My path to Fuqua has been anything but conventional, but every challenge along the way has shaped the person I am today. From overcoming early health struggles to discovering confidence through the universal language of math, I learned early on that growth can come from discomfort and resilience. Those lessons followed me into my academic and professional life, where I gravitated toward analytics and began to understand the power of data in solving complex problems. Along the way, personal loss and moments of reflection deepened my sense of purpose, ultimately guiding me toward Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

Finding Confidence in a Universal Language

After my parents separated, I battled cancer at two years old and grew up in a single-parent, Spanish-speaking household. When I entered school, I was severely speech delayed. Many of my classmates already knew how to read and write while I was still learning how to speak. Through years of speech therapy and determination, I caught up by the third grade.

Although English never came easily to me, math did. Numbers felt like another language, one that gave me confidence and sparked a lifelong passion for problem-solving.

That passion led me to earn a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Notre Dame through the Posse Foundation and later spend five years in consulting. Through my work in risk advisory and enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, I gained an understanding of how organizations operate and use technology to support their business processes. During ERP implementations, I worked with client data using SQL queries and particularly enjoyed opportunities to analyze data, identify important observations, and communicate these findings to my team and clients.

Over time, I realized these analytical moments were the parts of my work I enjoyed most. Much of my role focused on configuring and deploying software and client meetings rather than the quantitative problem-solving that had always excited me. I began asking myself what a career built around my strengths and interests could look like. The answer kept bringing me back to data and analytics.

A worn in Duke t-shirt that belonged to Chris's father.
My father’s Duke t-shirt that I found and kept with me on my journey to Fuqua.

Feeling Like I Belong

Those questions became even more important after my godfather passed away last year. He was a father figure who always wanted to check out the next sporting event in town, celebrated my accomplishments in math, gave me complex puzzles to solve, and encouraged me to continue my education in something I genuinely enjoyed. Losing him pushed me to think seriously about whether I was fulfilled in my career and what I wanted the next chapter of my life to look like.

I decided I needed a fresh start and began searching for graduate programs that could bring together my strengths in quantitative problem-solving with my growing interest in analytics. Fuqua’s MQM program stood out because it offered the opportunity to build the technical skills, I needed to make that career transition.

Then, while cleaning out my dad’s closet, I found his old Duke t-shirt and promised myself I would not wear it until I had been accepted into the program. On December 2, I received my admission call, the day before my dad’s birthday, and finally put on his shirt. It felt like I was carrying a piece of him with me as I began this new chapter.

When I arrived at Fuqua, another moment immediately stood out. Seeing the Honduran flag displayed in the Hall of Flags filled me with pride. As a first-generation college graduate with Honduran roots, it reminded me how far my family had come and made me feel that I truly belonged.

A photo of the Honduran flag hanging in Fuqua's Hall of Flags
Finding the Honduran flag during orientation brought me a sense of belonging at Fuqua.

Connection and Resilience Through Sports

As I thought about where I wanted to apply my passion for analytics, I found myself returning to another important part of my identity: sports. Growing up in New Orleans, a city with a deep sports tradition, also shaped my journey to Fuqua and what I hope to gain here. Hurricane Katrina forced my family to leave home temporarily, and I watched the Superdome, our city’s symbol, become a shelter during one of its darkest moments.

What followed, however, showed me the incredible power of sports to unite a community. The Saints’ return to the Superdome in 2006, highlighted by Steve Gleason’s iconic blocked punt, gave New Orleans hope when it needed it most. Three years later, the Saints’ Super Bowl victory became a symbol of resilience for an entire city that had fought its way back.

Those experiences taught me that sports create connections that extend far beyond the field. They bring together people from every background through shared moments of joy, pride, and resilience. That is why I aspire to work in sports analytics, to use data to better understand fans, strengthen those connections, and help organizations create experiences that positively impact the communities they represent. I hope to help teams build the same sense of belonging and community that sports gave me growing up in New Orleans.

As I look ahead to the next chapter, I carry with me the lessons, values, and people who have led me to Fuqua. The MQM program represents a new beginning, but also a place where I can continue growing while staying grounded in what matters most. I’m excited for what’s to come and grateful for the path that has led me here.