Redefining the MBA Journey: Jennie Daniel Pivots from Teaching to Consulting

March 10, 2025

Jennie Daniel, Full-time MBA ‘19, shares how she transitioned from Teach For America to consulting at PwC with the help of valuable female mentors, especially her older sister, Erin Daniel, Full-time MBA ‘16.

Jennie Daniel, Full-time MBA ’19, is used to making her own way on a non-traditional path. From the classroom of a Teach For America elementary school to the corporate halls of PwC, Daniel’s dedication to excellence and rigor remained the same. But the path from one to the other was never going to be a straight shot. Daniel knew that to make her way to consulting, she’d need to gain a skill set that only an MBA could offer.

By the time Daniel returned to school to get her MBA, she had worked for several nonprofits, including a stint in Kenya, and successfully guided three third grade classrooms of inner city students to higher than grade-average reading levels. Daniel knew the afterglow of hard-fought accomplishment and knew that it did not happen without mentorship.

How It Started: A Mentor and Sister

Daniel's most valuable mentor happens to be her older sister, Erin Daniel, who earned her Georgia Tech Full-time MBA in 2016.

Jennie Daniel shares advice that came from her sister, and other valuable mentors, at critical junctures of her career journey.

Two sisters put their arms around each other's shoulders

Three women attend a Georgia Tech Homecoming game tailgate event

Milestone 1: MBA Applications

"As part of the application process, I prepared for the GMAT. Some people can take a test and do great. I am just not one of those people; taking a standardized test is not how I display knowledge.

Admissions told me my lower score might prevent me from getting in. My sister taught me to be unapologetic and say, ‘Thank you so much for letting me know, but this is as good as it's going to get for me. I am happy to show my skills in other ways.’”

Takeaway Advice:

“Be unapologetic about who you are and what you have to offer.”

Women and men gather, dressed in formal attire for an MBA Prom event

Milestone 2: MBA Student at Georgia Tech

“I remember looking around my MBA classes and thinking that everyone knew so much more than me. In hindsight, it was all about context. The guy with a five-year background in corporate finance sitting in an introductory finance class is going to know more about finance than I do.

For all the women with non-traditional backgrounds, it is especially important to not discount your worth. Do not look around and be intimidated by people with different experiences than you. Do not doubt yourself and the knowledge you bring to the table.”

Takeaway Advice:

“The loudest voice in the room is not the smartest voice in the room.”

Women and men MBA students gather at a New Orleans service project event

Milestone 3: Job Search

“My sister gave me the best advice while I was preparing for the case study portion of interviews. Case studies are terrible, but I understand why we do them. They help other people understand your logic.

My sister told me to think about the case study like a casual conversation with a friend. If your friend came to you with a work problem, what would you ask them? What are you curious about? What do you know? What don’t you know?”

Takeaway Advice:

"As you prepare for interviews, start with curiosity."

Milestone 4: Starting Out at PwC

“Most of my impactful mentors at PwC have been other women. I had my first baby a year and a half ago. Navigating this job with a child is tricky. But a female colleague at PwC, who is also a mother, told me, ‘Don’t be apologetic about what you need.’

Now, I tell my team and I tell my clients what I need. If it’s not a good fit, fine. It’s not a good fit. But it’s not worth sacrificing the kind of mother I want to be or the kind of person I want to be.”

Takeaway Advice:

"Tell people around you what you need and don't apologize for it."

Learn More: Full-time MBA