Sometimes it takes a hard pivot to create significant impact. At least, that’s the goal for Consortium students Jordan Chrite (Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business) and Daniella Bernstein (University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business).
Right out of college, both Chrite and Bernstein started careers as teachers — Chrite for three years at a public elementary school in Dallas and Bernstein for two years with Teach for America in Houston. Both had a heart for teaching from an early age, yet they quickly felt pulled to do even more, to expand their influence to transform the education system overall.
Chrite and Bernstein may have just kicked off their MBA journeys, but their visions are a long time in the making. They recently shared with The Consortium their hopes and plans for the future and how their educational background and MBA experience will help them make those a reality.
What was your educational experience like growing up, and what inspired you to become a teacher?
Chrite: My parents were huge influences — my dad works in higher education, so I was taught from a young age that education is often the most direct path to open doors to opportunities. In addition, I was fortunate to receive a quality education growing up. I remember what it felt like as a student to be nervous or have a fear of failure, but a lot of my teachers encouraged and made me feel capable. As a teacher, I wanted to be able to provide that same safe space to my students, providing opportunities for students to recognize their own strengths.
Bernstein: When I was in pre-K, my oldest sister took it upon herself to teach me to read, so I started kindergarten being able to help my classmates around me. Seeing the impact that she had, and then being able to help others, inspired in me a love of teaching and a reverence for education.
Furthermore, my sisters and I grew up attending public schools in Atlanta, but when I was 13, I moved to Los Angeles and was the first to attend private school in my family. Seeing the disparity in resources and opportunities between public and private schools drove me to join Teach For America. It was important for me to create a positive learning experience for students to help them grow.
What did you love about education, and what did you find the most challenging?
Chrite: What I loved most about teaching were the relationships, learning about all of my students’ different experiences and getting to witness their growth throughout the year. The opportunity to learn and be involved within a community was also great; however, the lack of resources and support was challenging. Incredibly high expectations are placed on teachers, but there is [not always enough] support to ensure those results [are achieved]. Despite a very challenging three years, being a teacher was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. Although I saw the impact [I was having] in the classroom, I was starting to feel limited. I wanted to implement change on a larger scale.
Bernstein: I worked as a middle school teacher at an all-girls charter school in Houston teaching seventh grade pre-algebra and sixth grade world history. I really loved teaching history in my second year because I created my own curriculum and designed it to be culturally responsive based on my students’ identities and interests. Personally, I struggled with the strong focus on state assessments that seemed at odds with finding joy in learning.
What did you learn from your teaching experience that you think will help you in your MBA program and career?
Chrite: I learned so much from teaching elementary public school in Dallas, but I think what I found most useful was gaining the ability to navigate and adapt to any type of environment. Every day was different, and most of the time, I was working under stressful conditions. As I embark on my new journey, this adaptability will be useful. I also learned how to build and nurture relationships with very diverse groups of people, teaching students from all over the world. I’ve had classes where students are from many different countries, and learning to navigate cultural differences will be useful in the business realm.
Bernstein: Beyond the basic skills of time management and organization, teaching helped me build my growth mindset. Encouraging students to be comfortable with the uncomfortable pushed me to internalize that principle — something I continue to remind myself of as I pivot in my career. Taking risks and trying new things are key to pushing yourself to grow, and it’s important to me to not just promote that belief, but to also live it.
Why are you pursuing an MBA, and how do you think it will help you achieve your goals?
Chrite: Getting my MBA felt like the most direct way to expand my impact. I hope to continue to have an impact in the public education space, but simultaneously, I’m excited to learn about other industries and hopefully identify other passions. I would like to go into consulting right after my MBA to get exposure to other industries, but when I think about long-term goals, they’re still centered around education. Eventually, I’d like to enter the edtech space to build tools to address teacher sustainability and burnout and enhance student learning and retention. Additionally, I hope to implement strategic initiatives within school districts and colleges to expand higher-ed opportunities for student populations who are typically underserved.
Bernstein: After seven years working in the education and nonprofit sector, I’m pivoting to social impact strategy to grow professionally and be able to support global communities.While I’ve really enjoyed my time teaching, I want to be exposed to other industries to learn how to scale my impact. My goal is to work in edtech to develop and sustain large-scale programs that will help others and decrease system inequities. With the advent and expansion of AI, this is a very exciting time to reimagine processes to create more inclusive systems. I’m really excited to learn from world-class professors and The Consortium’s diverse alumni network to understand the opportunities and pathways that exist.
What influence do you see The Consortium having on your future career?
Chrite: The Consortium’s mission aligns with my values nearly entirely. I had a really intimate viewpoint when it comes to inequity for students of color in my classroom, and The Consortium will give me an opportunity to lead and evaluate systems to disrupt them for the better, giving students like mine the opportunities they deserve. Having this type of access to a network of individuals who share these values in DEI allows me to learn and grow into the future leader I hope to become. I believe the Consortium will be a great resource in terms of providing a network to connect with other individuals who recognize problems facing the education system, allowing more creative solutions to come through, as well as a phenomenal motivator to help students recognize the potential that can come from committing yourself to education.
Bernstein: Currently, I work for a nonprofit that helps high-achieving scholars from low-income backgrounds apply to, matriculate to and graduate from the nation’s top colleges and universities. Leading the program evaluation, I can clearly see how higher education provides an avenue of economic and professional advancement. The Consortium speaks to my values and goals because I hope to create and sustain diverse talent pipelines to support those with similar backgrounds to my students. My long-term goals are to lead a social-impact program within a tech company and serve on the board of an educational nonprofit, so through my MBA, I hope to learn the critical skills to generate large-scale innovation and optimize strategic management.
