As the valedictorian at her fifth grade graduation in Atlanta, Georgia, Briana Neal was already dreaming of attending a top college, despite the financial barrier of coming from a low-income background. Now an alum of both the University of Chicago and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Briana’s fifth-grade self would be proud.

“My mom always spoke about how having an education and being a life-long learner would open opportunities for me to better myself, but more importantly, to position myself to open opportunities and doors for others,” she recalls. 

In high school, Briana was determined to put in the hard work to get into a top college, commuting 1.5 hours each way to attend a top-performing high school and researching scholarship opportunities herself. Her hard work — and the sacrifices made by her family — paid off when she received a full four-year scholarship to the University of Chicago through the National College Match. “QuestBridge made that dream a reality,” she reflects. 

In her first year at UChicago, Briana participated in a Career Advancement Trek in Dubai, focused on the consulting industry. This trip set the stage for her early career and eventual journey toward an MBA. Briana graduated from UChicago in 2020 with a B.A. in Economics. Following graduation, Briana joined Bain & Company as a Consultant.

Two years later, she applied to the QuestBridge Graduate School Match: MBA, ultimately attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The MBA Match provided Briana with the support she needed: “Applying through QuestBridge gave me a secondary path for receiving a full-ride to pursue my MBA,” she notes, emphasizing how the program recognizes the unique financial obligations she carries as a student from a low-income background. “Although I may be making similar paychecks as my peers applying for an MBA, my financial obligations to family and others may look different in reality than on paperwork,” she shares. 

After completing her MBA, Briana returned to Bain & Company as a Consultant, continuing with work she loves: “I hope to explore more avenues in digital transformation, AI strategy, and people-centered organizational change,” she shares. “As the world advances, I want to help organizations transform in ways that keep people at the center — ensuring innovation does not just create efficiency, but expands opportunity.”

Eventually, Briana hopes to leverage the skills she’s gained in her career, volunteer work, and nonprofit board experience to one day form her own nonprofit focused on education, student coaching, and career preparation. Her goal is to help students recognize their potential, access the tools and guidance they need to pursue it, and feel supported by someone who believes deeply in what they can become.

Reflecting on her journey from Atlanta to UChicago and then to Wharton, Briana shares the most important lesson she has learned: the value of remaining true to oneself. “I have often taken for granted the many times in which simply remaining true to who I am and what I was passionate about not only benefited the deep connections I was able to develop and maintain, but also the impact I was able to drive in being a change agent in each of these spaces,” she reflects.