Dedication and discipline

5/1/2014 - The dedication Shaina Morrison ’15 brings to Kellogg was forged in a professional dance company she participated in after school as a teenager.

In that studio in Boston, Morrison learned self-discipline and the importance of fully mastering a craft. These skills took her to an advertising career in New York, then to her “dream school,” Kellogg.

In April, they also helped her become the 22nd Endowed Scholar of the Black Management Association. The scholarship, which started in 1991, has continuously been funded through the generous gifts of alumni and corporate sponsors.

“On behalf of the Black Management Association we would like to congratulate Shaina on receiving this distinguished award,” BMA co-Presidents Chris Alexander and Dominique Harris said in a statement.

Focus on media

Morrison plans to pursue a marketing career in the media and entertainment space, bringing a social element to her work.

“I love that media allows you to amplify causes and social movements via such a wide reach” she said.

One campaign close to her heart is improving access to alternative after-school programs in low-income areas, giving young people the opportunities the dance studio gave her.

It doesn’t have to be dance, video production or anything in the arts or media, just something that inspires passion and a desire for excellence in young people living in difficult situations, she said.

“I think the root of it would just help people have an outlet,” she said. “I think it helps eliminate the noise that comes with living in a very difficult environment.”

“Dream school”

Morrison said that Kellogg’s passionate East Coast alumni community made her realize the school was her top pick when she decided to pursue an MBA.

“I was blown away by the alumni,” she said. “Being that I was living in New York, the alumni really gave me a flavor of the Kellogg culture.”

“The other component that made Kellogg my dream school was probably the academics. I knew I needed a deeper level of marketing that was beyond intro marketing so I could round out my advertising skill set.”

Morrison is a member of the BMA Executive Team, dedicated to showing prospective students what Kellogg offers.

“Shaina has been an exemplary member of the BMA Executive Board this year,” Alexander and Harris said in their statement. “She has gone above and beyond to make herself accessible to prospective students and has been a strong contributor to our club priorities for the year. She has been a pleasure to work and the award was well-deserved.”