You’re in!!! Welcome, Duke MBA class of 2015!!!

This weekend, a little over 100 admitted students will be joining us from all over the world for the Duke MBA Blue Devil Weekend (BDW). As the BDW co-chair, I am so excited to be planning this event and I cannot wait to meet all of you. For those of you who are joining us, I want to give you a sneak peak, and for those of you who are still on the fence, I want to encourage you to register for the second BDW (in April).

If you have yet to see the incredible spirit of Fuqua, BDW will do it for you. The weekend is filled with opportunities to meet current students, your future classmates, and professors. What’s also great about the weekend is the access that you’ll have to faculty and staff. Last year, I was so scared to leave my job and go back to school, but at BDW, I was able to chat with the Career Management Center to get some of my questions answered about my career goals. I was also really concerned about the role my husband would have at Fuqua, and the Fuqua Partners club was instrumental in making us feel comfortable here. I had tons of other questions — everything from where to live to where to eat — and it was so great to always have students on hand to assist me. You may not have the same questions I did, but I know you have questions … this weekend, they will all be answered.

Beyond getting your questions answered, the weekend is a snapshot of what it’s like to be a student here. You will experience our academic environment, interact with several clubs and other student organizations and you will explore the campus. To be fair, I must share the other side of Fuqua … we will party! We are going to show you some of the best spots for a “funemployed” graduate student, you’ll discover a few of the gems of Durham, you’ll laugh till it hurts (thanks to FuquaVision), and we’ll end with an unforgettable party.

I was in your shoes last year, and what helped make my decision to come to Fuqua easy was not what people were saying, but what they were doing, sometimes unconsciously. I saw a family here at Fuqua … I saw a place where I would be challenged by my incredible classmates, but still a place safe enough to try new things and possibly fail. I met people that I actually liked, people I actually wanted to hang out with and would keep in touch with after business school. During the weekend, I thought I made friends, but in retrospect, I realized that I connected. I connected with the very essence of Fuqua, and that is why I am here today.

So for those of you are coming for this weekend, I am so psyched to introduce you to my family … my Fuqua Family. So, ask all your questions, especially the hard ones, talk to as many people as possible, enjoy the weekend, be prepared to fall in love, and give Liz Riley Hargrove a standing ovation at the kick off — she accepted you!