Margaret Crotty (MBA 2000) is CEO of Partnership with Children, which provides counseling services and family support to public schools in New York City. In this interview, she reflects on the influences that put her on this path.

“Two of the biggest influences in my life were my grandparents, my grandfather and grandmother. I spent my summers candy-striping at the hospital with my grandmother. You didn’t get to go swimming and skiing, you were actually working in the hospital, twice a week, as a six-year-old, seven-year-old, eight-year-old. My grandparents really taught me that there was a greater good that we should be part of.

“Because of HBS, I was able to bring management skills into the nonprofit world. We bring social workers into schools where children are dealing with so many barriers, most of which have to do with growing up in poverty. Their social, emotional, and cognitive abilities are often delayed, and through counseling programs, through mental health services, we address those issues. We work not only to fix schools but also to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

“When I get to see the effect of our programs on the schools and the children that we work with, it’s really powerful. You can make an impact! I’m reminded of that every day.

(Published July 2016)

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