Harbus

Issue date: 11/20/06 Section: Viewpoints

Media Credit: Andreas Sylverius (OB)/Harbus Photographer Standing (L-R): Sofia Paredes, Eme Tony-Uzoebo, Mina Park. Sitting (L-R): Carmen Olazabal, Nadine Ngouabe Dlodlo, Flo Okoli.

Malaika is a Swahili word which means Angel. It is also the name that my sectionmate Eme Uzoebo chose for her newborn daughter a few weeks ago. Eme, an RC student from Nigeria attended classes up until a few hours before giving birth to her second child. She spent just two weeks on a maternity break, juggling her time between her newborn baby, her two year old son and her cases and she still managed to be ready to tackle the mid-term exams upon her return to classes. Similarly to Eme, Jeehyun Shin, an EC student from South Korea, gave birth to her second child during the RC first term. Their stories may sound incredible to most students at the Harvard Business School, but yet this constant juggling of hats is a daily occurrence for most students who also happen to be mothers. This is a small group of women who have chosen to build their families and raise their children while pursuing a very demanding education program. Currently, this group numbers about 12 women (6 RCs and 6 ECs).

In a recent article in the September 20 edition of The Wall Street Journal, Ronald Alsop writes, "Catering to mothers could just be the answer to the perennial problem of attracting more women to MBA programs. The Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive survey this year asked recruiters for advice on increasing the number of women MBAs, and a surprisingly large number called for schools to be more flexible and supportive of women with children".

As a mother myself, I wanted to know how other HBS moms organize themselves and how their parental duties fit with their commitment to their studies.

Christiana Iyasere is an American RC student, a medical doctor, a wife and a mother to a five-month old boy; she believes that setting the right priorities is important even if it means having less extracurricular activities, "I think that you can have a family and still be successful at your studies. I am always prepared for my cases." All HBS moms I spoke to seem to have become experts in time management, an ability to fit two distinct sets of demanding tasks in a 24 hour day. There is also a general sense of avoiding calling undue attention on oneself, no matter how tough the going gets at home. Eme for example often spends entire nights on her feet, trying to calm her crying baby; with a bit of luck, she may get an hour of sleep around 6 am, yet she will arrive in class with a smile on her face, ready to take on the cold calls.

Continued...

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