Introducing the Kellogg Young Alumni Board
Fall 2023 marked the official launch of Kellogg’s new Young Alumni Board (YAB).
The board is inspired by Kellogg’s lifelong community that remains connected after graduation. The board will provide strategic partnership and advisory to Kellogg’s Senior Leadership Team and larger administration to engage young alumni and steer priority initiatives, including alumni transition experience, admissions, careers and mentorship.
The board was founded by co-chairs Alyssa Posklensky ’21 MBA and Sammy Goldstein ’22 MBA, alongside Bhavana Balakrishnan ’22 MBA, Mia Velasquez ’18 MBA, René Peters ’18 MS, MBA, Ryan Sakwa ’22 MBA and Tracey Fetherson ’21 MBA. These founding members hosted their first meeting in September and worked alongside dean Francesca Cornelli, associate dean David Sack, and associate dean Greg Hanifee to outline priority goals and initiatives for the board’s initial years.
“The Young Alumni Board illustrates essential components of what it means to be a Kellogg Leader,” says Goldstein. “Kellogg is a community where students, alumni, and the administration continuously innovate the exceptional academic, recruiting, and extracurricular resources that are available.”
A hallmark of students’ time at Kellogg involves a plethora of activities and opportunities led by their friends and classmates — from clubs and social events to interview prep, networking and planning large-scale conferences. Posklensky and Goldstein are both excited to harness this same energy to engage recent graduates.
“This work will extend the energy that starts on campus and is an integral part of Kellogg’s culture into the alumni experience.” adds Posklensky. “Many young alumni are already involved with Kellogg, but we are looking to harness this energy and tie to Kellogg’s strategic priorities through the initiatives of this new board.”
The founding members of the Young Alumni Board have also started to recruit members for a full team. This opportunity is offered to alumni of Kellogg’s One-Year MBA, Two-Year MBA, MMM, MBAi, and Evening & Weekend MBA Programs across all industries. Interested alumni should submit their resume and a statement of interest (no more than one page) to alyssaposk@gmail.com and sammy.goldstein@kellogg.northwestern.edu.
YAB Founding Members
Alyssa Posklensky ’21 MBA, One-Year MBA Program, Co-Chair
Current Role: Brand Manager, KIND Bar Innovation
Previous Education: BBA in Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School
Kellogg Leadership: 1Y KSA President and 1Y CIM Fellow
Sammy Goldstein ’22 MBA, Two-Year MBA Program, Co-Chair
Current Role: Senior Chief of Staff, Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation
Previous Education: BA in Economics; and Women & Gender Studies from Wellesley College
Kellogg Leadership: Youn Impact Scholar, KSA Student Body President, Co-Chair of the Black Management Association Conference, CIM Fellow and KWEST Leader
Bhavana Balakrishnan ’22 MBA, Two-Year MBA Program
Current Role: Investment Banking Associate at J.P. Morgan
Previous Education: B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Singapore
Kellogg Involvement: KSA, VP of Clubs and Finance, Golub Capital Board Fellow, various leadership roles in the Kellogg South Asia Club and the Healthcare Club.
Mia Velasquez ’18 MBA, Two-Year MBA Program
Current Role: Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives of McKesson (US Oncology Network team)
Previous Education: BA in Biochemistry and Managerial Studies from Rice University
Kellogg Leadership: Hispanic Management Association, VP of Prospective Students, The Good Life, Student Leader and Day at Kellogg (DAK) Executive Team
René Peters ’18 MBA, MMM Program
Current Role: Product Manager at NVIDIA
Previous Education: B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kellogg Leadership: F.C. Austin Scholar, Kellogg Cares Day Co-Chair, Black Management Association (BMA), VP of External Relations and BMA Conference Logistics Co-Chair
Ryan Sakwa ’22 MBA, Evening & Weekend MBA Program
Current Role: Senior Director at C3 AI
Previous Education: B.Eng. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan
Kellogg Involvement: E&W KSA and VP of Careers
Tracey Fetherson ’21 MBA, Two-Year MBA Program
Current Role: Senior Brand Manager at DICK’s Sporting Goods
Previous Education: BA in Sociology from the University of Virginia
Kellogg Leadership: KSA, Executive Vice President of DEI Black Management Association, VP of Prospective Students and CIM Fellow
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