Dreamers and do-ers, we are a Team of success stories ourselves. Just take a look at the bios of a few of our featured consultants, each of whom has something to offer you. Let’s Meet:
Click on a featured consultant below to learn more.
1
Keauna
STATS: MBA, Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business (GSB), BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC).
During her time at Stanford, Keauna was an ambassador for the GSB MBA Admissions Ambassador Program as well as a writer for the Stanford Reporter. Keauna has had a diverse career including working in Education, conducting market research in Hong Kong for Cathay Pacific Airways and working as an Electrical Engineer for Northrop Grumman. She also pursued her passion in music, which led to a position as the lead Digital Marketing Analyst at Interscope Records.
Keauna has served as a mentor and coach for the UCLA Anderson School of Management Riordan Fellows Program as well as a Board Member for the Riordan Programs Alumni Association (RPAA). She also co-founded the Riordan Fellows MBA Coaching Program, which launched in 2013.
Ask Keauna to tell you what it was like to fly alongside an F-16 fighter jet when she was an engineer at Northrop Grumman. She can also share foodie takes with you as she loves trying food from other cultures!
2
Sherry
STATS: BS, Cornell, Fuqua Admissions Officer
Before becoming an MBA application advisor, Sherry spent four years working at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University as a Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and coached unsuccessful applicants on how best to improve their application so that they could reapply the following year. She also supervised Fuqua’s international admissions procedures and traveled extensively throughout the US, Asia, Europe, South America, the Middle East and India recruiting and interviewing prospective students.
Sherry’s other professional experiences include Human Resource Management, teaching, coaching and sales management.
Sherry’s strengths in teaching, evaluating and storytelling result in very effective and successful applications. Sherry’s long list of successful applications includes every top school.
Ask Sherry about the challenges she faced getting Oprah Winfrey’s dogs on her private plane to Hawaii, or talk with her about her decades long relationship mentoring through the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters program.
3
Amanda
STATS: MBA, The Wharton School. Served on Wharton Admissions Committee. BS in Business and a BA in Psychology, Washington University. Leadership Fellow and Co-President of BizWorld, a volunteer organization teaching entrepreneurship to elementary school students.
An SBC veteran since 2006, Amanda’s vast experience in admissions and her years of professional experience make her an admissions powerhouse. Having carved her own non-traditional path by working in both business development and strategy for Diageo as well as in charter school management and education reform in Washington DC, Amanda sees non-traditional MBA applicants as a thrilling challenge. Amanda’s experience working in both London and New York give her a very useful real-world perspective.
Make sure to ask Amanda about her first day on the job in London, and why she now stays closer to home. (hint, his name is Max and he weighs less than 50 pounds) .
4
Kevin
STATS: MBA, University of Chicago’s Booth Graduate School of Business, Masters in Sociology, University of Chicago, Bachelor’s degree, Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara.
After graduating from Chicago, Kevin worked in brand management and marketing at SCORE! Learning Inc. (a Kaplan and Washington Post Company). He then served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Development at Intrax Cultural Exchange, a worldwide education and travel company. Kevin has also served as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Hornblower, managing such iconic brands as Stature of Liberty and Alcatraz. Most recently, he worked as a Marketing and Strategy Consultant for Monitor360.
Kevin lives with his wife and two children in Berkeley, California. Talk to Kevin about sea kayaking in the Bay Area and about the multiple screenplays he has written.
5
Caryn
STATS: MBA Kellogg School of Management. BBA University of Michigan with distinction. Kellogg Admissions Officer.
Caryn has immersed herself in the MBA admissions process for almost a decade. Before joining Stacy Blackman Consulting, Caryn worked as an Admissions Officer for Kellogg where she read and evaluated thousands of applications and recommended admission to Kellogg. She also conducted numerous applicant interviews assessing candidate fit and future potential at Kellogg and beyond.
In addition to her MBA admissions work, Caryn has a deep background in the corporate world with roles in marketing, strategy and finance, most recently serving as a Senior Marketing Manager for Gatorade/Pepsico, where she led Gatorade’s efforts in a variety of successful consumer programs. Long involved in both on and off-campus recruiting, she also co-led all of the Kellogg recruiting efforts for the PepsiCo Chicago office. Prior to receiving her MBA, Caryn worked in corporate finance and public accounting as well as obtained her CPA certification.
Caryn has an exceptional success rate and is particularly good at helping clients clearly define ambiguous career goals and develop a personal story. She has successfully assisted clients with every top business school around the globe.
And if Caryn looks a bit familiar, ask her what famous movie she (quickly) appeared in!
6
Lisa
STATS: MBA, Texas Christian University, BBA Management from Texas A&M University, Director of Admissions at Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
Lisa has over 15 years of professional experience recruiting, advising, coaching and placing both MBA students and graduates. In her role as Director of Admissions for the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, she led the university’s admissions efforts for both the MBA and MBA for Professionals programs. Lisa chaired the admissions committee three out of six years and administered the program’s over $2 million in scholarship funds. She is a frequent speaker on the admissions process, recruiting strategies, and the MBA value proposition.
During Lisa’s tenure at Rice, she also served as the Associate Director of Career Planning in the Jones School’s career center working with recruiters, conducting career development seminars, and coaching MBA students on their career development and search strategies. Prior to joining Rice University, Lisa advised MBAs and masters students in career development and search strategies at the Mays School at Texas A&M University where she also evaluated applicants to the MBA program.
Lisa spent over five years in corporate human resources in the consulting, energy, and manufacturing industries. Her human resources experience includes university relations and recruiting and employee relations and programs.
Ask Lisa to share some scary stories from her HR and admissions days, and be sure to hear about her experience riding a rebellious horse in the Chilean mountains.
