Jaz Henry 

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

“Proud feminist fundraiser turned Fuquan. Turning rage into action for gender equality and better healthcare.”

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once traveled for work in Honduras from Tegucigalpa to San Pedro Sula to document the impact of the Zika virus. It was one of the most memorable trips I have ever taken. If I’m having a rough day, my colleagues know to play the song “Sopa de Caracol” by Banda Blanca and I will feel immediately happier and be transported back to my time in Honduras.

Undergraduate School and Major: SUNY Binghamton, English and Rhetoric

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: International Planned Parenthood Federation-Western Hemisphere Region, Associate Director, Donor Communications and Audience Engagement

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’m most proud of taking a risk by volunteering to do something completely outside my comfort zone—fail at it—and then recover.

After one of my teammates left my organization, I volunteered to manage a data migration/integration project and launch a new e-CRM while concurrently re-designing our website. I had worked on the strategy side of digital fundraising and marketing, but had never overseen such a large technical project that required managing up, down, and sideways with so many different stakeholders. I didn’t have the experience to communicate the right expectations to leadership in terms of timing, so I committed to completing the project in six months.

Fast-forward one year later and it was finally done. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I rose to the challenge, communicated shortcomings, mobilized a cross-functional team, learned to ask for a lot of help, and didn’t give up—even in the early days when I was not so intimately acquainted with terms like API, GDPR, and SSL certificate.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Generous. On the night before orientation, one of my classmates helped me prepare for a conversation with a company he had just met. In the weeks leading up to orientation, my classmates helped each other move in, planned hikes, barbeques, and soccer games, and drove each other to get groceries and furniture. Put simply, they showed up for each other in so many ways. This is all happening before we’ve even started the program or been in class together. Already, “Team Fuqua” has come to life here and I am so grateful to be surrounded by a community that is not only incredibly talented but generous with their time and energy.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  Like many aspiring MBAs, I had a spreadsheet I was using to evaluate programs based on several hard metrics. That data was important, but for me, the key thing was finding a place where I felt I could bring my full self to school. After working at International Planned Parenthood and serving on the board of an intersectional feminist media organization (Bitch Media), I have the words “feminist,” “bitch,” and “sexual” on my resume. I knew fit and being comfortable being myself would be a major determinant for where I went to school.

I was also acutely aware of the fact that if accepted, I would be pursuing an MBA during a U.S. election year at a time in history where our country is politically polarizing. I value diversity in thought and part of going back to school was to surround myself with people who think very differently than me. It was important to me to find a program where my classmates and I were encouraged to be authentic, could contribute our diverse perspectives, learn from each other, have difficult conversations, and still be on the same team at the end of the day. Every interaction with the Fuqua community assured me that this would be that place.

The MBA program is renowned for its “Team Fuqua” culture, which is predicated on six paired principles: Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. Which of these resonates most with you – and what does that principle demand of you as a Fuqua MBA? Supportive Ambition. Soccer has been an influential part of my life, so I’m most drawn to the idea that every individual’s success makes the whole team better. As a Duke MBA, I think that means we have individual aspirations but know that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves and commit to helping each other succeed. I think it also demands a rejection of a scarcity mentality or the idea that there’s not enough (internships, jobs, time, “superior pass” grades, etc.) for everyone. 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.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school?  I’m looking forward to Building Outdoor Leaders at Duke (BOLD), the Duke MBA Net Impact Club, Fuqua Soccer Club, and the Association of Women in Business (AWIB). I’m also flirting with the idea of joining Fuqua Vision, the sketch comedy club, but more than anything, I’m excited to get to know my classmates, the entire Fuqua community, and Durham.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I loved the format of Fuqua’s 25 Random Things essay but struggled with the more typical ‘tell me about yourself’ question when meeting the admissions staff.

I know, I know, this should be easy, but it wasn’t for me. I had several different roles at my last job, worked across departments, and struggled to translate my nonprofit experience (and the several hundred acronyms that come with it) into business terms. The good news is you know this question is coming and can prepare for it. If you’re struggling to answer this succinctly, I highly recommend practicing your response with friends and family who know nothing about your industry.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? In one word: Rage.

I didn’t have any lifelong dream of pursuing an MBA, or a graduate degree for that matter. I’m the only one in my family with a bachelor’s degree and knew maybe one or two people who had an MBA. I was first inspired to research a program after the organization I was working for lost significant funding due to a U.S. policy change. I was enraged because it meant our health programs for some of the most disenfranchised communities in Latin America and the Caribbean would be cut.

This policy was nothing new—it’s reinforced every few years depending on who’s elected president. What was new for me was the realization that if I wanted to contribute to sustainable change and have a greater impact on solving gender inequality and health disparities, I’d benefit from gaining a broader skill set in business. I also wanted to focus on my development as a leader and have the opportunity to lead larger teams. I turned that rage into action, and now I’m especially looking forward to starting the Health Sector Management certification at Fuqua and exploring new paths to ensuring equal access to quality healthcare.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?  I did what everyone said not to do and only applied to Duke. I got to know several excellent programs, but I had my heart set on Fuqua.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I started by talking to colleagues in the social impact space to get a sense of which schools stood out in terms of cultivating a culture where business is an engine for good. Given my passion for gender equality, a few colleagues steered me towards Fuqua’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) and Professor Cathy Clark’s work on gender lens impact investing. I also knew that I was interested in exploring health tech and telemedicine, so I was immediately drawn to Fuqua for its strengths in tech recruiting and the Health Sector Management certification. Beyond that, I prioritized talking to students and alumni and visiting campus. It was difficult for me to do the campus trips, so if it’s not possible, I highly recommend attending Fuqua’s virtual information sessions, following them on social media, and setting up calls with current students.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? One of my defining moments continues to shape who I am becoming and how I decide to spend my time. I didn’t know I was Vietnamese until I was a teenager. My mom was a child when she came to America during the Vietnam War, and her early experiences made her feel like she didn’t belong here. She told me we were Hawaiian because she thought we’d be considered more American. She internalized some of the misguided vitriol she had faced as a young person in a new country, so this fabricated narrative was her way of protecting me from her fears that I wouldn’t be accepted here because of where she came from.

At the time, it was confusing to learn this new information, but it sparked my passion for various social justice issues. It’s important to me that people feel accepted and included. They must have opportunities to fulfill their dreams no matter where they were born, how they identify, who they love, or how much money they have.

This experience also underscored the importance of representation, whether it be in media, the classroom, or the board room. I often think about how if my mom saw herself represented in these spaces in her formative years, her path to self-love and acceptance would have been very different and I would have been proudly Vietnamese-American even sooner.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In 10 years, I see myself still being curious, eager to learn, and chasing adventure. 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.

I also hope that I am working at the intersection of healthcare and technology and helping to create a world where all people have greater control of their lives by having access to the full range of sexual and reproductive healthcare.