About Me | From a Domestic Background to an International MBA — and Giving Birth in Spain
<日本語>
Hello, I'm Mei, originally from Japan.
I obtained my MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain
(Class of 2025, enrolled in September 2023 and graduated in May 2025).
Just before the program started—in late August 2023, shortly after arriving in Spain—I found out I was pregnant. I gave birth to my first child in Spain in April 2024, during my first year of the MBA.
There have been many challenges throughout my pregnancy and after giving birth, but thanks to the incredible support from those around me, I was able to continue my studies without taking a leave of absence.
I decided to share my experiences in Barcelona here, hoping they might be helpful for others considering studying abroad for graduate school. Through these reflections, I’m sharing what it’s been like to go through pregnancy and motherhood during the MBA, and how I currently balanced student life and parenting in Barcelona.
A Brief Profile
Family: Living with my husband and our daughter Hii-chan (born in 2024, currently 1 year old)
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Hometown: A small rural town in Kyushu, Japan
Education: Graduated from a national university in Japan
Work Experience: International sales at a manufacturing company → Strategy consultant
Hobbies: Visiting hot springs, watching musicals, and chatting over good food
Childhood to High School
Born and raised in rural southwestern Japan
I grew up in a family with my grandparents, both working parents, and two younger sisters, enjoying a carefree childhood in a rural area—about 1 km from the nearest store!
I admired my teachers (the adults closest to me after my parents) and dreamed of becoming a school teacher. At the same time, I also had a vague desire to travel abroad someday. So when I started junior high, I decided to study hard on English—but since I began learning only after entering school, I was behind classmates who’d started with self-study programs, and I quickly developed a sense of difficulty with English.
Sent a letter to an American couple in the neighborhood writing, “I want to become your friend”
Although I struggled in English class, I still wanted to try actually communicating in English. I asked my parents to enroll me in an English conversation school, but they said, “It’s too expensive!” Then, in my second year of junior high, a young American couple moved in nearby.
Excited by the chance, I wrote “I want to become your friend!” using the phrase “want to” I’d just learned at school, attached a photo of me, and slipped the letter into their mailbox. A few days later, the wife greeted me, “You’re the girl who sent the letter!” and we became friends.
During the approximately three years that the couple stayed in Japan (while I was in 8th to 10th grade), I had the opportunity to engage in various cultural exchanges. Despite my poor English, I gained the courage to speak without hesitation. (I still keep in touch with them to this day.)
University Days
Joined an English conversation club and discovered a spark for leadership
After high school, I moved away from home to study at a university in the The Greater Tokyo Area. I joined both a choir and an English conversation club. The choir required a strong commitment—practice four times a week and vocal training camps—so I treated the English club casually, attending “when I could.”
In my second year, however, I unexpectedly became president of the conversation club—a role normally held by third-year students—because there were few peers available.
Although I doubted my leadership—thinking a leader must be a charismatic figure—I embraced the role simply because I wanted to create a fun space for exchanging ideas in English. Through trial and error, I learned different ways to lead, began enjoying it, and saw active participation grow.
It became a foundational experience: I realized there are many styles of leadership, and that I enjoy leading. It prompted my early interest in making a positive impact on organizations through business.
Professional Career
Worked in international sales at a manufacturing company
I wanted two things in my future career: global and management role.
After graduation, I joined a manufacturer with strong global sales—thinking it would offer early global opportunities and a better work-life balance compared to other industries. (I had the impression that manufacturers offered a good work-life balance and were easy places to work, but in reality, the work was very busy and there was a lot of overtime.)
Though I was busy than I expected, I joined the international sales department and enjoyed frequent overseas travel. After a few years, however, I began wondering, “I’m able to work globally because the product has a strong brand presence. But if I weren’t an employee of this company, what would my market value be as an independent business professional in the global job market?”
While working in sales, I also lead an internal improvement initiatives, which strengthened my desire to become involved in management sooner. However, the Japanese company I was working for had a strong seniority-based system, and I realized I couldn’t wait many years to be in a position where I could make managerial decisions. (In Japanese corporate culture, it is common for positions and salaries to be determined based on age and years of service.)
Since I didn’t want to wait that long, I decided to change my career path. At the time, I considered pursuing an MBA or changing jobs, and I ultimately chose to change jobs.
Moved into strategy consulting
An opportunity arose, and I moved into strategy consulting at a global firm in late 2017. Though entering consulting mid-career was tough, I gained exposure to diverse industries, benefitted from strong mentors, and developed a professional mindset and consulting skills.
Decided to pursue an MBA
After settling into consulting, the fast pace of life left little room to consider an MBA—until the COVID period unexpectedly gave me some downtime, and I found myself longing to study overseas. After careful consideration—long story short—I decided to pursue an MBA. I applied in late 2021, balanced work and exam preparation throughout 2022, and received an acceptance letter from IESE in March 2023.
Struggled with balancing exam prep and life planning
During 2021–22, I faced a difficult decision: my desire to have a baby versus my desire to study abroad and earn an MBA.
After suffering a miscarriage in 2021, I wondered whether I should “get pregnant & give birth → do an MBA” or “do an MBA first → then start a family.”
Since pregnancy timing isn’t controllable, I decided to proceed with the MBA applications—and if I became pregnant, I could negotiate a deferral if necessary.
Although I had many opportunities to ask questions to current students, alumni, and admissions officers at various schools, I found it difficult to hear about more personal topics like the ones mentioned above. As a result, I turned to the internet for information.
However, there was very little information available online. Among the limited resources I found, one blog written by a Japanese woman who had completed her MBA in the U.S. stood out. In it, she wrote that "while it's possible for male student to have a baby during his MBA, it's nearly impossible for female student to go through pregnancy and childbirth during her MBA." Reading that made me anxious and uncertain about whether the path I was pursuing was really feasible.
Still, whether it’s because I’m naturally optimistic, I decided to aim for both.
Why I Started Writing This Blog?
At times during the MBA application process, these tensions weighed heavily on me. Looking back, I wish more information had been available—it would have made the journey feel easier. So I decided to share my own experience here. I hope it can encourage others wondering if it’s possible to both study abroad for an MBA and go through pregnancy and childbirth. My message is: “Yes, it’s challenging—but definitely not impossible.”
Thank you for reading my introduction. I’ve organized posts under “Maternity Memoirs” and “Parenting Diary,” so please feel free to take a look!
Thank you for reading my introduction.
I’ve organized posts under “Maternity Memoirs” and “Parenting Diary,” so please feel free to take a look! (most articles are in Japanese)
