Anna Diehl | Class of 2007

Anna Diehl ’07 2012 MBA Candidate at the Kenan-Flagler School of Business, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill NWC Major: Marketing Involvements at NWC: Teaching Assistant, Investment Club, Antioch residence Hometown: Pine Island, Minnesota Current City: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Describe your responsibilities: Full Time MBA student with concentration in marketing. Forté Fellowship Recipient. Dean’s Fellowship Recipient. Non-Profit Board Fellow. Elected VP of Diversity, MBA Student Association.

What do you enjoy most about grad school? Building on my business foundation from NWC and skills and experience during my career at General Mills to become a stronger business leader.

How did Northwestern prepare you for the responsibilities and challenges? Northwestern gave me the business tools I needed to succeed and the Christian perspective needed to bring joy into the workplace, and now secular college environment. With my business background I was able to enter my MBA program without taking the summer prep classes attended by 80% of my class. I know I am fully prepared to compete with my colleagues who were undergrads at Duke, Yale, and Cornell.

How did grow while at NWC? And how do you integrate that now in your career?
NWC was a catalyst for my academic and spiritual development. The classroom experience simply provides a framework for the relationships you develop with outside the classroom, which leads to discussions of challenging ideas, prayer, and sometimes just laughter. I have integrated this into my career by operating everyday with purpose and humility—seeking excellence and the continued development of myself and my team.

Why did you choose NWC? Northwestern provided a combination of business excellence with a strong Christian community.

What did you enjoy most about NWC? The lifelong friendships and mentoring relationships I developed with my classmates and professors.

Why is Northwestern a good place to study business? Northwestern provides a personal touch to a solid business education. The professors care deeply about the education of the students and encourage students to pursue God’s best plan for their lives. This enables students to grow as business leaders rooted in integrity and purpose.