3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua (500 words)

Duke Essay 2, Contributions at Fuqua When current Fuqua student Fred Flintstone told me, “We help each other succeed and pick each other up when we’re down,” I realized what it means to be on Team Fuqua. From my own experiences, as a varsity soccer player in college and now working at a high-growth widget start-up, I have seen the impact that strong teamwork and community has on collective success. At Fuqua, I want to contribute to Team Fuqua by being an impactful student leader who shares my global mindset, with a collaborative, team-based approach.

From the first day of orientation, I hope to join the student cabinet. I will run as a section rep, working alongside the rest of the sub-cabinet, the MBAA cabinet co-presidents and Associate Dean Morgan, to address issues and create on opportunities for first-years. When I was Class President during my undergraduate studies at Widget Tech, leading 1200 students from over 20 countries, we worked closely with the administration to organize events such as culture night, a diversity conference, and weekly cookouts.

As I grow as a second-year student, I want my impact to grow too. As a Fuqua Admission Fellow, I will assess prospective students’ potential and help them grow into consequential leaders. As an orientation committee member, I will be a friendly face who works alongside a world-class team to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment. I will also run for a leadership role in the organization, to help Dean Minnie Mouse and her team to provide a best-in-class experience for Fuquans.

Because my post-MBA goal is to work as an operations manager at an international tech company like Widgets-R-Us, I will be active in Fuqua’s international experiential learning programs to develop my global mindset. I envision contributing to the South Asian Business Club, drawing on my long-standing volunteer experiences in Sri Lanka. Current student Mickey Mouse told me about how excited the club is to relaunch the South Asian Business Conference after a three-year COVID hiatus, bringing together a community interested to share knowledge and experiences about the region.

Another current student, Donald Duck, told me, ‘Team Fuqua is real. We are one team, that will always support one another, even after graduation.’ This resonated with my mindset of always supporting those around me, a mindset that I am eager to bring to Team Fuqua. I plan on becoming a COLE fellow and a member of the Fuqua2Duke mentorship program, but I will also seek to contribute to the Widget Club by joining the club’s Recruiting Education team. By creating programs that focus on outreach, interview, and case prep, Widget Club members will support one another for internships and post-MBA recruitment. Another innovation I’d like to promote is the creation of “discovery programs,” to help club members identify the different functions and roles in the widget industry that are right for them. I will collaborate closely with the Widget Club after graduation, organizing events that will strengthen Fuqua’s ties to the widget industry.