Alumni Voices
Tasha R. - MBA candidate at Northwestern University
What Does Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential Mean To You?
For me, it means having the courage to walk into rooms I’ve never been in and acting like I belong there before I feel it. Even with Goldman Sachs on my resume and leadership experience in the military, I still had that quiet loop in my head asking if a top-tier MBA program was really for me. But the real question was never just “Am I qualified?” More often, it was “Do I believe in my abilities enough to bet on myself?”
And as a minority in so many of these spaces, I often felt alone. Like I had to carry the pressure, the performance, and the proof by myself. That’s when it’s easy to start looking for the safe options. The places where you know you’ll get in. The places where you don’t have to stretch, risk rejection, or explain why you want more.
Then I found community, and everything shifted.
Her Skill Academy gave me something I didn’t realize I needed. Structure, yes, but more than that, people who pour into you. People who see you clearly. People who hold your vision steady when your confidence gets quiet and your doubt gets loud. There is a special kind of strength that comes from having someone else believe in you, because it brings reassurance to keep reaching and achieving your dreams when you’re tired of reaching alone.
The truth is, we are powerful beyond measure. Sometimes it just takes community to remind us of what’s already inside of us and to propel us forward.
Today, I’m at Kellogg, not just proud of the acceptance, but proud that I didn’t talk myself out of what I was ready for.
My reminder for women who feel themselves playing small is this. You don’t need more proof. You need a plan, the courage to submit your name, and the right people around you to keep calling you higher.
If you want to go fast, you can go alone. If you want to go far, you go together- ideally with the community of powerful woman in Her Skill Academy
Bushra S. - Manager at Qualtrics & Booth MBA Candidate
How did Her Skill Academy impact your journey?
Her Skill Academy helped me expand my network and build meaningful friendships with people who share similar goals. Being part of HSA created a supportive community where we motivate each other and grow together. Being in a cohort with members who shared the goal of getting into business school helped me stay accountable and learn from others navigating similar paths.
HSA has impacted my career journey by helping me develop a stronger sense of purpose and grit to projects. Being part of a values driven community has encouraged me to lead authentically and stay grounded in who I am as I work toward my professional goals.
Rummesa A. - Senior Tax Manager at EY
How did Her Skill Academy shape your perspective?
It gave me the courage to challenge the status quo and to ask open-ended questions about the preconceived notions certain leaders had of me at my job — both positive and negative — and whether they were actually true, or just a bias.
It was also critical in helping me understand how AI connects to everything, and it gave me a safe space to learn and grow in both soft and technical skills.
Since HSA, I got promoted to Senior Manager at EY.
One of the biggest lessons that still stays with me is that no matter how positive you can be, sometimes you just work with difficult people — and that's okay. I learned about the plight of being an ambitious minority woman, and found value in sharing both the successes and the struggles with others. I learned kindness from some of the smartest women I know.
On the AI side, I learned about my LinkedIn brand presence and continue to use it as a tool. I also use Yoodli often for presentations and always recommend it to colleagues and students.
Audrey B. - Impact Finance & Advisory, JP Morgan Chase
What Does Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential Mean To You?
I was at a critical career crossroads. I wasn't failing, I didn't hate my job. I was still growing. But I did not feel inspired. And that's a confusing place to be, because nothing is "wrong" on paper, but I felt it everyday.
Stability is crucial as a first-generation professional. So the idea of making a move early in my career felt heavy. I learned so much at Silicon Valley Bank, but I knew I was missing impact. I didn't yet have a clear path to combine finance and purpose without completely resetting my career.
Her Skill Academy gave me the mindset, community, and practical tools to build a real strategy and move with intention. Today, I'm at JP Morgan Chase in Impact Finance & Advisory, deploying capital that strengthens communities nationally.
My reminder to women who feel stuck: A strategy turns fear into forward motion.
Sirisha V. - Technical Program Manager, Microsoft
What Does Fulfilling Your Fullest Potential Mean To You?
After a decade across IBM, Accenture, and Microsoft, I knew my work was strong. I could lead the program, deliver the results, and carry the responsibility. But in meetings, I would hold my thought until it was perfectly formed. Meanwhile, louder voices moved the room.
Her Skill Academy helped me close the imposter syndrome gap. Not with more credentials, but with clarity, community, and real tools to show up with confidence in real time. I stopped editing myself. I started speaking earlier. I started trusting that my voice belongs in the conversation.
Today, I lead with more presence, not because I know more, but because I show up as myself.
My reminder to women who keep waiting: Your voice does not need permission. It needs practice in the right room.