I’m a former international student who came to the U.S. for college, a young professional working in tech, and, most importantly to the audience of this blog, the wife of Johnny Yin, a Fuqua Daytime MBA student.

Johnny and I decided to come to Fuqua in early 2022, right after we attended Blue Devil Weekend (BDW), a series of events that allow students and partners to get to know the school, the program, and the people. I was surprised to learn that there were sessions specifically designed for partners to answer our questions about Fuqua and to get to know other partners who could be our future friends.

Fuqua made both Johnny and I feel welcomed and supported, and we luckily met Mitchell and Adrienne Stevenson, a Daytime MBA student and partner, respectively, from the Class of 2024 during BDW. We’ve become friends since and went to our very first Duke Basketball game with them on New Year’s Eve.

the four students and partners on Coach K court
Our first Duke basketball game

The friendliness we experienced during BDW continued after we moved to Durham and joined the big Fuqua family. Johnny soon made great friends at school and I have made good friends by attending partner-friendly activities during orientation and gatherings hosted by the Fuqua Partners club.

From exploring attractions in North Carolina with Yvonne (Daytime MBA partner Class of 2023) and her son Lucas to having freshly made Shakshuka brunch at Miri and Yuval’s (Daytime MBA partner and student, respectively, from the Class of 2024); from playing board games with Kareem and Conor who live in the same building as we do, to getting Chinese hot pot dinner with Johnny’s consequential leadership team, the Team Fuqua spirit is everywhere.

Johnny and two classmates in Team Fuqua shirts during their orientation
Johnny’s Class of ’24 orientation

Obtaining an MBA degree is not only a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the students but also a big decision for the partners who might need to give up their pre-MBA life and move away from the city that they are not familiar with. I am grateful that Johnny made the amazing decision to come to Fuqua and took me along with him on his journey. I’m thankful to all the friends that I’ve made through Fuqua.

To learn more about a day in my life as an MBA partner, please enjoy this video: