Class of 2021 LeBow Alumna Heads to Google
This July, LeBow Class of 2021 graduate Bianca Mitchell, BSBA business analytics and finance, will embark on her next adventure – a full-time role at Google in the Associate Finance Rotational Program.
A Drexel Liberty Scholar who graduated magna cum laude in June, Mitchell is no stranger to hard work. She gained professional experience in co-op roles at the National Board of Medical Examiners as an operations analyst and at Comcast as a customer experience analyst. When her third co-op was cancelled due to the pandemic, she expanded her skillset through a Virtual Development Experience - Finance Track at Comcast. During her time in LeBow, Mitchell also served in numerous leadership positions including the LeBow BRIDGE program, Dragon ‘24 and the NAACP, while also being an active member of both the LeBow Dean’s Student Advisory Board and the Gospel choir.
In this Q&A, Mitchell shares some parting thoughts on the experiences that shaped her time in LeBow and showed her the infinite possibilities outside of her home in Philadelphia.
Q: Can you describe your LeBow experience?
Bianca Mitchell: I could not begin to describe my LeBow experience without LeBow BRIDGE. I joined LeBow BRIDGE by accident. A student called me during the summer before I started Drexel and asked me to join and I unknowingly agreed because I wanted to hang up the phone. Five years later, I can proudly say that joining BRIDGE is the best mistake I have ever made. As a recent high school graduate entering LeBow, I did not know what to expect. Being the only Black woman (sometimes person) in most of my classes, left me feeling like I did not belong here, but then I had a meeting with Porsche Johnson (associate director of BRIDGE), which changed everything.
From going on site visits across the country to moderating workshops and speaking on panels to late-night study sessions in LeBow, BRIDGE has offered me countless opportunities and resources that allowed me to succeed professionally, personally and academically. BRIDGE is way more than just a learning community — it’s a family. One that’s filled with friends, mentors, advisors, tutors, classmates, etc. who celebrate every success with you, uplift you after every shortcoming, and are there for every moment in between. BRIDGE is truly a home away from home (even if you live just 20 mins away). It is a place where we inspire and can be inspired. BRIDGE made all the difference for me and many other Black and brown students. I can wholeheartedly say that I would not have successfully navigated Drexel University or accomplished all of that I have without LeBow BRIDGE. I am eternally grateful for the BRIDGE program.
Looking back on the last five years, I am appreciating where I came from, celebrating where I am, and thankful for where I’m headed.
Q: What are you most proud of from your time in LeBow?
BM: I am most proud of graduating with honors distinction. I ended my first term at Drexel with a 2.93 GPA (for context, I had never had anything lower than 3.7). The imposter syndrome set in and I questioned whether I belonged at Drexel or in college at all. I decided that the 2.93 GPA was not and would not become a reflection of me or my academic career. So, I worked hard, got help when I needed it, and made sacrifices. Now five years later, I am proud to say that not only have I been on Dean’s list every term since, but I will be graduating Magna Cum Laude.
Q: Were there any experiences that particularly made an impact on you as a person?
BM: Study Abroad had a significant impact on who I am as a person and changed my life entirely. Prior to studying abroad, I always enjoyed traveling and had only been out of the country once. Studying abroad allowed me to surpass some of my wildest childhood dreams and create new ones. It taught me so much about myself and my capabilities. Being from Philly and attending a university in Philly, studying abroad gave me the space to find myself outside of an environment that I call home. It showed me that I can not only live and thrive anywhere that I choose, but my possibilities are infinite.
