Kerlyne Jean ’11 was an anthropology and biology major at Bryn Mawr and is now a senior manager within Health Industries Advisory at PwC.
On Friday, March 5, from noon-1 p.m., Kerlyne will join Isidora Delizo Armentrout '13 , Adaobi Kanu ’08, Edisa Rodriguez ’07, and April Stewart '11 for Real Talk with BIPOC Alums in Business. This event is being co-sponsored by Elivade, a Black and Latinx professional networking community and Bryn Mawr's Career & Civic Engagement Center. The event is open all Bryn Mawr students. Registration information can be found on Handshake.
In the below Q&A, Kerlyne talks about pursuing her career passion, her advice for current students, and more.
How did you get involved in your current field?
While at Bryn Mawr, I was "pre-health" and majored in anthropology and biology. I was always interested in going the pediatrics route— traveling the world fixing cleft palates or working in infectious diseases—but by the time I got to senior year, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go the medical school route. After graduating, I decided to take a year and explore my options. I landed a position at a pharmaceutical company by way of an informational interview about my career goals. I learned so much about health economics and healthcare access. After some time, I transitioned into a role at a local children's hospital, where I helped fund and manage research projects. I found myself wanting to have more of an impact and decided to go for an M.B.A./M.P.H. in global health management. Crazy, I know! But who could say no to a two-for-one deal? I'm a healthcare consultant and advise organizations on strategy and operations. Most of my work right now focuses on helping hospitals with clinical operations and the impact of COVID-19.
What part of your Bryn Mawr experience has been most important to your professional development?
I think the most significant part of my Bryn Mawr experience was the focus on critical thinking and problem solving. The way in which the courses were designed fostered a comfortability with digesting information and communicating a point of view. This is something I do every single day with my clients. The skills we learned around research, the ability to interpret data, and communicate our ideas effectively has helped me succeed at an accelerated pace in my career. Oh and writing! You'd be surprised how important executive writing becomes. I'll never forget those C-Sem papers.
What career advice do you have for current Bryn Mawr students?
Stray away from the idea of answering "what you want to be when you grow up" and focus on what you want to do. When you think about yourself three years from now or even five years from now, what kind of impact do you see yourself having? That's what you should strive to answer every day. Try new things, even if they aren't part of your plan. Always look for roles that excite you and provide the opportunity to continue learning.
What made you choose to attend Bryn Mawr?
I always say that I didn't choose Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr chose me. My first day visiting was move-in day freshman year. I remember the six-hour drive from Boston feeling like an eternity! Pulling up to Pem Arch and seeing the beauty of the campus, I was smitten. What I can say is what made me stay: I will credit all my memories to the people—students, staff and faculty alike. I had some of the best times at Bryn Mawr and I credit that to the way I engaged in all parts of community life. Bryn Mawr gave me an all-access pass to anything I wanted to try and for that I am grateful!