Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog

When I arrived at Fuqua, I understood that AI was becoming more important, but I had little firsthand experience using it in a meaningful way. Over the course of my first year, that began to change as I became one of the first students to test new AI-enabled classroom and a system that provides custom feedback on how my classmates and I collaborated in our team meetings.

While I expected to learn about business in an emerging market, I did not expect the Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) to South Africa to challenge my assumptions as deeply as it did. Over the course of two weeks, I encountered a country that was far more complex, dynamic, and hopeful than I had imagined.

Champions of Team Fuqua who choose to invest a lot of energy into the community are the reason we really believe in our ability to thrive in the long term.

Before arriving at business school, many of us thought we knew what to expect: rigorous academics, ambitious classmates, and long days juggling competing priorities.

Before AI became critical to my work, Fuqua had already taught me a lot about leadership, patience, failure, and resilience.

I’m thankful to learn alongside others who understand that business and climate cannot be disentangled.

I've learned that you find your place in the Fuqua community not by changing who you are, but by consistently demonstrating the values of decency and contribution.

Fuqua truly has everything you need to launch your career, grow into yourself, and realize your goals.

From twists in my career journey to unexpected moments of growth in Durham and beyond, my first year was filled with powerful lessons.

I believe that the American Dream, though bruised and debated, still exists, and I am living proof of that.