Amirah Aziz, MBA ’21

Amirah Aziz, MBA ’21, never doubted her abilities until she became a student at one of the best business schools in the world. 

It was at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, one of the most competitive  business schools in the country, that the Muslim-American woman with a South American background from Guyana started to experience imposter syndrome. She wasn’t sure she belonged at the world-class educational institution full of bright business minds, as her previous experience was in public policy and the public sector. 

For Amirah, these feelings came to the surface very early on in her Michigan Ross career. She was taking part in Sanger’s Business+Impact Challenge during her first week at Ross. The program put large groups of first-year MBA students into teams with more than 20 of their peers and asked them to identify a solution to a business problem. After some discussion, the group came up with a solution that Amirah wasn’t entirely confident was the right path forward. She debated voicing her opposition, knowing the assignment wouldn’t be graded, and no one would judge her for going along with the majority opinion. 

“But I decided, ‘Why am I here? Why am I spending all this money to come to business school if I’m just going to sit back?’ she recalled. “So I stood up, which was really hard for me. I felt like an imposter, and didn’t feel like I knew what I was talking about.” 

But she did stand up. She did voice her opposition. To her surprise, nearly half of the group members came up to her afterward and said they agreed with her but had been scared to voice opposition to the more vocal members of the group who led the previously agreed-upon solution. Amirah said those supporters still talk about that moment two years later. 

“It was probably one of my proudest moments  and really set the stage for my next two years,” Amirah said. “I would always go back to that example when I felt scared, or felt like my opinion didn’t matter. For me, it wasn’t just standing up for myself -- I realized that I was standing up for other people at that moment.”

Amirah says she always felt compelled to lead — it’s in her name, after all. In Arabic, her first name means “leader.” 

“Understanding my leadership style was a top goal entering Ross,” she said. “I knew I wanted to become a leader in some capacity, and I wanted to understand what I was good at and what were my strengths and weaknesses. That was a big reason for me to attend business school.” Because of its mission of developing leaders “through bold ideas, transformative experiences, and inclusive communities,”  Sanger appealed to Amirah even before she was accepted into Ross. 

She sought out ways to practice her leadership, becoming a participant or leader in numerous Sanger programs: Student and Alumni board; Story Lab Director; Ross Leaders Academy Fellow; 1:1 Coaching; Crisis Challenge advisor; and Legacy Lab advocate. Amirah also served as co-president of Design+Business, one of Ross’ largest student groups. She also directed the Business+Tech Initiative with the Dean’s office to boost Ross’ standing in tech-focused careers. “One of the pillars of Ross is action-based learning,” she said. “For me, I didn’t want to just attend the programs. I wanted to help administer, foster, plan, and create them. I wanted to take it a step further.” 

Her advice to new Ross students? Come humble and practice hard. 

“Don’t come to school thinking you know everything; come to school thinking you know nothing,” she said. “Spend your time trying to learn as much as you can, especially in your first year. Your first year should be all about growth, understanding, knowledge, and learning, and then take that second year to practice those things. … Especially at Ross, we are working with some of the top companies of the entire world. Take advantage of that, and practice your leadership style in your second year. Go out there and take on leadership roles in clubs. Start a movement. Start a club. Start a business. Fail as many times as you can.”

Jeff Domagala, Interim Managing Director of the Sanger Leadership Center, had the opportunity to provide 1:1 coaching to Amirah over the course of her second year as an MBA, helping her advance her leadership development goals of being effective on teams, managing conflict, and recognizing her power as a leader. “Through Sanger programs and on her own accord, Amirah spent time reflecting on her passions and what fulfills her so that she can achieve her potential more often and on purpose,” he said. “She is intentional about how she shows up, she's eager to receive feedback, and recognizes that she's on a growth journey. Amirah will be successful because she is a lifelong learner and leader.”

Amirah said she owes a significant part of her success at Ross to the Sangers and other donors. 

“It’s the biggest thank you,” she said while thinking back to those doubts she felt at the beginning of her Ross career. “It was a weird feeling. I was 28 years old and never felt that way before. It was Sanger that totally changed that feeling. If I didn’t have Sanger and the resources and people there, I don’t think I would have graduated and done the types of things I was able to do in those two years.”
 
After taking some time to unwind over the summer, Amirah is looking forward to beginning her career as a go-to market consultant at EY Digital in Washington D.C.