Tuck students are nice and invest generously in one another’s success. Share an example of how you helped someone else succeed.

Growing up in India, I have always had a passion for education reform in third-world countries. This interest led me to join a non-profit dedicated to leadership development and education advancement in 2013. Its leadership has espoused that the organization is a spiritual journey not only for the children, but also for the volunteers and supporters involved. After taking this vision to heart, I was inspired to build a young professionals board after the Executive Board requested I help raise awareness amongst my generation. I immediately set out to recruit new members, spearhead partnerships and drive the group’s overall strategy.

Soon thereafter, our newly-formed, six-member team kicked off the first year of the Associate Board with a day-long retreat to discuss strategy and vision. However, upon reviewing the board plan, some team members pushed back on the stringent metrics I had laid out that would quantify our success. In that moment, I realized I needed to be a leader that struck a balance between remaining affable yet resolute. I explained my motives for creating such metrics – a measuring stick would keep the board accountable and provide tangible results to prove our value to the Executive Board. I held my ground about the importance of metrics; however, as a team, we decided to milden them. For example, the original threshold of raising $5,000 was reduced to $2,000 – the goal was to create realistic hurdles that we could exceed with any luck. The results were a success - by years’ end, we had collectively raised approximately $3,000, which changed ABC’s life.

Sadly, ABC fit the “typical” student profile for our non-profit - her father was an alcoholic and her mother struggled to make ends meet. As an ambitious 11-year-old, ABC strived to break free from the vicious cycle of poverty. The administration and alumni met with ABC to evaluate her candidacy, and after a few hours, it was clear – she was intelligent, passionate, and driven with a goal to study medicine. Upon hearing ABC’s story, our board was touched by her zeal for life and determination, and we decided to assign the money we had raised to support ABC’s education for three years. As our first sponsored student, I took a special interest in her progress and Skyped with ABC as often as she needed; often, it was to serve as a mentor or simply talk about her week. Given ABC’s modest background, she was often teased, so I coordinated with my family in India to provide her with ‘cooler’ shoes and clothes. For her 12th birthday, I wanted to do something special for her, so I bought her an iPod Shuffle – the smile on her face was priceless. Since then, ABC has remained focused on enhancing her future prospects and has thrived in school while conquering her insecurities, even winning first place prizes at state competitions for writing. I am confident she will develop into an outstanding young adult and look forward to seeing her prosper.