In 2009, my dad walked across the stage at Duke University to receive his Executive MBA from Fuqua, and he brought me up there with him. He was 40 years old, working full-time, and the first person in our entire family to earn a degree of any kind. I was six. I didn’t understand what an MBA was or why everyone was clapping, but I remember holding his hand up on that stage and seeing how proud he was.

My dad came from humble beginnings in Colombia, and that moment meant everything to him. I just didn’t realize it would eventually mean everything to me, too.

Fast forward to my senior year of undergrad at Indiana University (Big Ten and national champions in football this year, by the way). I didn’t land the job I had my heart set on, so I started researching the best business analytics programs in the country. Duke kept showing up at the top. And of course, there was my dad in my ear: “Fuqua is incredible. You should go.”

Part of me wanted to carve my own path. But a bigger part of me knew he was right. So, I applied, got in, and suddenly I was the second person in my family headed to Fuqua.

Finding and Building Community

I’ll be honest, I was nervous. Not just about the academics, but about whether I’d belong. Would I connect with people here? Would I be able to keep up with the rigor? But before orientation even started, we had a group outing to a Durham Bulls game. I showed up not knowing what to expect and walked away with people I now call close friends.

Something clicked that night. It hit me that Fuqua attracts a certain kind of person: curious, warm, and genuinely interesting. The conversations I’ve had with my peers here aren’t surface-level. They challenge me, inspire me, and make me better. That energy is what pushed me to take on the role of Risk Track Chair with the MQM Association, the program’s student leadership.

I wanted to create a space where the people in my concentration, the risk track, could decompress, connect, and feel like they had a community beyond the classroom. I organized a trivia night, set up coffee and donuts during finals, and put together goodie bags before the holidays.

Were they massive, headline-making events? No. Did every one of them have the turnout I hoped for? Honestly, not even close. There were moments when I felt frustrated, and even a little embarrassed, wondering if I was doing enough. But I kept showing up. Because even if only a few people grabbed a donut or stayed for a round of trivia, those few people mattered to me.

The Inspiration Pushing Me Forward

One of my proudest moments outside of track chair came from a wine and paint night I organized with a classmate and friend of mine. Over a hundred people showed up. Looking around that room, watching people laugh, get creative, and connect with each other, that was the Fuqua experience I had hoped for when I first said yes to Duke.

As I approach graduation this May, the feeling is bittersweet. I came in skeptical, and I’m leaving inspired. Inspired by the people I’ve met, the friendships I didn’t see coming, and the version of myself that Fuqua pushed me to become. If I could go back and talk to the version of me sitting in that orientation seat, anxious and unsure if he belonged, I’d tell him: It’s going to work out. It’s not that bad. And you’re going to meet some really cool people.

Seventeen years ago, I held my dad’s hand and walked across a stage at Duke without understanding why it mattered. This May, I’ll walk that stage on my own. And this time, I get it.