Meet our MBA mummies

Having a new-born baby comes with its share of joy and stress. MBA candidates Mariko Kita Osada and Caroline Marianne Beelen took it all in their stride as the Business School community rallied around the expectant mothers to set them up for parental and academic success.

Sacrifice and resilience

First-time mum Mariko, who gave birth to a girl mid-October 2020, always wanted to start a family. Mariko found out about her pregnancy at the end of her first year. While she was incredibly happy about her pregnancy, she also realised that she would have to sacrifice some parts of her MBA experience, including an overseas exchange at New York University and an opportunity to enrol in the NUS MBA – Yale Master of Advanced Management programme. Her estimated due date was also close to the end-of-semester exams.

To ensure her pregnancy proceeded as smoothly as possible, the programme management team also ensured that Mariko could sit for her exams and seek internship opportunities. Assoc Profs Yupana Wiwattanakantang and Chu Singfat made arrangements for Mariko to take her exams when that did not clash with her delivery date. Joane Yuen from MBA Programmes Office updated her on virtual internships opportunities, while Hamidah Puteh from BIZCareers offered career and internship advice based on Mariko’s situation.

Mariko’s project mates also stepped in to help cover her absence when she had to deliver her baby. “My baby arrived two weeks earlier than expected, and my teammates were extremely supportive and took over my part in group projects when I was in the delivery ward,” she said. ”I’m extremely proud of the fact that I did not miss a single class or assignment, apart from the week I was hospitalised to deliver my baby.”

The close-knit classmates

Caroline delivered her second child, a boy, in early August 2020. “I was fortunate that I was able to finish the semester without any problems and give birth at the beginning of a new semester,” said Caroline. She did not start the final semester of her MBA but took some time off.

During her pregnancy, classes and team meetings went virtual due to COVID-19. Caroline’s classmates were flexible in scheduling meetings around her doctor’s appointments.

“After giving birth, many classmates frequently checked up on me even when I was not having classes with them. It made me feel that I was part of a very caring community,” said Caroline. The classmates, in compliance with social distancing rules, visited her and the baby after delivery.

COVID’s impact

Despite adjusting to the many disruptions caused by COVID-19 to work and studies, Mariko and Caroline felt that their pregnancies came at a good time.

Caroline felt she was fortunate to give birth during the semester break. “It is a luxury to be able to stay home to spend time with my baby, as well as to rest and recover as much as possible”. She added that she could not go out much with social restrictions in place anyway.

Mariko said the pandemic was a mixed blessing. With schools stopping overseas exchanges, she would have missed out on Yale and NYU anyway. However, the pandemic saw many universities move their classes online, allowing her to keep up with lessons virtually.

Looking back at their pregnancies, the two were thrilled to welcome new additions to their families but also grateful to the NUS Business School community for their support.