Describe a circumstance in your life in which you faced adversity,failure,or setback. What actions did you take as a result and what did you learn from this experience?

The biggest setback I have faced to date involved failure – literally. I arrived at college naively expecting academic and future success – that my career would simply work itself out. Instead immaturity, some unfortunate course recommendations, and an initial lack of focus on my career and major left me with the first “F” and “D” of my life, frustrated with and disappointed in myself, and with a lackluster GPA. Furthermore, I was unsure about the career I wanted to pursue until the summer before my senior year; by that time, I realized my GPA would be a significant setback that I would have to overcome.

My journey to my final major and career path was long and arduous. After two internships in New York, working in different finance functions, I was finally confident that I wanted to pursue an investment banking analyst position outside of New York City. Along the way, I switched my major from Anthropology to Accounting (thinking that an Accounting major was my only shot at breaking into finance), and ultimately to Business Administration after realizing that I was far more interested in strategy, corporate finance and investments courses, and that they would better serve me in my intended investment banking career.

When I finally determined that I wanted to become an investment banker, I knew I would face an uphill battle. My 3.04 GPA would inevitably cause any interviewer to ask, “Why should we hire you, when we can hire someone with a 3.6?” Furthermore, I was certain that my ability to be a high-performing analyst would be questioned and that I had to be ready to prove otherwise. Thus, the only way I would overcome this hurdle was to be a significantly stronger and better-prepared candidate relative to other interviewees. So, I got to work: I networked in New York that summer, leveraging relationships with bankers and attending recruiting events; I met with every alumnus I could find to learn more about the industry, the job and how to best prepare for recruiting. I returned to campus early that fall, and developed my own corporate finance crash course (including problem sets, financial models and valuation exercises), and continued reaching out to alumni. I applied for and was selected to join W&L’s investment society, which invests the school’s endowment in equities. The interview was similar to an investment banking interview, and included a stock pitch presentation. I worked with the Society’s faculty advisor to further strengthen my valuation techniques, financial theory and interview strategies. Eventually, my preparation paid off and after many grueling interviews, I received my target offer.

Some might dismiss this story as a former banker’s tale of recruitment woes, but it shaped me as a person and taught me a great deal. I realized how I learn best: by doing. This is what Tuck stresses through its experiential learning opportunities. I learned not to quit when faced with a setback or failure, but to dig deep. When people told me that my goal was unlikely, I took action, and now I know how fulfilling it feels to accomplish something that originally seemed so far out of reach. This “comeback” opened the door to a career I appreciate every day and in which I continue to learn. Similar to my quest to decide on a major or post-college job, I have considered and explored several potential career paths over the last five years and have finally figured out exactly what I want to build my career around: emerging markets investing. Now, I am even more determined and better-prepared to invest the time, energy and resources to make that happen. The powerful combination of my drive and determination and Tuck’s resources will allow me to overcome just about anything.