Kayla Hergott Heiny   

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

“Curious, adventure-seeking optimist; believer in the power and responsibility of individuals to better the world.”

Hometown: Augusta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have been to 47 of the 63 US National Parks and 49 of 50 states!

Undergraduate School and Major: Florida Institute of Technology, Biomedical Engineering and Master’s in Engineering Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: NuVasive, Staff Technical Product Owner

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. Everyone is at Tuck because they want to be here. This intentionality creates an invested and highly engaged community that wants to experience everything Tuck offers for the two years they are here. Weekends are devoted to camaraderie and creating memories together in Hanover, whether it is attending “Tucktoberfest” or dancing with hundreds of your classmates while jamming out to Tuck’s class bands.

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? What’s unique about Tuck is that, despite the intensity of classes and recruiting, everything outside the classroom serves as a stress reliever. This was crucial for me, as I wanted these two years to be an investment in both my professional and personal growth. I felt Tuck provided the ideal environment to enjoy and thrive during this transformative experience.

What excites you the most about coming to live in Hanover? What is the one activity you can’t wait to do? My favorite part of living in Hanover is the access to the mountains and the intentional lifestyle that the Upper Valley encourages. I am looking forward to hiking many of the 48, 4000-plus foot mountains with my husband (who is also a Tuckie!) and our two dogs while we live here!

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Dartmouth Tuck? In the spring of our first year, students are required to complete a First-Year Project at Tuck. There is the option to complete an entrepreneurship version of this project or an “EFYP,” where students spend the course working on furthering their own company and idea. The founders recruit their talented classmates to work with and get a glimpse of what being a founder looks and feels like. I am so excited to try to start my own company within the Tuck community and learn as much as possible through the process.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My proudest accomplishment is managing innovative, cross-functional project teams, which resulted in the launch of several medical devices and technologies into the field. It is extremely rewarding to be able to see how these products are improving patients’ lives.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? My hope is to start my own company in the women’s health med-tech space. I am inspired by the incredible progress in medical technology over the last decade and am eager to apply these innovations to improve women’s health.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA program? Spend time reflecting on if and why Tuck is the right place for you to grow personally and professionally, and then really communicate that to admissions, alumni, and current students. Everyone here wants future students to know how special Tuck is and classmates who genuinely wish to attend and immerse themselves in the community.

DON’T MISS: MEET DARTMOUTH TUCK’S MBA CLASS OF 2026