Booth Pride is Chicago Booth’s LGBTQ+ student organization on campus for our Part-Time MBA Program. The group works to create a community within Booth where members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies can come together to support one another and celebrate the diversity of our student body. All members of Booth Pride are committed to providing a safe space for all LGBTQ+ individuals within the Evening and Weekend MBA programs at Chicago Booth. Learn more about Booth Pride from the lens of current students and co-chairs, Shawn Patton and Andrea Romero.
Shawn was born and raised in Orange County and holds a bachelor's degree in International Studies from the University of California, Irvine. Shawn is extremely passionate about the international education space, specifically pertaining to roles developing and managing programs that promote international academic partnerships. Shawn decided to pursue his MBA at Chicago Booth because he wanted to develop his leadership and business skill set in order to take his career to the next level and prepare for senior management roles. A fun fact about Shawn is that he lived in Europe for three years (Spain and Italy).
Andrea was born in sunny Guayaquil, Ecuador and later moved to Westchester County in New York at the age of 10 with her family. She currently works in the Corporate Finance department at Altria Group, a tobacco harm reduction company, whose 10-year vision is to responsibly lead the transition of adult smokers to a smoke-free future. Andrea’s firm generously sponsored her attendance to Chicago Booth so that she could further develop her technical finance and accounting skills, while also honing her leadership development skills using Booth’s flexible curriculum to her advantage. A fun fact about Andrea is that she enjoys reading anything from Russian Lit short stories to Latin American classics.
Shawn: It was important for me to make connections with other LGBTQ+ students who could understand my journey. LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges in the business world, so it’s important that we support each other and raise awareness of key issues affecting our community.
Andrea: I wanted to represent and empower women within the Booth LGBTQ+ community, as well as prospective female candidates. I think it’s very important to have leadership representation and presence within our community, as it gives people the support to be their authentic selves—at their pace and comfort levels within their LGBTQ+ journey. I don’t know how I would have ever come out as a Lesbian, at the age of 16, if my best friend from high school—another very out and proud lesbian—had not been so loud, vocal, and supportive. I think of my leadership in Booth Pride as a way to pay-it-forward, as well as a way to be a loud and proud voice for myself and for other folks who need that support and reassurance. Our community exists and we are here with open arms to relate to and support you!
Shawn: Our community is here to welcome you and support you throughout your Booth journey. No matter how you identify, what challenges you face, or which road brought you here, there’s a place for you in Booth Pride.
Shawn: From joining Booth Pride, I’ve made some great friends outside of the classroom and aside from my LAUNCH cohort. Booth Pride members work in all different industries and come from various stages in the program, so it’s been great to connect with colleagues who can provide guidance on the program or even career advancement.
Andrea: We host all sorts of social events designed for the support of the LGBTQ+ community at Booth, and our events are always open to our kind Allies. This year, we planned quarterly group dinners, happy hours, joint socials with Pride@Kellogg, and an alumni speaker event series for our members.
Andrea: My favorite experience was actually planning our 2023-2024 school year events with the rest of the Booth Pride leadership! Everyone was very enthusiastic to execute and take ownership for many of the social and academic growth opportunities that we have in the works.
Shawn: We have several events planned throughout the month, including a social event at the Midway Club, participation in the Chicago Pride Parade, and several meetups across the city to celebrate the pride festivities. I’m looking forward to celebrating Pride Month in Chicago!
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The MBA from a Different Lens: Meet Lehman Robinson