My Story: From Big Banking To Stanford

Stanford Graduate School of Business

Stanford Graduate School of Business

For me, the best part of the business school experience has been getting to know my classmates. The interesting thing about GSB is that 400 people sounds like a lot, but it doesn’t feel like a lot when you’re here. You recognize everyone and get to know everyone in classes and on campus over the two years. It’s fun to talk about ideas that people are working on. I especially enjoy picking the brains of people who come from completely different countries and have completely different passions. I didn’t come from the startup world and it has been exciting to hear about those issues, problems, and perspectives.

The professors at Stanford are outstanding. I have been fortunate to have a number of great ones. Professor Darrell Duffie was my favorite because he understands the intricacies and complexities of the global financial system better than anyone I have ever met. He has a deep curiosity about how the world works and is excellent at unpacking and explaining very complex topics. I admire his drive to fully understand the complexities of the financial system, his enthusiasm for the subjects he studies, and his willingness to share his vast experience with his students.

At Stanford, one of my favorite courses was Leadership Perspectives. High-profile speakers, including journalists, founders of startups, and corporate CEOs came to class and talked to us. They would answer both professional and personal questions. We discovered the secret sauce of how these highly successful people present themselves, how they lead, and what makes them effective. It allowed me to understand how I could integrate these values into my own life.

Stanford GSB is exciting for me. It’s vibrant and eclectic, which makes it profoundly engaging. It’s a much more international community than I had ever been a part of before. I was most surprised by the collaborative environment and the extent to which people would bend over backwards to help classmates.

The biggest lesson I got from business school is to be humble and endlessly curious. There are a lot of smart, hardworking people in the world and you can learn a tremendous amount from just about everyone.

As far as advice to future students, I can offer advice that was previously given to me: Figure out what you do really well, and then find the place where that’s valued. Figure out what’s distinct about you that others can’t do as easily or as well. My best advice is to figure out what you are passionate about and identify opportunities within the program and the broader campus that will enable you to best pursue that passion.

DON’T MISS: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A STANFORD FIRST-YEAR STUDENT or CLASS OF 2015: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS

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