This blog was written prior to the Cross Continent MBA program merger with the Global Executive MBA program. 

Success is not just about forming a vision and attaining it, but also about adding value to what is already present, refining it, and making it meaningful. I am not here to create magic, but to make what we already have a little more magical. My short-term career aspiration is to pursue marketing roles in multi-national firms, with a focus on brand management. My wider purpose is to one day lead a non-profit organization, and through the use of marketing and technology, empower it to have a global presence. My career path is thus a balance of two elements: corporate marketing and social entrepreneurship.

Although I had fundamental knowledge of marketing and strategy from my undergraduate degree, I did not hold a specialized understanding of these fields. I needed to gain core skills and experiences, which is why I decided to pursue an MBA. I chose to go back to school because I felt ready to take that next step toward both my personal and professional development. Pursuing the MBA is helping me to blend my visions together, and I will define my career as a success if I can realize my short term objective, and then leverage that expertise to eventually fulfill my dream of driving social impact.

Fuqua’s Cross Continent program appealed to me because it is customizable in terms of concentrations, including ones in my key focus areas of marketing and strategy. I think a specialized concentration will shorten the path to my post-MBA goals by allowing me to effectively learn and apply concepts in a real-time business scenario, without restricting me to a geographical region. When I looked at the various opportunities and formats available to acquire an MBA, the Duke Cross Continent program was the most appealing, especially because of the residencies in key global economies. Fuqua has a strong focus on global learning, and overseas experience is a major part of this program. More importantly, networking with high-caliber classmates from all spheres of life would be a great learning experience for me. Duke also allowed me to strike a balance by acquiring a world-class education while I continued to work, and letting me pursue my career goals at my own pace, while fitting in my personal and volunteer life. For all these reasons, the Cross Continent program is a good fit for me and my goals.