Katharine (Katie) Berdy

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

“Authentic, driven leader who is passionate about solving complex problems that impact society.”

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD

Fun Fact About Yourself: I played competitive lacrosse for 16 years, including four years at Columbia. My favorite memory is from my junior year, when Columbia made the Ivy League tournament for the first time in program history.

Undergraduate School and Major: Columbia University, Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Office of the Governor Fellow

What has been your first impression of the Tuck MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Tuck story so far. The Tuck MBA community has been so incredibly welcoming. When speaking with Tuck students last year, the one consistent theme across my conversations was the supportive nature of the Tuck community. I can honestly say that my experience thus far has exceeded my expectations.

During a pre-term backpacking trip, it only took a mile or two of trekking up the Appalachian Trail for our group of seven strangers to fall into a rhythm. From the start and throughout the trip, getting to know each other felt so easy and natural. We laughed, shared advice on blister care and camping materials, and confided about our hopes and worries as we embarked on this two-year Tuck adventure together. This experience is a great representation of how genuine and caring the Tuck community is.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The robust core curriculum was a key part of why I chose Tuck. Coming from a liberal arts undergraduate education, I knew that I wanted to develop my foundational business knowledge through my MBA. I think Tuck’s core is unique for the breadth of content that it covers—from the quant-heavy classes to leadership and people-oriented classes. So far, the core has challenged me to exercise new muscles and I’m confident that what I’ve learned in the classroom already will be useful in future career experiences.

What excites you the most about coming to live in Hanover? What is the one activity you can’t wait to do? As an outdoor enthusiast, I am most excited about the easy access to endless outdoor activities. During my time at Tuck, I hope to achieve my goal of hiking all of the 48, 4,000-foot peaks in New Hampshire. I look forward to spending quality time with my classmates on the trail, especially among the incredible foliage this fall.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Dartmouth Tuck? I am looking forward to getting involved in the Center for Business, Government, and Society. Here, I can continue to explore my professional and personal interests while also identifying opportunities to give back to the Upper Valley community through the Nonprofit Board Fellows Program. The Centers really differentiate Tuck for the way that they provide a unique opportunity for combining academic, personal, and professional passions.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After three years at Accenture, I joined the Office of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont as part of the Governor’s Fellowship Program. This was an incredible experience where I worked with stakeholders across the Department of Social Services to advance policies to address the social determinants of health of Connecticut’s Medicaid residents.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? I hope to do strategy consulting after Tuck to continue to grow my problem solving and leadership skills while learning about a variety of new industries. I’m excited about building on the project management consulting experience I’ve had and continuing to solve problems with significant impact.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Michigan Ross and Yale SOM

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA program? I would encourage potential applicants to reach out to current Tuckies to learn about their experience. These conversations gave me candid insight into the Tuck community – the anecdotes I heard epitomized the “Why Tuck?” question for me. Given the uniqueness of Tuck, I also found it helpful to learn what life is like in the Upper Valley.

I would also encourage applicants to use the essay prompts as an opportunity to really reflect on what you’ve done and why the Tuck MBA is the right next step for you. I found that taking this approach made the essay writing less stressful and more rewarding.

DON’T MISS: MEET DARTMOUTH TUCK’S MBA CLASS OF 2025