Switching from law to data was never part of my original plan. For a long time, I was firmly on a law-focused path, drawn to debate, structured arguments, and the idea of using policy and legal reasoning to create impact. Over time, though, my interests began to shift. I realized I was less energized by legal arguments and more curious about the business and data behind them.

Finding My Place at Fuqua

I started asking different questions: Why do companies make the decisions they do? What do the numbers reveal that words alone can’t? That curiosity eventually led me to analytics and, ultimately, to Duke’s MQM program.

What made MQM stand out to me was not just the curriculum, but the culture. Team Fuqua is something you experience every day. Classmates are genuinely supportive, whether that means staying late to help debug code or sharing advice about internships and interviews. Coming from a law background where competition can feel intense, this collaborative environment made learning feel less intimidating and far more rewarding.

Building Confidence, Line by Line

One of the biggest challenges I faced early on was learning to code. Python and SQL were completely new to me, and the first few assignments were honestly overwhelming. There were moments when writing a simple loop or query felt harder than any legal brief I’d ever written. I spent a lot of time rewatching lectures, googling error messages, and asking classmates for help.

But slowly, things began to click. Each small win, a script that finally ran or a query that returned the right results, built my confidence. MQM gave me the space to struggle, learn, and improve without feeling like I was falling behind.

Alongside this, I became part of the MQM Association (MQMA) as a judicial representative, where my background in law helped me bring an ethical perspective to my MQM journey, emphasizing fairness, responsibility, and thoughtful decision-making in a data-driven environment.

Plotting My Career Path

Another reason MQM felt like the right fit was its flexibility. As a career switcher, I appreciated being able to explore different tracks before committing to one direction. The program encourages experimentation, which allowed me to discover where my interests and strengths aligned. Along the way, I realized that my law background wasn’t a disadvantage; it helped me structure problems, communicate insights clearly, and translate technical findings into meaningful business recommendations during team projects.

As I look ahead to life after graduating from MQM, I am excited about applying these skills in real-world settings. Whether that means working in analytics, strategy, consulting, or roles that sit at the intersection of data, business, and policy, I now feel equipped to make data-driven decisions with confidence. This journey has shown me that career paths don’t have to be linear. My early challenges taught me how to adapt, learn continuously, and embrace change.

For anyone considering a similar pivot, especially from a non-technical background, my biggest takeaway is that you don’t need to have everything figured out to get started. With curiosity, persistence, and a supportive community like Fuqua, it is possible to build a future that feels both challenging and deeply rewarding.