Amanda Boadi: Championing social impact

What led you to take the Cambridge MBA?

After completing my studies in the health sciences, I took classes in business and decided that an MBA might be the right path after gaining some work experience. During my time in the social sector, I ended up taking on 6 roles with increasing responsibility and geographical reach. While I’m grateful for these experiences, the most recent involving national programmes, I’ve been yearning for more professional challenges and opportunities for increased learning, responsibility and impact. I felt that revisiting my MBA plans at this stage would fortify my practical experience with foundational business knowledge and provide opportunities to engage across more industries and geographies. 

Cambridge appealed to me for a few reasons, with the global focus of the programme being a major selling point. I love that the programme has an international mix of students, and after participating in a cross-cultural leadership exchange last year, I’ve been looking for more opportunities to connect with international peers who are rising leaders in their fields. Furthermore, I was excited to see that the programme was intentional in integrating a Global Consulting Project that offers students an opportunity to gain real experience within the condensed 1-year programme. I also liked that the programme offered a range of concentrations that piqued my interest, including strategy, entrepreneurship, sustainability and finance. 

Looking into the programme more, I felt like I could see myself belonging. I remember the Programme Director describing the MBA programme as inquisitive, which stood out to me (as I’m notorious for asking questions), and I liked seeing words like agility, excellence and curiosity incorporated into the programme’s code. Looking at some of the funding available like this scholarship for professional diversity, I was also convinced that this was an environment where my unique experience and perspective might be welcome and celebrated. 

Describe the biggest accomplishment in your career so far?

The biggest accomplishment in my career has been speaking at the echo announcement for Canada’s implementation of a national school feeding program this April. Until this year, Canada was the only G7 country without a national school feeding program and my previous organisation worked in providing school nutrition funding and resources while advocating at all levels of government for a federally funded program. 

Over the 6 years I worked within the organisation, I was able to contribute to operational and strategic initiatives to serve communities across the country and participate in roundtables and advocacy initiatives with provincial ministries. While there were small wins here and there as my organisation and others lobbied for a national feeding program, we weren’t sure whether the government would deliver in a timely manner on their commitments made over the last 4 to 5 years. 

This spring, our organisation received confirmation that the Prime Minister would be announcing the establishment of a national school feeding program and we were invited to participate in the formal announcements and echo announcements with cabinet ministers. I was excited to be selected to represent the organisation in Alberta alongside Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, and had the opportunity to make a public address directly following the Minister’s announcement. 

While being one of 3 speakers at the echo announcement was an excellent opportunity, I feel that the work I invested leading to this point was the real accomplishment; I am most engaged when I feel that my work is contributing to greater impacts, and in the moment I felt that the time, care and effort I had dedicated at work led to my organisation’s trust in me as a representative and that I had made some small contribution towards a historic moment for children in our country! 

How do you feel about being awarded your scholarship?

The first word that comes to mind is validated; I think those of us who work in the nonprofit sector understand the depth of skills we develop and utilise to get things done; we learn to do a lot with very little and have to be incredibly resourceful, creative, and agile on a daily basis. 

Due to limited resources, I’ve been an honorary member of HR, finance, marketing and operations teams at different points in my career to date! Despite this, I feel that nonprofit experience isn’t always valued as much as professional experience gained in other industries. Being awarded this scholarship is reassurance that the experience and skills I’m bringing to the programme are valuable and a reminder that I also have something meaningful to contribute to this cohort of excellent students from varied backgrounds. 

I am so grateful that through this scholarship, Cambridge Judge Business School is emphasising the importance of diverse perspectives and creating opportunities for those of us who might have unconventional or non-traditional pre-MBA experience to claim a seat at the table. 

What do you want to get out of the MBA most of all in the next year?

I would say that more than anything, I want to embrace opportunities to push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I enjoy trying new activities and continuously learning, but I have previously limited myself through overthinking, perfectionism, and fear of failure. 

With the variety of engagement opportunities offered in the MBA programme and in wider Cambridge, I am looking forward to doing some of the things I didn’t get around to in my undergraduate studies. Off the top of my head, I’d love to try a case competition, participate in at least one global exchange opportunity, and join a Student Interest Group in a topic I know little about. I also want to challenge myself more socially and participate in more networking opportunities when they arise! 

Where do you see your MBA journey taking you in your future career?

Heading into the programme I put together a list of 5 potential career avenues ranging from consulting to impact investing to social entrepreneurship, but to be honest I don’t know which (if any) will be the one I land on in my future career. 

What I do see is my MBA journey pushing me to take more risks and build additional confidence in taking advanced leadership roles. I hope that through the international opportunities and networking offered through the programme, I’ll be able to secure a career that will involve significant impact on the global community and offer opportunities to get to know additional corners of this world more intimately. 

What does Cambridge mean to you?

Cambridge to me is a chance to connect with brilliant minds in a setting that offers constant stimulation. I tend to commit to things in the long term which can make me too comfortable, so this experience at Cambridge is an opportunity to make the most of what’s in front of me in a limited time without getting complacent or stagnant. 

The University is deeply rooted in tradition with a history of academic rigour, but I’m also excited to experience it in a programme that places emphasis on innovation, discovery, connections and exploration. I’d say that while its rankings and notable alumni set Cambridge apart as an academic institution, I see Cambridge as a bit of a playground where I will get to explore new interests, engage in more self-discovery, tap into a new culture, and hopefully make lifelong connections along the way. 

Something that few people may know about you…

While my skill level varies from moderately impressive to questionable, I like to dabble in the creative arts; I’ve tried ballet, played cajon and backup vocals in a community club, worked backstage in an operetta production, and have written scripts and put together a few videos for conferences and events. 

My minor claim to fame is that the music video I put together won my previous employer the gold medal in CCC’s Got Talent, a city-wide corporate engagement challenge.