Meet Virginia Darden’s MBA Class Of 2021

P&Q: What is the most underrated part of your program that you wish prospective students knew more about?  

Clarke: “The intentionality of the learning experience. There is just so much thought and effort around the student experience, from pre-matriculation to graduation. Given Darden’s reputation as the world’s best business education experience, this may not be surprising but it’s worth emphasizing.

The way in which every aspect of the First Year is carefully planned and orchestrated is truly incredible. At Darden, we employ a four-step learning model that includes individual preparation, learning team preparation, class and reflection. Learning teams are composed of students from a wide variety of backgrounds and across a section. First Year faculty prepare together to ensure alignment in their classes. The case method allows for students to learn from the experiences and perspectives of their peers.

The core curriculum gives students a solid foundation in the fundamentals of business allowing for exploration and specialization in the second year. Second Year students play an active role in shaping extracurricular life at the school, allowing them to put into practice the leadership lessons of the classroom.”

P&Q: Darden is associated with ‘teaching excellence.’ Why does Darden focus so heavily on teaching as a means for measuring and rewarding faculty?

Clarke: “From its founding, Darden has been focused on educating business practitioners, and you see this thread continued in the school’s ongoing commitment to developing responsible leaders through transformational learning experiences.

Given this mission, it makes sense that teaching excellence would be a point of emphasis for faculty. Schools signal their values through how they choose to incentivize their leaders, and the centrality of classroom instruction for faculty is a clear statement of Darden’s commitment to students and the student experience. It is also a reminder of the fundamental purpose of our enterprise – to educate and inspire great leaders.”

STORIES ROOTED IN AMBIGUITY

That education is founded on the case method. Think of case studies true-life stories, replete with characters, plots, conflicts, and a resolution. They require analysis, which inevitably yield insights and themes – and occasionally symbolism and irony too. Cases are a device used to help students understand the how’s and why’s. In essence, the case method is a creative act; students assess what they might have done differently as leaders based on the resources, assumptions, uncertainties, and tradeoffs inherent to the situation. Like literature, there are no right-or-wrong answers in cases, just better-or-worse options that are revealed through robust debate. More than devising solutions, students are taught how to think holistically, sift through unreliable data, ask the right questions, and defend their positions to peers.

The case method is Darden’s signature, the differentiator that defines students’ academic experience. For Eleanor Reid Bergin the case method reflects the “information-asymmetrical” real world that’s makeshift, messy, and mystifying. Rachel Barnes considers it a relief from the “one-sidedness of lecture.” In the end, the case method simulates exactly what the Class of 2021 will face as general managers in two years.

“As a manager who leads and manages teams, one must be inquisitive, open to analyzing situations in multiple ways and receptive to feedback from your team,” writes Sarah Getachew. “The case method allows one to gain all of these skills on a daily basis! When I visited Darden, I had the chance to see the case method in-action and saw students work in teams, actively discuss problems, provide each other thoughtful input, and work together to resolve ambiguous cases that could easily be applied to every-day work situations.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Tennyson cites the need to operate in ambiguity – that vague and enigmatic space – as one area where the case method offers value to MBAs. “The world seldom makes itself available in clear and exact terms,” he asserts. “Ambiguity and variability are more common, as humans just happen to be ambiguous in their self-expression and variable in their approach to solving problems. Therefore, I feel the case method pushes students to acclimatize to an environment where the answers are not as simple as the output of an equation but where human needs, motivations, shortcomings, and insights must be accounted for in developing solutions.”

THE BEST PREPARATION

Multiple perspectives too, says Freddy Tovo. That doesn’t just mean reconciling the choices available to case protagonists. It also involves understanding how cases are analyzed by peers with vastly different professional and life experiences,” notes Andrew Pinckney. “I think what I’m most attracted to about the case method is learning from the various ways my classmates will work through a case,” he explains. “Given the diversity of backgrounds, I’m excited to build out my own management toolset based on the experiences and approaches of my class.”

This experience ultimately trains MBAs for the most important role of a manager: communication. Picture heading into a public forum to advance ideas that will be picked apart and criticized. It sounds a lot like a board room presentation, doesn’t it? Henrique Lopes, for example, touts the case method for preparing students to “work in teams, make decisions, form an opinion, be open to different points of view, articulate ideas, and be comfortable defending them.” Those are the foundational skills of the best managers. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the case method, writes Emma Finkelstein, is practicing how to win over peers.

“The key to success is people. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you can’t communicate effectively and motivate people, you are dead in the water. The case method prepares me for that reality. It allows me to do more than just learn the fundamentals of business; it enables me to practice communication, persuasion, and motivation while in the classroom every day.”

That persuasiveness doesn’t just come from speaking adds Jonathan Meza. “The case method is an ideal grounds for honing active listening skills. Managers with a heightened ability to actively absorb varying points of view are better equipped to drive organizations toward more optimal results.

PLENTY TO DO IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

Sound like cramming cases is all-consuming at Darden? It can be. That’s not all there is at Darden. Charlottesville is known for its small-town feel and vibrant cultural scene. The region was home to Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe and packed with vineyards and wineries. It also includes historic museums and decorated galleries. Just a half-hour away is the Shenandoah National Park, a perfect spot to bike, horseback, or climb amid the summits, valleys, and waterfalls. In fact, Franklyn Darnis, A 2019 Best & Brightest MBA, notes that the Darden experience teaches students how to prioritize their time and occasionally rely on peers. For him, those priorities included closing his knowledge gaps and finding a community whose values were consistent with his own. Three years after choosing Darden, he “couldn’t be happier” with his decision.

“The business school prides itself on having incredible professors and prioritizing the learning of its students. On the leadership front, the case method and tight-knit culture allow students to make decisions, take risks, and defend their stances. In terms of subject matter breadth, the core curriculum incorporates the central overarching topics relevant to running and leading a business. From a culture perspective, events such as Darden Cup (an intra-school Hogwarts-esque competition), mantras such as “always assume positive intent,” and UVA’s long-standing Honor Code all contribute to Darden’s strong community.”

Personally, Natasha Pangarka is looking forward to being part of the Community Consultants of Darden, which support area small businesses and non-profits. Rachel Barnes, a self-described “drama nerd,” plans to join the annual Follies show. Similarly, Emma Finkelstein intends to audition for the school’s Cold Call Chorus.

“It is an a-cappella group that rewrites popular songs to celebrate Darden’s unique personality and culture. Not only am I looking forward to getting back into singing, but also helping my classmates de-stress a bit with some feel-good satire. Keep your fingers crossed I make the cut.”

In the meantime, you’ll find Finkelstein chatting up her classmates at First Coffee in Saunders Hall – a daily 9:30 a.m. mixer.  For her, First Coffee embodies the Darden spirit – a forum for faculty and students can exchange ideas and bond outside the classroom, a place where, in Finkelstein’s words, “a non-traditional business student wouldn’t be looked down on.”

Come graduation, Finkelstein – like her peers – will be grounded in the business fundamentals and honed by the case method to be encompassing thinkers and potent communicators. By then, the question won’t be, “Is Emma ready for that?” Instead, it will be, “Is the world ready for Darden MBAs like Emma?”

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2021: THE GO-GETTERS

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Rachel Barnes	Atlanta, GA	University of Georgia	Greenberg Traurig LLP
Eleanor Reid Bergin	New Orleans, LA	Princeton University	Ralph Lauren
Annelise “Annie” Espinosa	Greenwich, CT	Clara University	Open Table
Emma Finkelstein	Tucson, AZ	Davidson College	Meridian International Center
Sarah Getachew	Washington D.C.	Rice University	National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Henrique Lopes	Campinas, Brazil	University of Central Florida	Siemens Energy
Jonathan D. Meza	Fort Worth, TX	Oklahoma State	General Motors Financial
Natasha Pangarkar	Singapore	Williams College	Booz Allen Hamilton
Andrew Pinckney	Williamstown, MA	Furman University	Pearson Education
Jay Sarcone	Norfolk, VA	Georgia Tech	U.S. Navy
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Tennyson, III	Richmond, VA	University of Virginia	Capital One
Freddy Tovo	Mar del Plata, Argentina	Washington & Lee University	Kreditech Holdings

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2021: THE GO-GETTERS