Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2021

P&Q: Fuqua is often described as a “student-run” MBA program. Tell us about how deeply the students are involved in operations and how it prepares them for their post-graduation careers. 

Morgan: “I love how engaged our students are in the MBA program. We are fortunate to have a terrific student community that consistently pours its time, energy and passion into activities that enhance the experience for all students at Fuqua.

I like that we have trust between faculty, staff, and students such that we naturally partner on much of the co-curricular experience. I think the origin of this trust probably dates back to Dean Tom Keller and his naming this relationship Team Fuqua, which we define as a way of working that brings out the strengths in others. I think the original thought was that when we allow students the opportunity to be entrepreneurial, to create experiences and lead initiatives and organizations that help the school, it is a win-win. The school wins because the student experience is enhanced for everyone and students win because they get practical experience making decisions, managing and leading peers, managing budgets, making ethical decisions, and managing time (to name a few benefits). At the end of the day (or two years in the case of the MBA), this is about each student’s development and the development of their classmates. The more hands-on exposure we can provide, the more prepared our students will be for their careers and life.”

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

Morgan: “I don’t think prospective students fully appreciate how great a combination we have in pairing the Fuqua School of Business with the City of Durham, North Carolina. While they may recognize that both are world-class, few know that Fuqua and Durham are the only business school/city pair that U.S. News & World Report has ranked in the Top 10 as an MBA program and as a place to live.

While Durham is technically not an aspect of our program, it is embedded in the experience and plays a role in the closeness of our community.  The quality of life and options available in Durham foster connectivity, ease of living and relationships that align well with our culture.  When students think about how they want to spend the two years of their MBA program, I hope they look more closely and see we offer an elite MBA program in an exciting place to live.”

LAB ENVIRONMENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Jackie Callahan is one member of the Class of 2021 who took a closer look at Durham…and liked what she saw. “I also chose Fuqua for… the opportunity to live in Durham, a city with an immense amount of growth and development and lots of trail running opportunities,” she writes. “Fuqua has been described as ‘having all of the benefits of a city school with the incredible Team Fuqua culture, just without the white noise of big city life and distractions.’”

That doesn’t count the Research Triangle Park. A 20-minute car ride from Durham, RTP features some of the most innovative startups and incumbents in biotech, information systems, telecom, and pharmaceuticals. Built on 7,000 acres and employing nearly 40,000 people, the park is a one-of-a-kind resource for internships and partnerships – with the area expanding into dining, entertainment, and housing. While the RTP is packed with labs, Eddie Flood notes that Fuqua is one big lab as well.

“I heard throughout the application process was that Fuqua is a ’lab’ for its students to take risks and try new things. I really appreciate that Fuqua is an environment that challenges you and recognizes that sometimes you will fail, but you can still learn something from it.”

FOLLOWING THE PAIRED PRINCIPLES

Many times, Fuqua is a communications lab, a place where students can practice professional etiquette, adopt new roles, and test communication styles. The Fuqua framework is designed to immerse students in a value system where the sum is greater than the individual parts. “We value getting to know each other and what makes each person unique,” explains Ashley Brown, a 2019 P&Q Best & Brightest MBA. We also pride ourselves on creating a community that supports each other.”

To do this, Team Fuqua follows the Paired Principles, a framework of ideals that set the expectations for Fuqua classes to follow. The six paired principles consist of Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. These principles are so central to the experience that students are nominated by their peers each term for personifying them according to Russ Morgan. Alas, some principles resonate more deeply than others. For Jackie Callahan, Authentic Engagement – being honest and passionate – stood out.

“Authentic engagement demands that I actively listen to learn others’ backgrounds and stories, show genuine care for my classmates, and do all that I can to be a part of the community, both in and outside of the classroom,” she writes.

Patrick Pierson-Prah points to Impactful Stewardship – breaking the status quo to better the larger community – as the Paired Principle that hit home for him. “This principle reminds me of my commitment to live beyond myself and be dedicated to improving communities. I consider this privilege of receiving a world-class education as a pledge of responsibility.”

A CLASS OF “SUPPORTIVE AMBITION”

Overall, the most popular principle was Supportive Ambition. According to Jonathan Lautaha, MBAs are better able to achieve their goals by “drawing from the expertise, talent, and experience of our peers.” This creates a dynamic, he adds, where students are eager to “pay it forward.” This turns the traditional notion of business school on its head.

“When you think about your classmates at a typical MBA program, you are all ‘competing’ for various club positions, grades, and even jobs,” observes Eddie Flood. “However, the “Team Fuqua” culture completely breaks down the competitive environment and your classmates end up being the opposite of competitors in the way they support you. I have found that each of my classmates has a desire to contribute to something greater than just themselves, whether that is tutoring me in a statistical concept I don’t understand or helping me prepare for interviews that they may also be preparing for. For me personally, it demands that I offer the same service and support to my classmates in everything that I do.”

In other words, adds Jaz Henry, Supportive Ambition rejects the “scarcity mentality” where opportunities are finite. “Supportive Ambition demands that we come from a mindset of abundance, which is why we share our expertise and experience to help our fellow classmates achieve their goals.”

A TOUCH OF COACH K

Beyond Team Fuqua and Paired Principles, the Class of 2021 is also looking forward to the program’s experiential learning opportunities. The Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship – aka CASE – enables students to make an impact in areas like poverty eradication and financial inclusion. Gaining real-world experience in these areas piqued Patrick Pierson-Prah’s interest.

“The opportunity to gain practical experience by consulting for organizations through the CASE Initiative on Impact Investing Consulting Program (CASE i3CP) further increased my interest in Fuqua. The school’s focus on developing “Leaders of Consequence”—leaders who have a higher purpose than themselves—resonates with my personal mission.”

Duke University is also the home of Coach Mike Krzyzewski, winner of five NCAA basketball championships and three Olympic gold medals. Second only to John Wooden in wins, Krzyzewski personifies the best of Team Fuqua: character, collaboration, and creativity – a place where individual talent is amplified by commitment to community. Not surprisingly, the school operates a Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics (COLE). A leadership laboratory, the COLE Center follows the maxim that “Leadership without ethics has no heart and ethics without leadership has no legs.” In response, it offers intensive programming to close this gap through 2nd-year fellowships, research, conferences, electives, and coaching.

“It will be a great way for me to develop my self-awareness and leadership skills,” writes Cicy Xu. “Initiatives such as Fuqua Talks and the Distinguished Speakers Series will help me develop a collaborative leadership style to engage better with both teams and clients, as well as to balance interests of various stakeholders in a more empathic way. It will also increase my confidence to lead more effectively in the long run. As someone who wishes to become a leader of consequence, I also want to be a COLE fellow to support more Fuqua students through mentorship.”

EMBRACING THE “CAMERON CRAZY”

That Fuqua fervor is plenty fun too. At the end of the week, Team Fuqua – including family members –gathers for Fuqua Friday – a time to meet up to dine-and-wine, not to mention student-run skits later in the evening. The school also hosts the MBA Games, partnering with the Special Olympics to raise money. And, of course, there is always basketball season.

“I’m excited to embrace my inner Cameron Crazy,” says Taylor Foster.

What’s next for the Class of 2021? After graduation, Jackie Callahan plans to move into drone delivery to assist with civil emergencies and humanitarian efforts. Vidhu Venkatesh is planning to return to consulting to tackle financial inclusion in the developing world…before starting an impact investment firm. Alas, not everyone has a set path. Jaz Henry, for one, is looking to keep her options open…but never closed to being a team player who helps others.

“In 10 years, I see myself still being curious, eager to learn, and chasing adventure,” she writes. “I hope that I keep an open mind and continue to embrace change and new ideas. I see myself being present for my friends and family who are happy and relentlessly pursuing their dreams.”

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
Jackie Callahan	Sewell, NJ	United States Naval Academy	U.S. Navy
Eddie Flood	Omaha, NE	University of Notre Dame	Ernst & Young
Taylor Foster	Eden Prairie, MN	Harvard University	Cleveland Indians
Tamir Guy	Ra’anana, Israel	IDC Herzliya	Taro Management
Jaz Henry	Las Vegas, NV	SUNY Binghamton	International Planned Parenthood Federation
Jonathan Lautaha	Laie, HI	Harvard University	Solutionreach
Patrick Pierson-Prah	Wassa-East, Ghana	University of Ghana	Oyster Agribusiness
Laura Shaalo	Buenos Aires, Argentina	University of Buenos Aires	Johnson & Johnson
Jyoti Singh	Jind, India	National Institute of Technology	BrahMos Aerospace
Vidhu Venkatesh	Chennai, India	BITS Pilani, India	Deutsche Bank
Lauren Whyte	Cleveland, OH	George Washington University	TSV Hartberg
Cicy Xu	Shanghai, China	Fudan University	PwC