Past Participants
Nadia Johnson
SVMP 2000 HBS MBA 2008
College: Stanford University, Bachelor of Arts
Major: History
Work Experience: National Diversity Recruiting Manager
Interests: traveling, dining out, entertaining, creating memories with good people, Tom Wolfe and Robert Parker novels
What do you remember as the highlights of SVMP?
Most of all I remember the people. The students were from schools all across the country and were outgoing, intelligent individuals that had a lot to offer. Given the selectivity of the program, you will continue to interact with this group as you progress throughout your life and career. I know I have seen students from my SVMP class in business, social, and educational settings throughout the past 5 years. The bond that links us together is SVMP — one that we always proudly announce whenever we run into each other!
How did that week impact your life?
Before SVMP, HBS was not even on my radar screen. I knew I wanted to attend business school, but didn't have any idea about how the process worked or what the classroom environment was like. Sitting in the classroom and being taught by a diverse team of HBS professors, living on campus, and interacting with my peers was unparalleled. I was sold on HBS as a place that not only encouraged intellectual vitality, but would welcome and support a diverse student body. I truly felt that I could be successful here and I wouldn't have had that perspective if it wasn't for SVMP.
Did you feel that the SVMP experience was representative of the HBS experience you are living now?
Most definitely. Although I attended SVMP 6 years before I enrolled in the MBA program, that experience lent itself as a unique perspective for me to draw from when putting together my application. Sure, I could sit in on a class or two during a campus visit, but SVMP allowed me to spend an entire week living a first year student's schedule with the same case-load, activities, experiences, and resources. I knew exactly what to expect and what was required to excel at HBS in a practical context.
Now that you have benefited from both the SVMP and the HBS experience, what are your dreams for the future?
To be an influential leader that can affect change on a broad scale within minority communities and throughout society at large. A lofty goal, yes, but one that I feel I am being prepared for as an HBS student. I hope to be an example that people can look to and be inspired to be Great themselves. Nothing makes me more happy or proud than to see a chain of influence and success ripple from one person to another as a result of good work, smart decisions, and compassion for one another.
