Like many young optimists, I graduated from college with a lofty vision of having an impact on the world. My undergraduate years at Duke gave me my first real exposure to the broader world, particularly during my travels to parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. These experiences challenged my worldview as I witnessed both the immense challenges and profound beauty of regions far removed from my upbringing. It felt as though the world itself was my classroom – where I gained the most meaningful academic and personal growth. While I didn’t yet know the exact role I would play, I was hopeful that my professional journey would eventually lead to positive contributions to society.

Developing Global Awareness

After graduation, I joined the Army, fulfilling my Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) scholarship commitment. What began as a four-year obligation evolved into eight years, during which I explored the multifaceted role of the U.S. military in global affairs. The military continued to broaden my understanding of the world, placing me in geopolitically significant regions across the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. On one deployment, I visited a refugee camp and encountered living conditions that were among the bleakest I had ever witnessed. The level of vulnerability in this context was harrowing, and it reinforced my desire to understand global systems from a variety of angles to help strengthen those that have fallen behind.

My military experiences led me to pursue a Master of Public Policy (MPP) in the two years following my active-duty service. While I had a few potential ideas about where to turn next in my professional journey, I came to realize that the health of financial markets plays a crucial role in global stability — an area where I lacked any formal education.

Engaging a Worldly Classroom

As I deliberated where to pivot my career following the completion of my MPP degree, several friends encouraged me to consider continuing with my education by balancing it with an MBA. They emphasized how it could help me better understand the interplay between the public and private sectors, equipping me to navigate both worlds more effectively.  

I began researching programs, outlining these key priorities:

1. Flexibility to work and live where I wanted
2. A culture of people with authentic drives and ambitions
3. Strong program recognition and reputation

Duke’s Global Executive MBA program quickly emerged as an ideal fit. Since starting the program in July, I’ve experienced the benefits of learning alongside a diverse and driven cohort. The program not only offers a dynamic academic environment but also continues the education I value most: learning by engaging with the world itself as a classroom.

Through travel to different parts of the globe, my classmates and I have the unique opportunity to observe how various markets operate and adapt to local challenges. This global immersion has already deepened my understanding of how strategies evolve across cultural and economic contexts, reinforcing lessons that can only be learned beyond traditional classroom walls.

Looking back, my initial goal of “changing the world” was perhaps naïve because I didn’t yet grasp what it requires to make a tangible impact. Now, through Fuqua, I’m gaining the knowledge, confidence, and clarity needed to navigate complex systems and uncover the right opportunities for meaningful change. The Global Executive MBA program is one of the most effective “professional life hacks” for equipping yourself to pursue impactful work with purpose and direction. My ambition remains the same — to leave the world better than I found it — only now, I feel prepared to do so in far more concrete ways.