headshot courtesy of S. Murry Photography
Dacia Davis once considered herself a "C student." For a long time, she felt like master’s degrees were meant for other people—he "naturally academic" types. As of January 2026, she is a graduate of the MBA program at Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business. And she realized the only person limiting her was herself.
Davis earned a B.A. in journalism at Georgia State in 2019, but five years later, her professional life started moving in a new direction. She transitioned from administrative and project coordination work into a talent coordinator position. Even though she was new to the human resources (HR) field, she felt a spark. She liked the people side of business. However, to move from tactical to strategic roles, she needed a deeper toolkit.
Choosing Robinson’s MBA program wasn't a difficult decision. As an alumna, she felt at home at Georgia State. She knew the institution offered the kind of business acumen necessary to back up her newfound interest in HR. She enrolled in 2024, ready to rewrite her own narrative.
The program comprised more than textbooks and lectures. Davis quickly found herself immersed in team-based projects and challenges. Through those assignments, she developed the ability to navigate complex issues and communicate with diverse stakeholders.
“These weren’t hypothetical problems,” she said. “They required me to think strategically, consider different perspectives, and confidently present ideas under pressure.”
Davis participated in an MBA case competition. Here, she is pictured with (L) Jermaine Clarke, associate director of graduate student engagement, and (R) Alex Tawse, clinical associate professor.
Pretty soon, Davis stopped regarding herself as a student and started crystallizing the image of herself as a practitioner.
While Davis’s skills grew in the classroom, her outside life required resilience. Juggling graduate school, motherhood, and a career is a feat of endurance. Managing deadlines and parental duties forced her to sharpen her discipline and emotional intelligence, and to drop any expectations for Instagram-worthy perfection.
“There were moments of exhaustion, self-doubt, and sacrifice, but I stayed committed,” she said. “I wanted my children to see what perseverance looks like in real time.”
Davis finds her grounding through community service and storytelling. For her, volunteering and writing offer outlets to process her journey. Those activities remind her that success is measured not only by professional output but also by connections to people and purposes that matter. Her work-life balance allows her to show up fully in her current role as a talent coordinator at Georgia Tech.
Now, with her degree in hand, Davis views herself through a completely different lens—and no longer lets her past grades or early struggles define her potential. She also realizes that perfect conditions aren’t necessary to start the next chapter.
“I’ve learned to trust my voice and honor my lived experience,” she said.