraged their youngest child to reach for the stars, is passionate about empowering young children and
parents in the inner cities through access to the best education. For many years she did not connect her
aspirations with the need for an MBA degree, but as the Executive Director of Management Leadership for
Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that helps minority candidates apply to business school and plan
successful careers, Monica realized the MBA would be the perfect tool to help her build on her leadership skills
and solidify her quantitative and financial expertise.
After graduation, Monica plans to use her Harvard MBA to continue to make a difference in young people’s
lives through education and social programs designed to encourage education. She hopes to effect
widespread change across the U.S. and empower young people to be successful regardless of their ethnicity
or economic status While Monica understands the MBA isn’t the be all and end all, she believes it will help her
open doors, build credibility, and lead an organization that transforms lives.
At the end of the day, Monica says, she wants to look back and know she made a positive difference in the
world. “My contribution to society will rely heavily on my ability to inspire others, lead effectively and make
tough management decisions on a daily basis, and these are exactly the skills that I am acquiring every day at
Harvard Business School,” explains Monica. “If you had told me five years ago I would be here today, I would
not have believed it, but here I am.”
As Monica nears the end of her second year at Harvard Business School, she is taking on another challengeperhaps
the greatest of her life. Monica and her husband are expecting their first child, due in late May, just two
weeks before her graduation. “I am so proud of how far I’ve come in my career and in my education,” Monica
says. “I hope only to be an example to others and an affirmation that Latina women can succeed in the
workforce and can be brilliant leaders and mothers as well!”
For Monica and for the many other young Latino professionals increasingly choosing the MBA route, the
challenge remains the same: Persuading more Latinos to apply to business schools and realize their dreams.
A lofty goal, given the current dearth of Latinos in the nation’s top graduate programs? Perhaps. But for a
woman who has always reached for the stars, the sky’s the limit. And thanks to her influence, perhaps it can be
for many more Latinos as well.
heard all the staggering statistics: Business schools accept only 10% to 20% of the talented applicants and
reject thousands of candidates, many with near perfect GMAT scores and G.P.A.; women at top business
schools make up a dismal 30% of the class; and the most daunting, Hispanics make up less than 5% of the
class at top business schools. But unlike many who had heard the figures and subsequently had thrown in the
towel without giving themselves a chance, Monica was more determined to shoot for the top. And in June of
this year, that determination-and a lot of hard work-will pay off as she graduates from Harvard Business
School.
For many Latinos questioning whether business school is the right path for them, the answer is a resounding
yes. Offering personal and professional transformation, business school is certainly an option worth serious
consideration. The return on investment is extremely high, with MBAs earning double their salaries and above.
It’s in the intangible benefits, however that an MBA really pays off: Most graduates experience a huge
confidence boost and gain immediate respect in the professional arena. With the MBA come new skills and
tools to tackle business challenges, as well as opportunities to break into new and competitive industries. But
for minorities in particular, having an MBA from a top business school carries bigger meaning: it brings with it
credibility and endorsement to be taken seriously in the professional arena.
Regardless of industry interest or career focus, earning an MBA can be a valuable, life-changing experience.
Monica, the daughter of Dominican Republic immigrants who placed a high premium on education and
encouraged their youngest child to reach for the stars, is passionate about empowering young children and
parents in the inner cities through access to the best education. For many years she did not connect her
aspirations with the need for an MBA degree, but as the Executive Director of Management Leadership for
Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization that helps minority candidates apply to business school and plan
successful careers, Monica realized the MBA would be the perfect tool to help her build on her leadership skills
and solidify her quantitative and financial expertise.
After graduation, Monica plans to use her Harvard MBA to continue to make a difference in young people’s
lives through education and social programs designed to encourage education. She hopes to effect
widespread change across the U.S. and empower young people to be successful regardless of their ethnicity
or economic status While Monica understands the MBA isn’t the be all and end all, she believes it will help her
open doors, build credibility, and lead an organization that transforms lives.
At the end of the day, Monica says, she wants to look back and know she made a positive difference in the
world. “My contribution to society will rely heavily on my ability to inspire others, lead effectively and make
tough management decisions on a daily basis, and these are exactly the skills that I am acquiring every day at
Harvard Business School,” explains Monica. “If you had told me five years ago I would be here today, I would
not have believed it, but here I am.”
As Monica nears the end of her second year at Harvard Business School, she is taking on another challengeperhaps
the greatest of her life. Monica and her husband are expecting their first child, due in late May, just two
weeks before her graduation. “I am so proud of how far I’ve come in my career and in my education,” Monica
says. “I hope only to be an example to others and an affirmation that Latina women can succeed in the
workforce and can be brilliant leaders and mothers as well!”
For Monica and for the many other young Latino professionals increasingly choosing the MBA route, the
challenge remains the same: Persuading more Latinos to apply to business schools and realize their dreams.
A lofty goal, given the current dearth of Latinos in the nation’s top graduate programs? Perhaps. But for a
woman who has always reached for the stars, the sky’s the limit. And thanks to her influence, perhaps it can be
for many more Latinos as well.