Discovering Yourself Through New Cultures – Isabelle Engelsted MBA ’17
Most of the current first years know her as their favorite tutor. Most of us second years know her as that enigmatic person with a steely gaze and an intellectual capacity to die for. But for some of us, who have had the great fortune to work with her or have had to run around like headless chickens while she beat us at squash, Isabelle Engelsted is someone we look up to for her poise and panache. I worked with Isabelle on our Market Research and Analysis project in the 2nd semester. Watching her in action streamlining the process and keeping us all in check, was as inspirational as it was scary (in case you missed deadlines).
But getting to know who exactly Isabelle is and what she’s all about at her core has been an even more humbling experience. So here’s her story, in her words:
What is one life event that has left an indelible impression on your personality?
Isabelle never misses an opportunity to spend time with her family and her Labradoodle – looking like a mop with a tongue!
“I grew up spending my summers in a small town in Denmark. Often as the youngest child around, I spent hours with adults and older cousins while they ran errands or visited family friends. Through these experiences, I was able to spend more time with extended family than many of my peers, providing me with a strong appreciation for family. Additionally, being in a safe town, my siblings and I often walked into the town center on our own starting at a young age. We often stopped by kiosks to buy bags of gummies and licorice, visited friends at their homes, or walked ourselves to our summer league soccer practices. We each developed a strong sense of independence while exploring the local culture.”
How has the MBA Experience shaped you in conjunction with that life event?
“Through Babson, I have been able to continue exploring new cultures through the study abroad programs and the diverse student body. I went on the Japan Elective Abroad last May and plan to go on the Italy Elective Abroad in March. These unique trips have enabled me to develop global relationships, while providing me with an appreciation for cultures I had little exposure to previously.”
How has Babson’s team collaboration impacted you? “I felt that a large part of my growth during my first year was due to what I learned working with a team. Babson is a learning environment, and we are encouraged to take risks, including taking on roles in which we feel less comfortable in group settings. At Babson, I have experienced teams that chose to use group time to work on our weaknesses while simultaneously leveraging our strengths. Although this takes patience from every group member, it also enabled personal growth that we would not have experienced otherwise.”
And when she’s not at school, Isabelle is an avid traveler, a dedicated runner, an accomplished golfer, and an even better squash player.
Isabelle Engelsted is a 2nd year MBA student in the Class of 2017 at Babson College, where she is a Teaching Assistant for Managerial Economics, Statistics, AND Quantitative and Economic Basics. She is also the Treasurer of the Design Thinking Club. She is originally from Cambridge, MA and completed her undergrad at Dartmouth College with a Bachelor’s degree in Geography, and previously worked at M&T Bank as part of the Management Development Program.
Guest Writer: Prateek Chakrabarty
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Education: Amity University, New Delhi
Previous Experience: Technology Consulting – Indian Tobacco Company; Marketing and Advertising – Koenig Solutions Ltd.
Activities: VP Club Management, Graduate Student Council; Head Coach, MBA Soccer Club
Favorite Babson Entrepreneur: Courtney Wilson, Founder – Dropzone for Veterans