Worth The Risk

Neil and Anna Watson

I have always been fascinated by how people react to news.  Oftentimes, we expect one response but end up with something much different.  For instance, when I tell people I am moving to DC for grad school, the congratulations and well wishes I first hoped for are in actuality spaced few and far between what I have come to accept as the typical response: “Why would you do that?”

In all honesty, it’s a fair question.  I have a very comfortable life here in sunny San Diego: a nice condo by the beach, a beautiful wife with our first child on the way, a great job with a fantastic company, family and friends nearby…  I live a life that many only dream of.

I don’t tell you this to brag, but merely to illustrate how fair of a question it is: Why would I risk giving up such an ideal life to go through the hassle of finding a new job and moving to a new place far from friends and family where there are things like “snow” and “humidity” all just for school?  What they don’t understand is that I’m not risking it all for just any graduate program, but for this graduate program.

For me, the driving factor in attending the MSBA program is the opportunity to receive a top-tier business education rooted in Catholic social teachings.  It is the synergy that results from the opportunity to learn a discipline I enjoy while focusing my efforts in service to society.  In how many other b-schools would you find terms like “profit” and “ROI” intertwined with “human dignity” and “common good”?  Here they are not only intertwined, but harmonized in a way that excites me and challenges me to practice business differently.

And though I believe this program has strong potential to deliver a great ROI, the truth is that an MSBA might not lead to fame and fortune.  However, I do believe its ROI lies in much more than this.  Unlike any other b-school, this program will lead to something much greater: a life fulfilled by practicing business in service to society.

And the opportunity to learn that is worth risking almost anything – let alone a comfortable life in San Diego.

Neil Watson

MSBA Candidate

Class of 2013