Stephanie Dobitsch
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
“Results-driven leader dedicated to service and performance excellence through empowerment, lifelong learning, and transformational growth.”
Hometown: Scranton, PA
Fun fact about yourself: I love hosting parties that bring people from completely different circles together, even for the tiniest reasons to celebrate. Nothing makes me happier than watching unexpected friendships form and making sure everyone feels right at home!
Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Scranton, Bachelor of Science in International Studies
Where are you currently working? Federal Emergency Management Agency, Senior Executive
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: Beta Gamma Sigma Honors Society; Class Representative for 2025 Georgetown University Executive MBA Program.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school?
My biggest achievement is serving as a representative of the 2025 Georgetown University Executive MBA program. Representing this program and my cohort has allowed me to embody the institution’s values of academic excellence and ethical leadership while connecting with diverse professionals across industries. Through this position, I have had the unique opportunity and honor to mentor and guide fellow students, influence program development, and foster meaningful relationships with faculty and alumni – impact that will extend well beyond graduation. The trust placed in me by both the administration and my peers is humbling, and successfully balancing this responsibility alongside rigorous coursework has helped me grow as a leader.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Dedicating two decades to public service has and will continue to represent the pinnacle of my professional accomplishments. I have approached each day of service with an unwavering commitment to upholding public trust and advancing the common good. This journey has afforded me the privilege of implementing policies and executing programs that directly improved the lives of American citizens, from defending our nation against emerging threats to expanding access to essential services for communities before, during, and after disasters. While public service often proceeds without recognition, witnessing tangible improvements in the communities I have served has provided me with profound fulfillment that surpasses any formal accolades. I continue to carry forth a sense of immense purpose and pride in my service to our great nation.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? Georgetown University has the distinctive blend of academic excellence and commitment to Jesuit values that I believe transcend conventional business education. The institution’s foundational principle of cura personalis — care for the whole person — resonated deeply with my belief that effective leadership extends beyond professional competence to encompass ethical decision-making and personal transformation. This philosophy also manifests in Georgetown’s approach to education, where faculty members demonstrate genuine interest in nurturing students’ intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth. The program’s emphasis on forming principled leaders who serve the common good aligned perfectly with my passion for public service and aspiration to make meaningful contributions to society through business.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? Understanding the critical importance of strategic foresight and leadership in delivering organizational success has been essential to my professional growth through this program. As a seasoned public servant, I initially enrolled to acquire business acumen I felt was missing in my skill set. However, I quickly discovered that my experience as a senior executive had already exposed me to many challenges like those faced by C-suite leaders across all industries. Georgetown’s executive approach taught me how to effectively lead business experts and drive organizational decision-making rather than becoming a technical specialist myself. As a result, I feel more confident in my ability to pursue these opportunities in the future.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? During my final semester at Georgetown, I faced the exceptional challenge of navigating a presidential transition in my government role while completing the most demanding portion of the Executive MBA program. I was able to thrive during this timeframe because of the strong relationships I cultivated with my fellow students and the professors. My study teams recognized the unique pressures I faced and restructured our collaboration schedule to accommodate my transition-related commitments, allowing us to maintain academic progress despite my constrained availability.
Similarly, I proactively communicated with professors about the unique circumstances I faced, working collaboratively to establish alternative deadlines for certain deliverables without compromising academic standards. Georgetown’s exceptional career services and coaching staff provided invaluable support during this period. My executive coach helped me develop a strategic approach to this transition, including supporting me in taking on a new role during this timeframe that aligned with my future career goals. Career services also arranged connections with alumni and other professionals who had navigated similar government transitions, providing students with practical insights that shaped the many changes as opportunities rather than challenges. This experience ultimately became a practical demonstration of Georgetown’s emphasis on authentic leadership and relationship building. By drawing upon the institutional support and professional network developed during the program, I successfully guided my team through the transition period while completing my degree requirements with distinction.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? I would advise prospective Executive MBA students to realistically assess and proactively manage your time commitments well before the program begins. Unlike full-time MBA students, you’ll be balancing rigorous academics with established careers and family responsibilities. Build significant buffer time into your weekly schedule for coursework — I recommend allocating at least 10-15 hours per week for individual assignments and group projects, particularly during intensive modules. Additionally, recognize that your life circumstances are more complex than those of traditional MBA students; during my program, cohort members navigated pregnancies, job transitions, health challenges, and eldercare responsibilities alongside their studies. Develop contingency plans for these potential life changes rather than assuming your circumstances will remain static throughout the program. Finally, invest heavily in relationship-building with your cohort from the outset, as these connections become invaluable when inevitable time conflicts arise. The most successful students in our cohort weren’t necessarily those with the most impressive backgrounds, but rather those who planned meticulously, communicated transparently with all stakeholders in their lives, and approached the program with both flexibility and determination.
What was your biggest regret in business school? I regret not fully engaging with Georgetown’s vibrant campus life and student organizations. While I excelled academically and maintained my professional commitments, I underestimated the value of participating in industry-specific clubs, speaker series, and networking events that regularly occurred outside of required coursework. These extracurricular opportunities represented crucial platforms for developing relationships with industry leaders, exploring emerging business trends, and forming deeper connections with fellow students across different cohorts.
In particular, I missed several executive speaker sessions featuring prominent leaders in my target industry who could have provided invaluable insights and potential mentorship. As an alumnus, I plan to proactively engage Georgetown’s robust alumni network, attend industry panels and speaking engagements, and potentially serve as a mentor to current students. I have already enrolled in the alumni association and committed to quarterly campus events to strengthen my connection to the Georgetown community.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I’ve come to deeply admire Rachel Wang, who leads Georgetown University’s efforts to connect international learners and educators in the advancement of U.S. public diplomacy. What I love most about Rachel is how she’s always pushing herself out of her comfort zone — whether she’s tackling those tough case studies or sharing personal stories that make our class discussions so much richer. Rachel demonstrates incredible balance — she’ll advocate for what she believes in, but she’s also not afraid to be vulnerable when reflecting on her struggles. She achieves this rare ability to balance approaches through her constant pursuit of growth — not just academically within our program, but professionally in her career trajectory and personally through her thoughtful self-reflection. The way she carefully weighs different perspectives before making up her mind is exactly the kind of integrated leadership our program is trying to develop. One of the best parts of this whole experience has been carpooling with Rachel to our weekend classes. Those drives, getting to know her better and sharing laughs along the way, have honestly been the highlight of my time in this program. Rachel shows us all that real growth takes both boldness and humility.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I selected an Executive MBA program because the in-person format was essential for developing the meaningful professional relationships I sought to enhance both my learning experience and future career opportunities. Having witnessed the limitations of virtual collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, I recognized that I personally thrive in face-to-face learning environments where spontaneous discussions and genuine connections can flourish organically. Georgetown’s cohort-based model, with its emphasis on collaborative problem-solving among experienced professionals, offered precisely the rich interpersonal dynamics I sought.
The accelerated timeline of the Executive MBA program also appealed to my strategic goals — I wanted to rapidly build a cohesive network of trusted colleagues rather than forming more diffuse connections over many years in a part-time program. This concentrated experience allowed our cohort to quickly develop deep mutual trust and understanding, creating relationships that have already translated into valuable professional collaborations. Additionally, direct access to Georgetown’s distinguished faculty and administration in an in-person setting provided mentorship opportunities that simply couldn’t be replicated in virtual environments. These considerations, combined with my desire to efficiently leverage the investment of time and resources, made the Executive MBA format the clear choice for maximizing both educational and relationship outcomes.
How did you finance your EMBA and what did you do to make tuition and associated costs more affordable? Prior to pursuing my MBA, I researched my office’s policies on tuition assistance, as well as possible scholarship opportunities. A portion of my tuition was covered through a merit-based scholarship from the Forté Foundation, which supports women pursuing advanced education in business leadership. The federal government also provided tuition assistance through its executive development program, which covered courses directly aligned with my role as a senior government executive.
I strategically mapped program coursework to my professional responsibilities, highlighting how specific courses in strategic leadership, organizational management, and public policy would enhance my effectiveness in government service. This careful alignment maximized the tuition support I could receive through federal professional development funds. For the remaining balance, I established a dedicated education fund with automatic monthly contributions to distribute the financial impact over time. Prior to enrollment, I worked with a financial advisor to restructure my investment portfolio, liquidating certain assets while preserving retirement accounts to maintain long-term financial stability.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? My ultimate long-term professional goal is to create a legacy of positive societal change through a strategically diversified career spanning multiple sectors. Building upon my public service foundation and newly strengthened business acumen from Georgetown, I plan to first transition into an executive leadership role in the commercial sector where I can drive innovation using a people-first approach. This corporate experience will enhance my ability to establish or lead a non-profit organization with a similar people-focused mission. Ultimately, I hope to use these experiences to return to public service in an elected or appointed leadership capacity, where I can leverage my cross-sector expertise to implement systemic policy reforms. This integrated career trajectory reflects my belief that transformative change requires both the efficiency and innovation of business, the mission-driven focus of nonprofits, and the scale and authority of government.
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