For Amanda Sewill ’25, education is more than just a means to a degree, it’s a path to make meaningful change. A working professional who has spent years searching for an “impactful degree,” Sewill ultimately chose Presidio for its unique blend of business expertise and focus on sustainability.
“It felt like the perfect intersection of getting an MBA while maintaining [being] business savvy, but with a focused lens on sustainability and people,” Sewill said.
This summer, Sewill took her education global through a study-abroad program in Italy and Slovenia, where she explored sustainable business practices across the European Union. The course included visits to 10 diverse businesses—from local eco-farms in Slovenia and an artisanal loom factory, to a high-tech entrepreneurial incubator in Venice.
A standout experience for Sewill was learning about Slovenia’s recognition as the “Green Capital of the World” and witnessing the innovative practices at a Bitcoin City – where every transaction is conducted through cryptocurrency.
Guided by Dr. Allison Fraiberg, Sewill and her cohort experienced sustainability through hands-on learning and deep cultural immersion.
“Dr. Fraiberg is an incredible professor and she does an amazing job bringing community with the group that’s traveling and also connecting [us] to the community [we] visited,” Sewill recalled. “We had some cool one-off dinners [and] happy hours meeting local entrepreneurs and businesspeople.”
Reflecting on the visit to the farm, Sewill who is vegan and passionate about advocating for sustainable food systems, decided to write her research paper about the transformative experience.
“All of these farmers [treated the animals] like pets, even though they were for commodity,” Sewill said. “They still treated them with kindness and compassion, and part of their family. That opened my eyes to seeing that we can do both in America, with factory farms and animals as commodity,” Sewill said.
Balancing her MBA studies with her role as a people and operations manager at a climate tech startup in Oakland, hasn’t been without challenges. Still, Sewill is unwavering in her belief that pursuing her MBA later in life has been profoundly rewarding.
“Presidio is incredibly accommodating of everyone’s different perspectives and walks of life,” Sewill said. “I came for a degree and for relationships, and I think the bonus is that I’m leaving a better person, which isn’t something I expected from graduate school.”
Her advice to prospective students? “Talk to students, visit a class, and stay open-minded. Sustainability and social justice are ingrained in every component of Presidio.”
