This is a two-part reflection on my MBA journey—one year in.
Part I follows my return to Malawi after my UN mission in New York, and the decision that led me back into academia.
Part II explores my first year at Michigan State University (Broad College of Business)—what I’ve learned, what I’ve unlearned, and what I wish more aspiring MBAs knew before they started.
With care,
— Ntha
READ PART I: Rooted
PART 2 (CONTINUED): Rising
A Seamless Return
I knew once I accepted the offer from MSU, everything would start moving—and it did.
The visa process was surprisingly seamless. Quick, even. I applied with the documents from MSU, requested expedited processing, and within a week I had my interview scheduled. I already knew I was approved the day I walked in. Four days later, I picked up my passport and booked a flight back to New York City.
I still had my lease. I had been subletting it while I was away, so when I landed, I went straight to my apartment. It was quiet, familiar. And then came the move—New York to Michigan. It was the most gruesome move I’ve ever done.
I packed my life into boxes, into decisions. I spent a week crashing at a friend’s place in Brooklyn, processing everything. The past, the pivot, the next phase. Then I left. And not just New York—I left behind the version of myself that thought she had to do it all on her own, or from the outside.
I was walking into this MBA with clarity. I knew what I was here to get.
A Leap of Faith and Digital Confusion
Before I even showed up in Lansing, I took a risk—I signed a lease online for an apartment I had never seen. No tour. No walkthrough. I sent the deposit and hoped for the best. That’s honestly how a lot of this journey has felt: bold moves based on conviction, not certainty. Thankfully, the apartment worked out.
But the transitions weren’t just physical. Emotionally, mentally, even digitally—there was a lot to adjust to. Simple things like someone saying “you’ll find it on D2L” or “update your info in SIS” left me confused. What is D2L? What’s SIS?
And listen—this is me. Digital transformation is literally my thing. I’ve led global digital programs. So having to ask what D2L meant, or how to access my course shell, was humbling. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And for someone who’s used to knowing things, that was a shift.
But I figured it out. I always do.
The Operational On-Ramp
The first semester hit fast—and hard.
Marketing Management, Supply Chain, Managerial Communications, Accounting and Reporting Strategy, Corporate Investment Decisions, Data Analysis, Business Presentations, and Career Management.
Honestly? That semester felt very operational. Like I had landed in a program built for operations managers. Everything was very systems-driven, very structured. And coming in as an entrepreneur, I remember thinking: “Okay, this is good—but I could hire someone to do most of this.”
Michigan State University is globally celebrated as the #1 MBA program for Supply Chain Management, and rightfully so. That reputation shows up in the coursework, the recruiting culture, and the energy in the room. Naturally, many of my peers lean toward supply chain as their concentration.
But I… hated it.
SCM just didn’t spark anything for me as an entrepreneur. And that was important to realize early.
At the time, I didn’t know what my exact focus would be. But later, after receiving my offer from Microsoft Xbox as a Business Development Manager Intern, my direction became clear. I chose to concentrate in Marketing Management and Business Analytics—fields that align more with the kind of strategic thinking I want to be doing.
Rethinking Recruiting: A Lesson in Options
When I started the MBA, I didn’t come to get a job.
I came because I wanted structure. Because I wanted to grow as a founder. Because I wanted to understand business—deeply.
So I wasn’t pressed about internships. I figured I’d spend my summer working on my own ventures. It took a good friend—Sheggz—nudging me, reminding me that applying for roles wasn’t selling out. It was strategy.
Eventually, I applied. And when I got the Microsoft offer, I knew exactly why I was saying yes.
I wasn’t just going to intern. I was going to study the machine from the inside. I wanted to know how big tech works—because someday, I’ll need to build something that moves at that scale. This internship? It’s not a detour. It’s research.
That’s the thing no one tells you—there are different paths to the same goal. Some of us take internships. Some of us build our own companies. Some do both. Success isn’t linear. But the MBA gives you options. It gives you language. It gives you tools.
From Operations to Strategy
Second semester brought a whole new rhythm.
Marketing Research. Strategic Management. Pricing & Profitability. Workforce Management. Marketing Metrics. Applied Economics. Accounting for Decision Making. And in between, a study abroad that gave me space to reflect from a different corner of the world.
This was the semester that shifted everything.
Suddenly, the courses felt aligned. Less operations, more strategy. Less “how do I manage a system,” and more “how do I build one?” I wasn’t just looking at spreadsheets—I was thinking about pricing models, growth trajectories, market entry. This was the MBA I had imagined.
This is what I needed.
Learning and Leading at the Same Time
And while learning, I was also teaching.
I served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the College of Engineering, supporting a capstone course in Applied Engineering and Supply Chain. It was a reminder that even while I was figuring things out, I still had something to offer. I wasn’t just a student. I was part of the system.
And I was also building community.
As I enter my second year, I will be serving as President of the Black MBA Association. It’s an affiliation group, yes, but for me, it’s much more than that. It’s about voice. Visibility. It’s about holding space for identity—being Black, being African, being a woman, all at once—in a program where we don’t always get to be seen fully.
It’s about knowing that leadership isn’t always about the loudest voice. Sometimes it’s about creating room for others to speak. Sometimes it’s about showing up as proof.
Where I Am Now
So here I am.
One year in.
Turning thirty.
Walking into Xbox for the summer.
I didn’t think this journey would go the way it did.
I didn’t think finance would challenge me the way it did.
I didn’t think I’d end up in tech, at one of the biggest companies in the world.
But here we are.
And what I know now is this:
The MBA isn’t just a degree.
It’s a mirror. A gym. A studio. A strategy session.
It’s not just about where you go—but who you become when you get there.
And I’ve become someone I deeply, deeply respect.
from Lansing, with Love,
Ntha
CONNECT WITH NTHANDA ONLINE:
About the Author
