Reflections from this Michigan Ross MBA’s Experience as a 2020-21 McGowan Fellow
After receiving the prestigious McGowan Fellowship last fall, Alex Lowy, MBA '21, has spent the year honing his capabilities as an ethical leader as well as making a positive impact on children's lives.
Now in its second decade, the elite McGowan Fellows Program, which is sponsored by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, partners with 10 of the nation’s top business schools. Each year, the Ross School of Business and other participating schools select one exceptional second-year MBA student for the fellowship.
After a competitive application process, Lowy was chosen as the 2020-21 McGowan Fellow by Michigan Ross.
“Within the McGowan Fellows Program, there is a huge focus on ethics-based leadership and living by a set of core principles, and I think that I was able to demonstrate how those principles have shown up in my past experiences,” said Lowy. “I've taken on leadership roles at Ross and tried to make our school a better place.”
At Michigan Ross, Lowy served as co-president of the Consulting Club in 2020, overseeing its over 180 members. He also was selected to be a member of the Community Consulting Club and a Ross student ambassador. Additionally, he was named to the Ross dean’s list by performing in the top 10% of his Full-Time MBA class.
One unique aspect of the McGowan Fellows Program is its requirement for selected members to work on a social impact project. Fellows work with nonprofit partners and address a social issue, using research, analysis, and problem solving to offer a viable solution to the issue.
“This year we worked with an organization in Chicago that helps youth experiencing homelessness to get housed permanently and provides other wraparound services to help them find careers and advance their lives,” said Lowy. “It was an amazing experience to work on something brand new and in a space that I knew very little about, it's certainly been a stretch experience for me.”
Lowy, who spent five years at Moody’s Analytics before moving to Michigan to earn his MBA from Ross, also benefited from the community of the McGowan Fellows Program. He said he is grateful for a diverse group of MBAs within his cohort, along with the program’s engaged alumni network.
“The nine other MBA students come from a huge variety of backgrounds, which brings such diverse perspectives to our discussions and it makes them even more valuable,” explained Lowy. “There's a huge focus on building a community within the fellowship program and it's amazing to see how engaged past fellows continue to be with the program.”
Lowy said he is very thankful for the experience that the McGowan Fellowship Program gave him, and looks forward to remaining engaged in the program as an alumnus.
Even after a year, it still feels surreal to have been selected. I'll always remember where I was when I got the email telling me that I'd be the Ross Fellow. It's an incredible honor that has had an enormous impact on my business school experience and will continue to help me throughout my life.
