Melanie Starke is an MBA ’25 candidate, VP External of the Ivey MBA Association, a Forté Fellowship recipient, and soon-to-be mom. Below, she explores the challenges and triumphs of balancing a full-time MBA, marriage, and pregnancy – all within the same year!
When I started my full-time MBA, I knew it would be an intense year, but I didn’t anticipate just how much I’d take on. In July 2024, as the core term was wrapping up, I got married. It was a beautiful but chaotic moment during one of the busiest academic periods of my life. By the fall, I was pregnant, and life shifted in ways I hadn’t expected during my MBA. The late nights out at Joe Kool’s with my classmates – celebrating finishing exams or 24-hour reports, and bonding over shared challenges – quickly turned into early nights in, trying to keep up while battling all-day sickness.
Then came the bigger question: What’s next? With a career in construction, I began wondering when I would return to work and what my job would look like with a child. Would I step back? Can you still use a port-a-potty postpartum? Could I still take on leadership roles? The uncertainty was overwhelming at times.
Making it work
I didn’t let these concerns stop me. With careful planning, support, and a willingness to adapt, I made it work. Some days were tough, and many were just about breaking even, but I discovered that pursuing an MBA and preparing for motherhood could go hand in hand.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was the power of asking for help. Whether it was requesting an exception from a professor or asking my mom or best friend to help me sort through the mountain of baby items, I leaned into asking for help – really asking for help – for the first time in my life. And the surprising part? The response was overwhelmingly positive. There were no negative consequences, just the relief of finally making progress on things that had been piling up – both literally and metaphorically.
I also learned the importance of prioritization: focusing on what truly mattered in both my academic and personal life. At times, this meant making tough choices about where to invest my energy – like spending an evening preparing for an upcoming presentation instead of attending a social event or accepting that some tasks on my to-do list simply wouldn’t get done that day.
I learned to differentiate between urgent and truly important, letting go of the pressure to do everything at once. Leaning on my support system – including my classmates, family, and husband – helped me keep things manageable. Delegating and trusting others became key, not just for efficiency but for maintaining my well-being. I realized I didn’t have to shoulder everything alone and that sometimes stepping back and asking for help was the most strategic move.
I also embraced flexibility, understanding that not everything would go perfectly and that adjusting as needed was part of the process. Some days, despite my best efforts, I had to shift priorities on the fly. Plans changed, unexpected challenges arose, and I came to see adaptability as just as important as structure. Instead of viewing these moments as setbacks, I started seeing them as opportunities to practice resilience and creative problem-solving.
Most importantly, I kept reminding myself to just put one foot in front of the other. On days when I felt overwhelmed, I focused on simply completing the next task in front of me. Small steps forward were still progress, even if they didn’t feel like much at the moment. And trust me – some days didn’t look like much, especially compared to earlier times in my life.
Taking the leap
Now, just weeks away from becoming both an Ivey MBA graduate and a mom, I can confidently say that taking this leap was worth it. Have I figured everything out? No. But I do know this: challenges don’t have to be roadblocks – they shape us into better leaders and problem-solvers.
For anyone wondering if they can handle an MBA while navigating major life changes, whether it’s starting a family, making a career shift, or facing uncertainty, my answer is yes. It’s not always easy, but it is absolutely manageable.
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