Humans of Kellogg: Chris Chen and Carolyn Schafer, Incoming E&W KSA President and Vice President
- Cathy Campo
- May 25
- 8 min read
By: Nika Chugh, Staff Writer & Incoming VP of Marketing
Big Changes to Come
This time of year always brings with it many rituals and celebrations, with graduation excitement (or anxiety) for some, internship preparation and summer class scheduling for others, and new opportunities for us all in the coming year.
For Chris Chen and Carolyn Schafer, the end of this year brought a host of new horizons, as they were elected President and Vice President of the Evening and Weekend Kellogg Student Association (KSA). Their vision for the future of the Evening and Weekend program is just like their personalities: big. I sat down with the pair to get to know them a little better and hear about their vision for the upcoming school year.
A New Lens
Chris was born and raised in Hong Kong and currently works in the advertising technology industry. He also picked up a part-time gig at an Asia-based education tech company, hoping this experience will bring him closer to returning home. Chris’s undergraduate degree is actually in theology, giving him a unique lens on his Kellogg education.
When asked why he wanted to pursue an MBA, Chris mentioned, “When I entered the business world, in the back of my mind, I was always doubting myself. I always felt that I didn’t know enough because I had a different type of degree.”
Chris applied to many schools, so he started asking around to get a feel for what each business school was like. Chris said Kellogg stood out because of its responsiveness and sense of community. Of the five alumni he contacted before enrolling, all five responded. That experience shaped how he approaches leadership today, from helping prospective students to building stronger connections across the E&W program.
Carolyn characterizes herself as a “Midwest girlie through and through,” having grown up in Cleveland, Ohio. Carolyn spent the earlier part of her career traveling all over the world with stops in Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Sierra Leone. Currently, she works as a Center Administrator at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, managing the Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research.
Prior to coming to Kellogg, Carolyn also received her Master’s in Public Health, building on her passion for public health and large-scale transformation.
“As cliché as it sounds, I want to make the world a better place. Getting my first Master’s degree really colored how I viewed the world.”
Carolyn initially considered pursuing a PhD, but she felt as if something was always turning her away from that path. Once she was promoted to a business administrator role, things started falling into place.
“Immediately I thought, ‘Oh this makes sense.’ I can still be very connected to public health and what I care about but do things that align more with my project management background. I knew that getting an MBA at Kellogg would give me another lens on my work so that I could move in both spaces: business and healthcare. I’m halfway done with my credits, and I can already see how my mind is shifting.”
Chris and Carolyn are self-identified “people-people,” who are fiercely dedicated to the Kellogg community, which led them to both run for KSA leadership.
Big Dreams
“Kellogg is one of the most extraordinary communities in the world, and yet, much of the greater world has yet to know it. We are here to change that.”
Chris gave me the opportunity to listen in on his acceptance speech, and these are the powerful words he used to begin his presidency. Chris continued with an impassioned call to action for school administration, “the Evening and Weekend student is the fastest path to grow global recognition for Kellogg. We are experienced, ambitious, and there are a lot of us. We are among your pipeline to the Fortune 500. Invest in us.”
So this begs the question. How do these two think our community should be invested in?
The first idea knocked me off my feet: a new building for Evening and Weekend students. Chris acknowledged himself that it was a larger-than-life idea but stressed the importance of dreaming big.
“I believe we can kickstart this campaign. It won’t happen while we’re here, but we can say we were part of the cohort that got this started.”
The second? A legacy event for all business schools in the Chicagoland area, bringing these populations together to network, share stories and support each other.
The third and final: more exposure to professors and career services. Downtown, we have many great professors and a wonderful CMC (Career Management Center), and the upcoming KSA is looking forward to more investment and engagement among these topics.
Detailed Plans & More Diverse Classrooms
From this conversation, it's clear that Chris is the big ideas guy, pushing our community to dream big, while Carolyn is the pragmatist, executing and bringing these ideas to life. Carolyn herself even acknowledged this dynamic.
“When Chris and I started talking about these big ideas, my first reaction was, ‘you’re insane!’ It’s a huge task, and I know it can be hard to get things done, but Chris has already pushed me to think bigger. I am more of a details-focused person, so I think we complement each other really well that way.”
Carolyn’s main objective as part of KSA leadership is to continue to bring visibility to the experiences of Kellogg students that are part of underrepresented communities.
“I feel like we are missing those voices in the classroom. I want to make sure that the students in the classroom who don’t look like me or who aren’t like me are heard. Increasing diversity in the classroom, among races, among genders, is really important to me,” Carolyn shared with The Kelloggian. As a KSA leader, Carolyn wants Kellogg administrators to understand that we value diversity in the classroom, full stop.
“We should be thankful that people are willing to share their experiences with us. Everybody has a unique experience, but when there are so few types of voices, you begin to notice it.”
Listening to Carolyn talk about classroom diversity reminded me how many of us came to Kellogg specifically to learn from people whose experiences differ from our own. We came here to take courses and extracurriculars that will take us around the world, both physically and from our laptops. If we do not bring that diversity into the classroom, we run the risk of being ill-prepared for the challenges that a global economy brings. More diverse classrooms are not only a moral imperative, but also keep us on the cutting edge.
What Kellogg Has Given You
When asked what was the most impactful experience they’ve had at Kellogg, Carolyn mentioned how being a part of this community has built her confidence.
“I’ve viewed my whole life as a journey of self-discovery. I took Personal Leadership Insights and before taking that class, I knew I was a confident person, but when I had that reflected back to me, it made me realize that people are receiving what I am putting out into the world.
I’m not coming from a business background, so being in class and recognized as someone who is intelligent and respected did a lot for me. I want everyone at Kellogg to have that self-discovery experience.”
Having known Carolyn through Board Fellows, I’ve always seen her as confident and thoughtful, so hearing her describe this growth at Kellogg was especially meaningful. High five, Carolyn.
Carolyn also discussed how her global experience and expertise in the public health sector was an asset for her when she took the Strategies in Emerging Markets class. She recalled a formative experience during her Peace Corps service in Burkina Faso, when escalating security threats forced volunteers to evacuate the country shortly after arrival.
“I had completely prepared my life to move and live abroad for 27 months. Not knowing anything about what was going to happen to us for two weeks—it was a really scary time.”
The volunteers were eventually evacuated to Ghana and then were told that their service would conclude after just three months. The experience ultimately reshaped how Carolyn approaches uncertainty and adversity.
“That situation, and all of my experiences abroad, have taught me that I am able to navigate unclear and complex situations and dynamics. I keep these experiences in my back pocket to keep me calm in tough situations. That’s where my confidence comes from.”
Chris pointed to the strength of the community that he has built here.
“The day before my son was born, I was playing beach volleyball at North Ave Beach with some Kellogg friends. Then, at his 100-day celebration, a Chinese tradition, all of those same friends showed up.
What I realized in that moment was that I have made friendships that will not only last decades, but longer than that. I’ve made friends that will attend my funeral, and I will attend theirs. That has been the most impactful thing. When you come to Kellogg, you're not just here for a salary bump or a career boost or knowledge. You're here for a lifetime of people that will show up for you.”
People Do Things Outside of Kellogg?
In their free time, Chris and Carolyn love to enjoy all that Chicago has to offer.
Chris is husband to Emily, and father to a beautiful son named Judah. In his limited free time, he plays pickleball at Grant Park and maintains an extensive ranking of the best fried chicken he’s ever tried. The #1 spot: a convenience store in Hokkaido, Japan. You’ll have to hit him up for the details!
Carolyn is an animal lover, having seen many different animals during her travels abroad including great white sharks, a pangolin (I didn’t know what that was before!), and humpback whales. Her favorite animal is her cat, Birdy, otherwise known as the “Gerber baby of cats.” Over the last two years, she’s watched all of The Real Housewives franchises. She says New Jersey is her favorite series, which as a New Jerseyian myself… I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or not.
One thing the two have in common, besides a fierce dedication to the Kellogg community, is a love for Survivor. We conducted this interview the week of the Season 50 finale, and these two definitely had a blast tuning into that episode.
My Pre-Summer Reflections
Meeting with Chris and Carolyn has made me think about the many experiences I’ve had over the past year: navigating a full-time job while going back to school, the amazing people I’ve met, the joy that is FIN 1 (said no one ever) and the fast-paced nature of my GIM trip to Africa. And of course, writing Humans of Kellogg: E&W Edition.
For me, writing this column over the past six months is a perfect example of how I can give back and receive energy from this community.
The Evening and Weekend students I’ve profiled are ambitious, thoughtful and kind, and have graciously taken time out of their busy lives to meet with me. They have gone where others haven’t gone before, followed their dreams and juggled more than I could have ever imagined (like flying across the country each week to attend class or running a business while attending class and working full-time!). Some of them are even going on this journey alongside those they love most. It has given me immense joy to learn from them.
By sharing the stories of these students, I am giving the world a sneak peek into the magic that we get to experience every day. I’ll miss it over these next few months, but I’m sure it’ll go by in a flash. I can’t wait to see how Carolyn and Chris can put their ideas into action, and what the 2026-2027 school year will bring for all of us.
Enjoy your summer, Kellogg, and see you this fall!
Read About More Humans of Kellogg: Humans of Kellogg: Julia Loverde (E&W), Founder, ChickyDough Christina Chang (E&W), Strategy & Business Development at Lockheed Martin E&W Student Katie McCarthy, Chief of Staff to the CEO, GoFundMe Paige Kotecki (E&W, Kroger) and Ryan Kitchel (E&W, PepsiCo) Chevy Chen (E&W) United Airlines Radhika Jajoo (2Y ‘26): Raised by a Village of Women Isabelle Hofgaertner (2Y '26), Former Nike Intern Thomas Reinhart (a JV who's a Boothie!) Keanan Crasto (2Y '27): The JV Who's Basically Doing Kellogg Twice
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