Pavan Chaudhari: An MBA Education Path to Diversity Scholar Profile
One in a continuing series of profiles of participants in the MBA Education Path to Diversity (P2D) Scholarship Program, which enables employees from diverse backgrounds to advance their professional growth and career development.
–Tell us about yourself
I am a Senior Data Scientist at Enact Mortgage Insurance in Raleigh, NC. Even though I’m originally from the New Jersey-New York area, I was raised in the Research Triangle, and I’ve loved it so much that I never left!
I earned my B.S. in Economics and Mathematics from UNC Chapel Hill, and shortly after attained my M.S. in Economics and Computation from Duke University. During my time at UNC and Duke, I guided my peers as a tutor, celebrated our athletes as a part of the Marching Tar Heels, and extended knowledge through my research on gentrification and affordable housing policies. When I was in school, my initial plan was to get a Ph. D. with the goal of becoming a professor. However, before making that huge time investment, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and try a job in private industry.
Initially, when I started my risk modeling internship at Enact, I thought this experience would only solidify my path into academia—fortunately, I was proven wrong! At Enact, I discovered a community of like-minded people from whom I could learn, and I felt empowered in my work in a way I never experienced in academia—I could use my skillset in research and modeling to further a mission upon which Enact is built: to help people buy a house and keep it their home.
In my current role as a Data Science Manager in the Operations team, I create impactful models and tools for consumers across the business. My responsibilities include improving and optimizing legacy processes, connecting with data consumers and serving as a liaison to their data (and to IT), and excelling in machine learning and analytics to promote operational excellence.
Outside of work, I enjoy creating music, both orchestral and electronic, and composing vocal arrangements for a cappella teams in the Triangle. Additionally, I play in bowling leagues a few nights per week. My other hobbies include video games and game development, cooking (and more recently baking), and golf.
–How did you learn about the MBA Path to Diversity Program? What inspired you to become more involved? Did a co-worker/supervisor/mentor encourage your participation?
I was already planning to further my education by taking the School of Mortgage Banking series. I learned initially about the MBA Path to Diversity Program from our MBA Talent and Culture Specialist, April Childers, when discussing the costs and logistics of the course. She mentioned the scholarship in our pre-application discussion, suggesting that I would be a good fit, and that if I put my name in the hat, good things may happen.
Ultimately, I decided to apply because I wanted to express my story and my background with my peers at the SOMB program as well as network with our customers. As someone from the analytics part of the industry, with less experience in the traditional mortgage origination process, I wanted to provide a unique perspective that could help others while simultaneously learning the context around the data that I use every day.
Additionally, as a young Indian American who just recently purchased my first home, I wanted to share my perspective as someone who was on the borrower side of the homebuying process.
–Did you find the application process to be user-friendly?
The process was user-friendly and there were ample resources to ask questions and get help if needed. Overall, from my experience, MBA makes it as easy as possible to take their courses and share the wealth of knowledge from their network with their students.
–How has the Path to Diversity scholarship benefited you, personally and professionally? What have you been able to bring back to your company as a result of the Path to Diversity program?
The day-to-day benefit of my experience at School of Mortgage Banking is understanding business and industry context. The core tenet of my modeling philosophy is to “root in reality”: the better you understand the real process you are trying to model, the better outcome you will have in your implementation. Learning about the mortgage industry from multiple facets has significantly improved my models.
Additionally, I brought back direct value in our most recent data product purchase—since I knew the ins and outs of how the data was collected (thanks to School of Mortgage Banking), I acted as a subject matter expert and educated my team while also negotiating with the vendor for fields we would need. Due to the knowledge I gained from my coursework, I was able to develop amazing data products which resulted in me earning an Enact values award for my performance, in addition to the multiple impactful project recognitions awarded to my team.
Finally, I have connected to a wide network of various professionals in the mortgage industry which has offered me unique opportunities to attend conferences and meet with lenders which I might not have otherwise have had.
–What would you say to someone considering applying for a Path to Diversity scholarship?
I would highly recommend you apply! Everyone has a unique story and the mortgage industry can only benefit from more diverse experiences and perspectives. Be proud of the fact that you are using your time and effort to develop yourself and strengthen your career potential in the industry. I am generally an introverted person and this experience helped me come out of my shell and grow in many ways—take that leap of faith!
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About the MBA Path to Diversity Scholarship Program
The Path to Diversity Scholarship Program recognizes existing industry professionals who are seeking to advance their careers through continuing education. Recipients receive a voucher to cover course registration fees, up to a maximum of $2,000, for popular MBA Education courses and designation programs. This education opportunity enables employees from diverse backgrounds to advance their professional growth and career development.
MBA recognizes that a strong, responsible and sustainable real estate finance industry requires a workforce that is reflective of our society at large.
For more information about the Path to Diversity Scholarship Program, click here.
