What are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? (500 words)
What are the most meaningful ways you expect to engage and contribute to our community outside the classroom?
When I attended the 202X Women’s Leadership Weekend, I experienced the Team Fuqua spirit firsthand, and walked away with a passion to become a member of the Fuqua community. Learning about societal biases women face during a negotiation with Professor Ashleigh Rossette, and receiving impact-investing career advice from Fuqua alum Mickey Mouse, particularly resonated with me as such mentorship has allowed me to challenge traditional gender roles: thanks to an encouraging biology teacher, I became the first woman in my family to graduate college.
Today, I lead career counseling workshops for aspiring young women at the WomenWork Foundation. Tapping into this experience, as a Duke Association of Women in Business cabinet member, I hope to expand AWIB’s career-focused efforts by hosting the Real Talks series, where I will cultivate dialogue and partnership opportunities between first- and second-year students. Reflecting on my experiences as an undergraduate international student, I will host resume workshops to help international students craft their pitch. To help advance gender equity for male-dominated careers like finance, I also hope to bring in male students as allies through the AWIB Male Ambassador Program.
Another way I expect to contribute at Fuqua is as a CASEi3 fellow, where I will plan Tri-sector leadership workshops and the Sustainable Business & Social Impact conference to equip students with the necessary skills for lasting social change. Social impact is a cause that has always been important to me: back in India, before I began my undergraduate studies in the US, I led a team of 20 classmates in a six-week, non-profit initiative offering English and computer basics classes to 120 unprivileged women to increase their employability and confidence. I will bring this passion for consequential leadership to the CASEi3 Consulting Practicum, where I will evaluate ESG-investment landscapes and entrepreneurial pipelines with Professor Cathy Clark’s guidance for Durham-based impact funds such as SJF Ventures. Leveraging my podcast production experience, I envision contributing to the “CASE In Point” Podcast series, where I will help showcase stories and tactics from social impact leaders to further inspire the Fuqua community.
I also plan to be a contributing member of the Fuqua Culinary Club. For years during college, I hosted regular Sunday dinner parties where members shared their cuisines and built friendships outside the classroom. In the Culinary Club’s weekly themed potluck nights and monthly “Tea Around the World” sessions, I am eager to share my favorite chai recipes and Indian dishes I picked up from shadowing my grandmother in the kitchen, such as Murgh Koliwada. In the club’s annual Iron Chef Competition, I will rally my team as we adapt on the fly to a “secret” ingredient, harnessing the tips and tricks that I’ve learnt from my many attempts at replicating dishes from the Chicago Tribute's Cooking Section. To help source produce for the club, I would love to launch a partnership between the Culinary Club and Duke’s “Grow a Garden on Campus” program, sharing my Chicago community gardener knowledge with my classmates.