Trading the MetroCard for the Mountains: Arnell Stewart’s MBA Journey

Arnell Stewart liked being a product manager. She just didn’t love what she was building.

At Goldman Sachs, Stewart (Class of 2026) worked on the Apple Card, thriving in a role that was as dynamic as it was demanding.

“I loved the energy of it,” she said. “Learning to how speak different languages. What engineers care about is not what marketers care about. That was exciting.”

But excitement wasn’t the same as fulfillment.

“I liked being a product manager,” she said. “I just didn’t love credit cards.”

What she did love was fashion. Not just as a consumer, but as a space for emerging voices and fresh ideas.

That interest has been quietly building for years. As an undergraduate at Fordham University, Stewart studied abroad in London and interned for rising designer Grace Wales Bonner, gaining early exposure to the creative worlds she found herself drawn to.

Years later, just before starting at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Stewart leaned into that passion. Alongside friends, she co-created a showroom for New York Fashion Week, bringing together designers from New York, Texas and Lagos, Nigeria.

“I’ve always had a deep admiration for emerging designers,” she said. “They have such a fresh perspective, they just need the platform.”

That instinct — to create space for others — would become a defining throughline of her Darden experience.

Why Darden?

Stewart didn’t take her pursuit of an MBA lightly. Encouraged by her mother, she had considered it for years, waiting until it aligned with a clear goal.

“I don’t like to do things just for doing’s sake,” she said. “It has to make sense.”

Her curiosity about industries and ideas ultimately drew her to consulting. Long before arriving at Darden, Stewart had been following McKinsey & Company’s annual State of Fashion reports, fascinated by their analysis of where the industry had been and where it was heading.

Stewart with her learning team.

When she applied to Darden, she knew exactly what she wanted: a place that would challenge her and give her the tools to turn her curiosity into a career.

The Room to Grow

As a lifelong New Yorker, Stewart had never strayed far from the city’s fast pace. Charlottesville offered something different: the space, literally and figuratively, to grow.

“The fresh air was a big deal,” she joked. “You don’t get that on the subway.”

But more than the mountains and open skies, it was the promise of community and Darden’s strength in consulting preparation that drew her to the University of Virginia. She opted for a tight-knit MBA experience where she could be intentional about building relationships.

That decision paid off almost immediately. Within weeks of entering Section C, classmates who had been strangers quickly became constant companions. Her learning team, composed of veterans, accountants, a former teacher and peers from across the globe, quickly became her anchor.

“My learning team is the best thing to happen to me at Darden,” she said. “We’re so different but so similar. We’d spend the first 30 or 45 minutes just catching up and laughing until out stomachs hurt.”

Even now, they gather intentionally each quarter — proof that for Stewart, community is not accidental, it’s built.

Recruiting and the McKinsey Internship

Once settled into Darden, Stewart began recruiting for consulting. She approached it with unusual clarity, having long visualized her path.

“I almost manifested it,” she said. “I had a very clear vision.”

Last summer, she interned with McKinsey in New York, where she found the same dynamic energy she loved in product management, this time paired with exposure to industries she cared about more deeply, particularly retail and luxury goods.

While the internship challenged her professionally, it also clarified how she wanted to show up at Darden: building authentic connections and leading initiatives that strengthen the community.

Building Community That Lasts

Stewart’s philosophy of creating space for others naturally shaped her leadership as president of the Black Business Student Association (BBSA).

As president of BBSA, Stewart expanded alumni connections and rethought how the club supports students during recruiting.

She initially debated whether to focus her energy on retail and luxury initiatives but ultimately chose BBSA because of the role it played in her own first-year experience.

“It was a community I could always rely on,” she said. “First Years, Second Years, alumni, professors, allies — it’s more than a club.”

Under her leadership, BBSA has refined its digital presence, strengthened alumni engagement and reimagined the cadence of events to better support students during high-pressure recruiting seasons. The board built a centralized alumni database and prioritized collaboration with other student organizations to broaden connections across Darden.

Her leadership style is equal parts accountability with warmth. A section superlative once described her as someone who will “chirp you and love you in the same sentence.”

“I might roast you once or twice,” she laughed. “But I’m also going to be your biggest fan.”

Growth on the Other Side of Uncertainty

That mindset shows up in how Stewart pushes herself. Case in point: pitching a stock to the Darden Capital Management club — a space far outside her comfort zone.

Stewart with the BBSA Executive Board.

“I’m not a finance girly,” she laughed. “Excel and modeling? Not my thing.”

Still, she signed up anyway.

Leaning on classmates for guidance, Stewart built an investment pitch on e.l.f. Beauty, translating the nuances of a consumer brand story for a finance-focused audience.

“I was sitting there thinking, ‘What did I sign up for?’” she said. “But once you’re in it, you just have to go for it.”

That experience reinforced a mindset she’s come to embrace: growth lives on the other side of uncertainty.

This ideology extends to feedback. Once hesitant, Stewart now actively pushes for both positive and constructive input.

“I used to shy away from it,” she said. “Now I seek it out.”

She’s learned that constructive feedback isn’t a verdict, it’s information. And information fuels progress.

Finding Joy in the Process

Amid the pace of Darden life, Stewart has carved out space for something quieter: reflection. She sets aside time to reflect through journaling and poetry, processing the highs and lows of the MBA experience.

For all her ambition, Stewart is equally grounded in the small rituals that bring balance to her days. A thoughtfully made breakfast. A morning skincare routine. Weekly workouts with friends — even the 6:15 a.m. ones.

It’s a philosophy that mirrors her broader approach to life: find joy in the process, not just the outcomes.

“Lifting as She Climbs”

Ask Stewart what she hopes people take away from her story, and her answer is immediate.

“I want to be someone who’s a student of life,” she said. “Curious, always learning — but also making space for other people to thrive.”

It’s a mindset she sums up simply: lifting as she climbs.

Whether championing emerging designers, mentoring classmates or leading BBSA, Stewart’s impact is rooted in the principle that success is not a solo pursuit, but a shared effort.

“It doesn’t have to be just one person,” she said. “It’s better when the entire community thrives.”

At Darden, Stewart hasn’t just found that community.

She’s helping build it.