From GCSU to economic consulting, featured alumna: Leah Kitashima

Leah Kitashima didn't walk into Georgia College & State University with a clear plan, but it didn't take long for one to find her. Her first economics class with Dr. Clark changed everything. 

"He made the content really interesting and intuitive," she recalls. "It was actually fun to go to class." 

By the end of the semester, Clark asked if she'd considered majoring in economics. She had her answer.

Kitashima went got involved in campus life joining Phi Mu, serving as vice president of Delta Sigma Pi and sitting on the Dean's Advisory Board for the School of Business. She also found something she hadn't expected: her husband, whom she met freshman year and started dating sophomore year. 

"GCSU is where I met my husband and my lifelong friends," she said. "Those are my favorite memories."

Building the Case for Graduate School

After graduating, Leah followed the advice of her GCSU professors, Dr. Clark, Dr. Scafidi, Dr. Conaway and Dr. Arias and applied to Ph.D. programs in economics. She'd considered law school, but the funding opportunities and flexibility of a Ph.D. program won out. 

"I went in thinking I could always leave with a master's if I needed to," she said. 

She ended up staying the full course, finishing her Ph.D. at Clemson University in 2017.

From there, she cast a wide net, applying to roughly 200 positions, landing around 40 interviews and going in with an open mind. One of those applications led her somewhere she hadn't anticipated: Analysis Group, a leading economic and litigation consulting firm.

Where Economics Meets the Courtroom

At Analysis Group, Kitashima works at the intersection of two fields she's always been drawn to: economics and law. Her team partners with legal counsel to assess economic damages in litigation — essentially answering the question of what one party owes another and building a rigorous analytical case to support that answer. It's detailed, demanding work that requires not just strong quantitative skills, but the ability to communicate complex findings clearly to judges and juries who don't share an economics background.

That gap between analysis and persuasion has been one of her most important professional lessons. 

"Sometimes, despite all the effort and confidence in our analysis, the jury chooses the other side's number," she said. "It's taught me that not everything is within our control. You focus on doing rigorous, thoughtful work but the ultimate outcome isn't always yours to decide."

Balancing Career and Life

The accomplishment Kitashima is most proud of isn't a case outcome or a career milestone — it's managing a high-demand consulting career while raising a daughter and being a present mother. Her husband works as a pilot and travels frequently, and they don't live near family. It's a balancing act she hadn't seen modeled much at her firm. 

"I'm incredibly proud, first and foremost, to be a mom," she said. "Learning how to navigate both roles has challenged me in ways I never expected."

Advice for Students

On AI, Kitashima's message is simple: Think first. 

"If you use AI before you've done your own thinking, you lose the exercise of reasoning on your own — and that matters in every line of work." 

On careers more broadly, she encourages students to apply widely, say "yes" to things that feel intimidating and resist the pressure to have it all figured out. 

"Very few people follow a perfectly straight path," she said. "Your interests will evolve in ways you can't fully predict yet."

And what separates the people who really stand out? 

"A lot of people in this field are incredibly smart, that's almost a given. What's rare is being analytically strong and able to communicate clearly, build relationships and explain complex ideas simply," Kitashima said. "That combination is actually pretty hard to find."