For the past two years, Holly Price (Ross, ’17) has made the most of her time at Ross through leadership, entrepreneurship, and student activities. Selected by her peers as the winner of the School’s prestigious Frank S. Moran Leadership Award, Holly made the most of her time in Ann Arbor and in turn left an impactful mark on the Ross community. During her final days at Ross, Holly took time to share with us some of her final thoughts on her Ross experience, and what she’s looking forward to after graduation.
MBASchooled: What is your favorite memory of business school?
Holly: The international trips with classmates. I traveled internationally more in business school than the rest of my life combined. Visiting foreign countries with your classmates, especially those who are native to those lands, is an incredibly powerful way to build true, lasting friendships with people from many different backgrounds. I have traveled to Japan, Peru, and India with or advised by classmates from those countries and felt like I got a much deeper appreciation for the history and culture of those places because of it.
MBASchooled: What will you miss most about your MBA experience?
Holly: I have loved living in Ann Arbor, a small college town, much more than I expected. One of my favorite parts of the MBA experience at Ross has been running into classmates whenever I leave the house, be it walking to class, going to yoga, or going out downtown. Living in this community has pushed me towards building deeper connections and being more social than I think I would have been if I lived in a larger city.
MBASchooled: What are you most proud of from your MBA experience?
Holly: Probably winning Ross’ Frank S. Moran Leadership Award. This award is given to a graduating MBA student who has made outstanding contributions to improve the business school experience for students, staff, and faculty, and who embodies the spirit of Ross. Students nominate and vote on the winner of this award. Knowing that I did something through my contributions to our Ross community to move the needle and that people noticed matters a lot to me.
MBASchooled: What’s the most important lesson you learned in business school?
Holly: Stay in your lane. If you spend your time constantly measuring yourself against your peers or trying to chase fame and fortune, you may very well stay in the same place. If you stay true to your values and pursue opportunities that give you energy, you are more likely to go further and feel more fulfilled than you would by chasing someone else’s dream.
MBASchooled: What part of you has undergone the most transformation while in business school?
Holly: My expectations for myself and my future have undergone the most transformation. Exploring other careers and opportunities in business school have expanded the paths that I see as potential possibilities for my life and I am graduating with a great sense of optimism for the future.
MBASchooled: Who is someone who has had a positive influence on you while in business school?
Holly: Anne Perigo, the Associate Director of the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at Ross. She met with me as a prospective student to talk about my entrepreneurial interests and encouraged me to take advantage of some of the entrepreneurship offerings at Ross. She has been a supporter, mentor, and friend throughout my two years at Ross and extremely pivotal in my development as an entrepreneur. Faculty and staff like Anne who are crazy impressive but also giving a lot to the students at Ross help make the business school experience truly transformational.
MBASchooled: Is there anything that you haven’t gotten to do that you wish you had done?
Holly: I wish I had more time to take more classes outside of the business school. I took a class that was cross listed with the School of Information and the School of Education and it was one of my favorite classes. I enjoyed getting to know topics, classmates, and faculty outside of the business school. There are many other classes I would have taken in the Schools of Social Work, Urban Planning, Education, and Information if I had another year!
MBASchooled: Where do you hope to be in five years?
Holly: I hope to be in a career that is demanding and rewarding; one that gives me a sense of purpose and pays me enough to live a reasonable lifestyle. I hope to be still happily married and in a position to take care of what my family needs. And I hope to have some side ventures or investments underway or planned for the near term (which hopefully also means my student loans are almost paid off!).