Required Haas MBA Essay #3: One of our goals at Berkeley Haas is to develop leaders who value diversity and to create an inclusive environment in which people from different ethnicities, genders, lived experiences, and national origins feel welcomed and supported. Describe any experience or exposure you have in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging whether through community organizations, personal, or in the workplace? Candidates seeking consideration for mission-aligned fellowships may use this space to reflect on their commitment to the mission of those fellowships. (300 words max)
Objective: Which of the three Berkeley Haas DEI objectives are met by this sample essay – Increase Diversity & Representation, Integrate DEI Skills, and Cultivate Belonging?
Objective Met: Increase Diversity & Representation
Objective Met (Explained): By hiring a consultant from the Native American community, the applicant could understand the ineffectiveness of the PSA campaign his team had developed. Later, replacing the principles highlighted by AA where the individual was ‘central’ to transformation with a theme that ‘elders’ – a figure in Native American culture with the most resonance, dramatically improved the effectiveness of the campaign.
Applicant’s Ethnicity: German Irish
Profile: Product Manager
Industry: Technology
Cross-Functional Role (Volunteering): Marketing
Skills: Communication, Strategy, Leadership
Traits: Feedback Seeking, Open Mindedness
Beneficiary: Native Americans
Theme: Domestic Violence, Alcoholism
Theme (Explained): In this Haas MBA DEI Essay, the theme is Violence among Native American families. The applicant also witnessed domestic violence growing up. Instead of blocking the trauma, his uncle suggested volunteering for a similar cause. The non-profit out of Sacramento serving Native Americans offered the applicant the opportunity to break down the challenges - the triggers, the reporting pattern, the socioeconomic condition, and the inter-generational trauma causing the domestic violence. An inclusive team-building moment that transforms their campaign's effectiveness is the narrative's core.
Opener: I wanted to start with the applicant’s experience playing the mediator in his violent family to set motivation on why he cares about the cause.
Strategy: Like in all DEI MBA Essays where inclusive leadership is a theme, I have introduced two other protagonists - a consultant and a non-profit. While introducing other protagonists, I also had to ensure that the focus didn’t move away from the applicant and that the narrative clearly demonstrated the applicant’s leadership and open-mindedness.
Haas MBA Essay Example on DEI (Building Inclusive Teams to Address Domestic Violence Among Native Americans) (300 Words)
I grew up in a volatile family where violence was the language that everyone understood. As the middle kid, I was the mediator, negotiator, and pacifier. The role kept the family from disintegrating into chaos, but the mental stress ..
