Civic Scholars Profile Selamawit (Selam) Gebre

Why did you choose to pursue your MBA at Chicago Booth?

I chose Chicago Booth because I wanted to blend my experience in the social impact sector with comprehensive theory and curriculum-based hands-on learning that will allow me to explore different angles to tackling complex problems. I knew I could play with, and expand, the boundaries of my intellectual curiosities while building practical skills alongside social impact-focused peers through the Civic Scholars Program and the broader Booth community.

What skills are you looking to develop at Booth and implement into your social impact work?

I am looking to develop my capacities in asking more nuanced questions, taking better-informed risks, and expanding my leadership in making evidence-based decisions alongside social impact teams. By keeping my core commitments to furthering equity and justice at the forefront of my Booth experience, I look forward to bringing the ah-has and tensions of these learnings into my work.

How do you think that Booth classroom experience will help you in your work/career growth?

Booth will help me become a better thinker and contemplate my ideas more rigorously while exploring areas of convergence and divergence with peers, faculty, and colleagues across multiple industries and sectors. By being immersed in this rich learning environment, and bringing my decade of experience working toward educational equity, I look forward to exploring new avenues as I co-design for more equitable spaces alongside teams and communities throughout my career.