Stanford GSB Announces 2018–19 Recipients of Stanford USA MBA Fellowship

Three recipients from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri were selected for their commitment to supporting development and revitalization in the Midwest region.

August 22, 2018

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Stanford Graduate School of Business | Photo by Elena Zhukova

Today Stanford GSB named Lucy Montgomery, Andrew Pikturna, and Samantha Tellatin the 2018–2019 recipients of its Stanford USA MBA Fellowship.

As part of Stanford GSB’s mission to educate business leaders to solve society’s most pressing problems, the school will provide up to $170,000 in tuition and fees to each recipient over two years. Within two years of graduation, the fellows must return to the Midwest region in a professional role that helps to contribute to the region’s economic development.

Lucy Montgomery

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Lucy Montgomery

Lucy is a 5th-generation Iowan who previously worked as a management consultant at Accenture in Washington, D.C., and has a strong commitment to social service. She aspires to return to Iowa and create a nonprofit that amplifies Iowa women’s voices and prepares them to create and manage successful ventures, building on her past experiences working with women entrepreneurs in St. Louis and at the Iowa Center for Economic Success. She attended Washington University in St. Louis where she was captain of the women’s NCAA Division III varsity basketball team. Montgomery will pursue dual master’s degrees in business administration and public policy from Stanford GSB and Harvard Kennedy School.

Andrew Pikturna

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Andrew Pikturna

Andrew was raised in rural Wisconsin’s Fox Valley, home to farmland and a once-prosperous paper industry. He is committed to bringing his knowledge back and helping others gain the skills they need to succeed in a changing economy by launching his own technology venture in Wisconsin. He began his career at Accenture in Chicago and is now senior manager of operational analytics at the weekly meal delivery service Home Chef. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he served as a campus campaign coordinator for Teach For America.

Samantha Tellatin

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Samantha Tellatin

Samantha is from rural Missouri where she currently works at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, a national grants and education program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that seeks to support an enduring American agriculture of the highest quality. She is passionate about helping companies assess their supply chains to improve environmental and social practices, and hopes to focus her career on supply chain sustainability by either starting a social enterprise or joining a company in the region. She attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, where she studied biological engineering. Tellatin will pursue the MBA degree jointly with an MS in Environment and Resources from Stanford School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences.

Stanford GSB established the Stanford USA MBA Fellowship in September 2016 to provide financial support for students with a passion for generating economic development in regions of the United States underrepresented in its MBA program, focusing first on the Midwest. Following the launch of the fellowship, applications to the GSB from the region increased by 25 percent.

“Developing principled business leaders committed to driving change is integral to the GSB’s mission. We’re eager to further strengthen our connection to the Midwest – a region vital to the U.S. economy – and play a role in the next wave of economic development and social innovation through our USA MBA fellows,” said Kirsten Moss, Assistant Dean and Director of MBA Admissions at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Andrew, Lucy, and Samantha’s devotion and commitment to the Midwest is inspirational, and we look forward to their contributions to our student body as well as their long-term impact as future leaders.”

“The instruction and leadership skills that I gained during my first year at the Stanford GSB have transformed my perspective and fueled my passion for the Midwest,” said Adam Verhasselt, 2017 USA MBA Fellow and Stanford MBA Candidate. “My experience at Stanford has further reinforced my commitment to ensure that all communities, big and small, have opportunities to contribute to our evolving economy.”

Those interested in learning more about Stanford GSB are invited to attend an upcoming information session, one of which will take place in the Midwest: Columbus, Ohio, on September 20.

Applications for the USA MBA Fellowship are currently being accepted in Round 1 (through September 18, 2018) and Round 2 (through January 10, 2019).

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