Meet Erin Ernst, Foster MBA Admissions Director
The Foster community is composed of more than just students (though students are, of course, important!) – program staff, faculty and alumni all play a role in creating Foster’s warm, welcoming, unique and collaborative environment. This post is first in a series highlighting some of these diverse perspectives to help illustrate the personalities and passions of our community members and the many ways different community members interact with the program. Inside the Foster MBA interviewed Erin Ernst, Foster MBA Admissions Director, to learn about how she contributes to the Foster community. Her responses are given below.
In your opinion, what makes the Foster MBA program special?
Hands down, the people. When I started working here over 10 years ago, I’ll admit it – I had some preconceived notions about MBAs. I suppose I thought that they were all the same. Boy, was I wrong. Foster MBAs truly support one another. They genuinely want to get to know one another. They aspire to use the skills gained in the MBA to rise to the top as much as they plan to use these same skills to give back and make a difference. They astound me year after year with their incredibly diverse and impressive talents, experiences and goals. They are ambitious, humble, funny, brilliant and passionate. I feel so fortunate to know them all!
What qualities or attributes does the Foster Admissions team look for in candidates?
There are certain qualities that almost any competitive MBA program would look for – strong academic abilities, quality work experience, polished communication skills and leadership potential. Basically, admissions committees want to know whether a candidate can handle the coursework, work effectively on a team, and be successful in their career after the MBA. Foster is no exception. But beyond these basic attributes, at Foster we look for students who are passionate about their goals. People who will roll up their sleeves, dive in and soak this experience up. We are known for our small program size, and this means that each student has the potential to contribute a great deal to the program. It is very difficult to hide here; this is not the place for someone who just wants to go through the motions and get the degree. We offer a ton of opportunities to network, to develop your leadership skills, to try new things and to put knowledge learned in the classroom to practice out in the real world; we are looking for people who want the MBA to be a truly transformational experience.
Moving on from work, what are some of your hobbies?
I am a born and raised Seattleite, and I suppose my hobbies reflect that. I enjoy the outdoors as much as I enjoy trying out a new restaurant. I love hiking. A lot. But I love the pizza and beer after the hike just as much. I am almost always listening to music – at home, in the car, at work, on my way to work – and I particularly enjoy discovering new, obscure bands. I have played the piano since I was seven years old and find it to be a great stress reducer. If I could camp every single weekend in the summer and ski every single weekend in the winter, I would. I swim laps a few times a week and I aspire to still be doing this when I’m 85 years old. I am still friends with people that I went to kindergarten with, but I absolutely love meeting new people – I definitely found the right career for that!
Where is the most interesting place you’ve traveled to?
My career in MBA admissions has allowed me to travel the world more than I ever thought possible. And the more I travel, the more I want to see. I have a hard time calling one location more interesting than another. But one trip that really stands out is a vacation to Guatemala that I took a few years ago. I had never heard Howler Monkeys until I walked into Tikal National Park. Let’s just say that I thought the animal producing this terrifying sound was a lot bigger than a monkey. We also visited Lake Atitlan, and getting there involved a three hour, very bumpy ride in a van, and a very fast, rain soaked ride in a boat to get to our hotel – there are no roads connecting the villages around the lake. That night we ate dinner around a big table with all of the other hotel guests, and watched lightning strike the San Pedro Volcano from our porch. Unforgettable!
If you could go anywhere in the world, on an all-expenses paid vacation, where would you go?
New Zealand. I have a feeling that it is right up my alley!
