Mother’s Day Spotlight: Celebrating Six MBA Moms Who Had Babies This Year

Whether it was their first baby or second child, these MBA students are proof that mothers really are superstars — succeeding academically and professionally while also expanding their families.

Below, they talk about their experiences being pregnant and having a baby while in business school, juggling coursework with family obligations, how they were supported by the Michigan Ross community, advice for MBA moms and moms-to-be, and more. 

Alyssa Blankenship

Program/Year: FTMBA ’21

New baby name: Trip (son)

Other family members: Brent (husband), Clarke (daughter)

Describe your experience being pregnant and having a baby while pursuing your MBA in three words. Why did you select these words? 

Busy (because I was trying to fit in as many classes as possible before the baby arrived), scared (because I wasn't sure how I would juggle it all + COVID!), supported (because the whole Ross community was so encouraging and supportive throughout).

How did your peers and others in the Ross community support you this year?

I let my professors know when Trip was born, and they were so supportive and willing to be flexible with assignments and office hours. My classmates were incredible. Some friends even stayed with our daughter when it was time to go to the hospital, slept over and took her to daycare the next morning so that my husband could be there when our son was born. Another classmate arranged a meal train and sent it around for people to sign up — we had 50 nights of dinners! Neither my family nor my husband's are close by, and my classmates stepped up and helped in so many ways. 

Do you have any memorable moments of your new baby — accidently or on purpose — being involved in any of your Ross-related activities this year?

We had a virtual beer tasting event where both kids made an appearance. Our daughter was the real star though — she first wanted to play bartender and then mountain goat (where she climbs all over my husband).

Grace Brevart

Program/Year: OMBA, expected graduation fall '22

New baby name: Brie (daughter)

Other family members: Tim (husband), Bucky (oldest child/dog)

How did you juggle being a new mom with your MBA course load as well as extracurricular activities and family obligations? 

The Online MBA Program offers flexibility in setting my course load. This was an important deciding factor in getting my MBA and why I chose the OMBA from Ross. Specifically, when I decided to get my MBA, I was recently married, and already had a master’s in analytics, so while we both were supportive of me getting a second degree, we wanted to minimize how much our life would be interrupted. The OMBA from Ross allows me to get a top-tier MBA from a distance, without having to move or travel (much), and also gives me the flexibility to set my own pace. For me, I was able to complete the first half of the program in a year with an aggressive course schedule, but after becoming pregnant, also gives me the flexibility to slow down my schedule. I have taken a few quarters off during my third trimester and now that my daughter is here during her first few months, so I can be 100% focused on her. Even with time off, I'll still finish my remaining courses in about two years, meaning I can get my degree in only three years total.

How did your peers and others in the Ross community support you this year? 

After announcing my pregnancy, I received so much support, congratulations, and well wishes from my fellow OMBA peers, specifically the first cohort of the OMBA program who I started with back in fall 2019. From other moms in the program offering words of advice and checking in, to congratulatory notes, texts, and gifts, I feel so lucky to have made not only colleagues but friends who support my family through the program!

What advice would you give to fellow moms and moms-to-be about balancing school, life, and family? 

Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it, and be sure to keep in check what matters most to you.

Chaztine Crayne

Program/Year: FTMBA ’22

New baby name: Owen James (son)

Other family members: Ryan Crayne, MBA ’22 (husband), and Leo (3-year-old son)

Describe your experience being pregnant and having a baby while pursuing your MBA in three words. Why did you select these words?

Supported, proud, challenged. “Supported” because I was blown away from the support I received from my classmates, the faculty, and my family. “Proud” of myself and my husband for being able to actually do it! It was 100% a team effort and we battled the “challenge” (last word) together! An MBA in itself is a challenging time, but for both Ryan and I to do it while growing our family was an even bigger challenge, and we have grown both personally and professionally from the experience. 

What did you learn through your experience in having a baby while in an MBA program? 

That it is possible! There is never a "good" time to have a baby, but I honestly think it was easier while in business school than when I had Leo and was working full time. This is because of the support I received, the flexibility from the school, and the lack of guilt for leaving my coworkers to handle my job during maternity leave.  

Do you have any memorable moments of your new baby — accidently or on purpose — being involved in any of your Ross-related activities this year?

• Yes! One time I was pumping during a MAP meeting with our sponsor and I accidently came off mute. Everyone was very confused at the loud sound. Oops! 

Liza Kameen

Program/Year: Online MBA Class of 2022

New baby name: Cotter (son)

Other family members: J.D. Kameen (husband)

Describe your experience being pregnant and having a baby while pursuing your MBA in three words. Why did you select these words?

Balance - Being pregnant, having a baby, working, running a startup, and pursuing my MBA has been a balancing act to say the least. It has really helped me to prioritize and schedule out my day down to the minute. Grace - Along those same lines, you need to give yourself grace during this time. It's impossible to do all of this and completely knock it out of the park in every area. Sacrifice - Putting time into my MBA is a sacrifice that I know will pay dividends in the future. I know that by putting in the hours now I will be putting my family in a much better position in the future. It isn't always the easiest to miss out on time with your baby but I know it will be completely worth it in the end. J.D. has been super-dad and so helpful in giving me the time and space to focus on my schoolwork by helping to entertain Cotter. 

How did you juggle being a new mom with your MBA course load as well as extracurricular activities and family obligations? 

I've had to be honest with myself on how much I can commit to. For someone who loves to say yes and take on more, it has been challenging for me to say no and have to put certain things aside this year. This, however, has been critical for me in managing stress levels and really focusing on giving what I can in the areas that are the most impactful right now. My classmates have been so supportive and flexible working around one anothers schedules! One of the many benefits of being a part of the OMBA community is that a majority of my class is also dealing with a lot of other priorities in their lives as well as their MBA!

How did your peers and others in the Ross community support you this year? 

We have a parents channel in our OMBA Slack group! This group has a number of seasoned parents who have been juggling work, school, and parenthood for years. They have the best advice and it really helps to know I have a network of folks that are going through and have gone through the same things. I have a new appreciation for our Ross parents — they are truly superheroes!

Line Kouecheu

Program/Year: FTMBA ’21

New baby name: Ethan (son)

Other family members: Rodrigue (spouse), Anne Charlotte (3-year-old daughter)

How did your peers and others in the Ross community support you this year?  

I am a member of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (CGSM) and attended many in person and virtual events through my time in business school. CGSM at Ross surprised me with a virtual baby shower and offered me enough to fund my newborn diapers until he doesn't need any. Some recent graduates from the class of 2020 were present too! My section (5) also provided great support and a generous gift as my due date was coming close. Some friends had groceries delivered or came in person to drop off a pan of lasagna or freshly baked bread. My section mate’s partner dropped off and picked up my daughter from preschool the first two weeks after my son was born, while my husband and I were in the hospital and after we returned home. I have generally felt very accepted as a student parent at Ross and so many of my classmates love seeing my kids on Instagram. I post several times per week and a baby picture always gets so much love. 

What did you learn through your experience in having a baby while in an MBA program?

I learned to prioritize and not overcommit. There is always so much going on at all times at Michigan Ross, even in the midst of a pandemic, it was easy to feel like I was missing out on a great talk or the opportunity to meet peers (and grow closer to peers) outside of my section and CGSM. But having a toddler, being pregnant, and caring for a newborn gave me no choice but to select a few meaningful (to me) opportunities to connect and learn and be content with that. I also learned that communicating life changes with professors is important to be granted some flexibility. Once you are admitted at Ross, from the MBA Program Office to the faculty, everyone wants to see you succeed.

Do you have any memorable moments of your new baby — accidently or on purpose — being involved in any of your Ross-related activities this year? 

During a couple of classes and group meetings, Ethan could be heard babbling. Anne Charlotte appeared on camera during several group meetings and breakout rooms. I joke that she was the fifth MAP member (I had a team of four but I pulled her out of preschool when the pandemic first broke, which is when MAP started for us, so she was at home all day when I was going through MAP).

Sudha Srinivasan Teki

Program/Year: EMBA ’21

New baby name: Anirudh (son)

Other family members: Veerabhadra Rao (spouse); Anupama (daughter)

Describe your experience being pregnant and having a baby while pursuing your MBA in three words. Why did you select these words? 

Exciting, challenging, and blessed. Having a child, while managing a full-time job and executive MBA along with bringing up a young family was quite challenging from a time management standpoint, but it was exciting to welcome my son to our family. I felt blessed to have a great support system of family and friends who stepped in to take care of me during this time.

What did you learn through your experience in having a baby while in an MBA program?

All of us have different ambitions and approaches to our priorities in life. I have been a strong believer that personal life should not take a back seat for professional ambitions. While I still believe our decision to welcome a little one during this time was great for us as a family, there were a lot of things we had to reprioritize and adjust to ensure we still led a happy and healthy life. Through this experience I have learned to become less critical of myself, take things more easily, and find fun out of all situations and pay immense gratitude for even small blessings I have in life. 

What advice would you give to fellow moms and moms-to-be about balancing school, life, and family? 

My final recommendation to my fellow MBA moms, cherish your motherhood, enjoy your MBA journey and never forget to prioritize self-care in the myriad of things happening around you. At the end of the day, if you don't stay healthy and happy through the process everything will fall apart including the confidence of family and friends who look up to you as a role model.