My time as a mental health counselor at Catholic Charities was an incredible experience that I will keep with me for the rest of my life. It was an honor to accompany individuals and couples on their journey to mental health recovery and stronger relationships.
To become a counselor, I first obtained a Master of Science in Social Work from UT-Austin. My counseling work and MSSW strengthened my listening, communication, and advocacy skills and reinforced the importance of evidence-based practice and sound research methods. They also solidified my belief that mental health and social service agencies perform crucial work and that far more counselors and social workers are needed.
Serving as a student intern and counselor also made me aware of the tremendous importance of fundraising and nonprofit management. Without the generosity of donors and institutions who believed in Catholic Charities’ work, and without our organization’s excellent leadership, I could not have provided services to clients at such an affordable cost. I recognized that pivoting to a career in nonprofit development and management would enable me to help organizations expand and thrive.
However, in order to make a successful transition to a nonprofit leadership role, I saw a need to acquire additional skills and experiences. After considering several options, I determined that an MBA would best equip me to effect positive change for nonprofits. I believe that combining the listening, relationship-building, and communication skills I gained through social work with the analytics, finance, and strategy background that an MBA provides will enable me to contribute more effectively to nonprofit organizations.
Counseling work in itself offers valuable preparation for a nonprofit leadership career. Nonprofit development and management are person-centered fields that utilize the interpersonal skills that I developed as a counselor. In addition, my counseling work allowed me to witness firsthand the impact that nonprofit organizations can make in clients’ lives; these lessons can inform my conversations with donors and advocacy efforts with other stakeholders. Finally, the experience I gained in a direct client services position may enable me to more effectively manage those in similar roles.
At the same time, the skill set and network that business school offers are crucial for nonprofit managers. As an MBA student, I have the opportunity to learn how to evaluate accounting statements and financing options; apply statistical tools to analyze data; develop organizational strategies; manage teams; and market services effectively. These skills and others, along with the professional relationships I will develop, will put me in a better position to create real change for nonprofits.
Therefore, after saying a bittersweet goodbye to my coworkers at Catholic Charities, I entered the 2-year MBA program at Columbia Business School this August. My first-semester core curriculum includes analytics, strategy, accounting, finance, economics, leadership, statistics, and marketing classes. Although most of the organizations discussed in our lectures are for-profit companies, I am confident that I will be able to transfer the insights my coursework presents to a nonprofit management role. I also plan to enroll in many of Columbia’s nonprofit electives once my course schedule opens up next spring.
In between classes, I plan to connect with nonprofit leaders who work in a range of functions, such as finance, development, strategy, and consulting, in order to build my network and discover what specific roles most appeal to me. My summer internship, along with any in-semester internships I undertake, will let me apply my coursework while gaining invaluable nonprofit-sector experience.
I also have plenty to learn from my classmates. Talking to students with backgrounds in consulting, finance, banking, and general management, among other fields, will offer me a deeper understanding of the business world and how for-profit and nonprofit organizations can work together. I hope that many of these conversations will lead to lifelong friendships.
My post-MBA career may look considerably different from my counseling work. However, in attending business school, I do not see myself leaving social work behind. Instead, I expect to apply my MBA and MSSW together to help organizations pursue their goals. I believe this will make for an exciting, impactful, and rewarding career.
Kenneth Burchfiel 