A little bit of curiosity goes a long way. Further than I could have imagined!

While stuck at home during COVID, I looked for ways to fill my free time—curious about ways I could use the time to further educate myself. As a part of my company’s leadership development program, we are offered a stipend to explore executive education courses that fell within our scope of work. This program isn’t often taken advantage of (if your company offers a similar stipend, I would encourage you to check it out!), but it ultimately started my journey at Fuqua. I work in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, so I started researching business schools that offered industry-specific executive education courses that piqued my interest. Naturally, my research led me to Duke University as the Health Sector Management program is top-notch and the standard for those looking to pursue a career in health care.

I enrolled in the Drug Development, Reimbursement, and Regulation executive education course led by Professor David Ridley. I was blown away by the level of expertise and knowledge that Professor Ridley and my classmates brought to the table. The course was an incredible experience that re-ignited my passion for learning and education—I knew I wanted more.

While I had planned on pursuing my full-time MBA, my career and quite a few work moves led me to put that plan on pause. I live in Colorado and applied to some of the local MBA programs here, but they were not a good fit for my career interests. Through the executive education course, I connected with several former Fuqua MBA graduates and Professor Ridley who all encouraged me to apply to the Weekend Executive MBA program. After researching the MBA and Health Sector Management programs, I instantly knew that Fuqua would be a perfect fit. I was drawn to the program’s focus on teamwork and collaboration, as well as its emphasis on practical, real-world learning experiences. I quickly applied and was accepted shortly thereafter.

Fast forward about two-and-a-half years, and I recently walked across the stage as a Class of 2023 Weekend Executive MBA graduate from The Fuqua School of Business. Pursuing my MBA has been an incredibly fulfilling experience, and I am most proud of the opportunity to learn from, grow alongside, and develop deep connections with my amazing classmates. There are not enough words to describe how great the experience has been, but I’ll leave you with this: a little bit of curiosity can lead you a long way. If there is something you’d like to learn about, my advice is not to hesitate on taking advantage of any educational opportunities. For me, an executive education course was a great way to get a taste of the learning environment at Fuqua. I’m excited to see where this journey will take me next, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that both the executive education program and the MBA program have provided me.