Parenting at Owen

Guest Blogger Ben Meek, MBA 2012, gives some insights into being a parent while pursuing his MBA. If you’re a parent (or soon-to-be parent) thinking about coming to Owen and want to ask Ben or his wife Katie more about parenting as a student send an e-mail to: or reach out to the Owen Partners Association:

My wife Katie and I took a leap and moved from San Diego to Nashville despite knowing very little about the city. From a family perspective, we could hardly have made a better choice. I can’t weigh in too much on day care and schooling, but here’s what I can tell you about.

Kids – When we arrived, Katie was 6 months pregnant with our second son. We thought we’d be the only couple crazy enough to have a child during business school, but at least a couple of other Owen families did it as well this past year. (Tell you one thing that made that easier—the hospital is about a 5 minute walk from campus.) Our kids have really thrived here. There are plenty of good outdoorsy things to do, including some great hiking trails in Brentwood and elsewhere, and my 3-year old loved his first camping trip. If that’s not your cup of tea, there are plenty of good places to take the kids, play groups and the like. We’ve found Nashville to be a stellar family environment with plenty of young families.

Housing – There are quite a few good options and family-friendly neighborhoods reasonably close to campus. At the end of year one, we moved to a rental house in Green Hills, and we love the neighborhood. Depending on your needs, you can find decent homes or townhouses to rent in the $1200-$1500 range, and lower if you want to settle for apartment living.

Transportation – During the first year, we lived quite a distance from the city. The city’s only light rail line runs from downtown all the way east as far as Lebanon. Our house in Mt. Juliet was about a 45 minute commute from school via the train and bus, but it wasn’t too bad considering I wasn’t doing the driving. Our move to Green Hills in May 2011 made that much easier—there’s decent bus service, and traffic is usually light if I have to drive myself in.

School Work - Despite some occasional late nights, I’ve found the school/family balance to be very manageable. I block out Sunday as my no-homework, all-family day. Now and again, my schedule allows me to go home for lunch and homework while the kids nap in the afternoon. Most of the other parents I know are well served by treating school like an 8-5 job—get to class, knock out your homework and job search, and be home in time for dinner. Group work is a big part of the Owen curriculum, but I have rarely had difficulty getting groups to meet on a schedule that accommodates family commitments. Being proactive at organizing group meetings yourself is a good way to make sure that happens.

When deciding where to come for school, family environment was a big factor for us. With a new and unfamiliar city and a busy schedule for me, finding support and friendship with other Owen spouses has been invaluable to my wife. We would both be happy to field questions from anyone thinking about Owen.