Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community outside of the classroom

Having had to create homes away from home in Chicago and New York, I realized I may have found my new home when chatting with several Fuquans during Women’s Leadership Weekend (WLW). I quickly learned that as a Fuquan, it’s impossible to not contribute to the community they call family. What drew me to advertising was the sense of community and distinct culture within the industry. With the late nights in the office over the past several years also came camaraderie, which is exactly what I know I’ll find at Fuqua. During my time in advertising, I was a key player in creating collaborative environments between the agency and clients and within the team, a skill I intend on harnessing during my time at Fuqua both in and out of the classroom.

I plan to jump start my MBA at the Program for Entrepreneurs (P4E) summer kickoff. During P4E, I intend to vet my travel app idea during the “Opportunity Evaluation” course and recruit a team of classmates to help build the app. Additionally, I will become an active member of the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, which will give me the opportunity to better understand how and why startups are funded and meet other entrepreneurs during panel and networking events. In order to fully immerse myself in the entrepreneurial experience, I plan to get involved with Durham’s growing startup community in the Triangle. Building a community within Fuqua and Durham will allow me to integrate the two together and bring more hands-on experience to the classroom.

As a woman of color, I was most impacted by my interactions with the Association of Women in Business (AWIB) during WLW. I plan to prioritize involvement with AWIB because of their commitment to women representation in business and would like to help plan next year’s WLW. All the AWIB members I met were a source of comfort and assurance as I began to navigate the challenging business school process. Mentorship is extremely important to me and, evidently, to the AWIB women who did not hesitate to lend an ear or a helping hand after WLW. As someone who is currently building a new mentorship program for my agency, I am excited to continue my passion for mentorship by seeking out an AWIB Career and Mentorship position. By joining AWIB and its efforts, I aim to provide future prospective students the same sincerity and commitment I had felt at every AWIB event.

As evidenced by my career aspirations, travel is one of my biggest passions and I want to share that with my classmates by becoming a trip lead for the Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) program. Planning an extensive trip for a large group would expose me to people’s various travel habits, behaviors, and planning approaches - observations that I could leverage as qualitative research for my travel app. Additionally, I would also like to plan a Week-in-Cities trip, like Tech Trek, where my classmates and I could further develop our understanding of the tech industry and network. Participating in experiential learning such as GATE and Week-in-Cities are invaluable opportunities to grow strong relationships with my classmates and to build upon the Fuqua family legacy.

Lastly, food has always given me a chance to connect with people in a more meaningful way, which is why I’m excited to join the Food and Agriculture Club. As a member, I’d like to help organize speaker-series events, such as FoodCon. Additionally, I plan to be a regular at the famous Durham Farmers Market and become a member of Durham’s local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). As current Brooklyn CSA-er, I want to share my love and appreciation for eating locally and seasonally with Fuqua and the broader Durham community.

I am most excited to start my new chapter with Fuqua and Durham because of the one-of-a-kind, tight knit community that they both undeniably offer. Fuqua offers extensive opportunities for me to pursue my passions all while building a strong foundation for business acumen. As someone who has successfully started new beginnings in multiple cities, I have learned how to build my own communities in new environments by embracing change and committing to integration. Ultimately, I intend to be an active member of the Team Fuqua community and I would be happy to call Duke and Durham home.