Catherine Jirak Scholarship

My name is Emily Fetty, and I am a consultant in the Financial Planning and Analysis sector at Quebit. Over the last five years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside talented professionals and build solutions that create real value for our clients. That experience has shaped not only my technical skills but also my understanding of what good leadership looks like in this field. To deepen that foundation, I am currently pursuing my Master of Science in Analytics at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School. My goal is to grow into a solution architect, a role where technical expertise and people skills are equally important, and where I can guide both teams and clients through the full lifecycle of a project. This scholarship would directly support that pursuit and be a meaningful step toward becoming the kind of leader I know I am capable of being. A good solution architect is someone people trust, and that trust is built through a combination of technical knowledge and clear communication. In my current role, I work directly with clients and teammates to gather requirements and define the scope of what we are building. My goal is to grow into the person who leads those conversations rather than just participates in them. This scholarship would give me the tools to do that, through developing stronger client engagement skills, improving how I communicate complex ideas, and building the kind of confidence that comes with a deeper understanding of the work. I want to walk into every room prepared and ready to lead. Beyond communication, becoming a solution architect requires a strong understanding of how a client's business actually works and how to translate that into a functional application. In FP&A consulting, I have developed a solid foundation in how business decisions flow through systems, but I want to take that further. This scholarship would allow me to invest in the technical skills needed to design better solutions from the ground up. When you truly understand a client's business logic, you stop just building what they ask for and start building what they actually need. That is the kind of consultant and architect I am working toward becoming. Growing as a leader also means taking responsibility for the people and community around you. As I develop in my career, I want to be someone who brings others along with them, whether that is mentoring a newer colleague, contributing to team knowledge, or helping clients feel genuinely supported throughout the process. This scholarship would give me the tools to do that more effectively. I believe that being accountable to your own growth naturally extends to being accountable to your team, your clients, and the broader community you serve. That sense of responsibility is something I want to carry into every project I lead. I am someone who shows up, puts in the work, and tries to do things the right way. Every skill I build and every challenge I take on will be guided by the same values I bring to my work today: the discipline to keep learning, the effort to lead by example, and the integrity to hold myself to a high standard. With the support of this scholarship and my MS in Analytics at Texas A&M’s Mays Business School, I am confident I have the tools and drive to grow into the leader Quebit needs.