Margaret Palko

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

“Guided by curiosity, energized by nature, dedicated to making meaningful impact for those around me.”

Hometown: Collegeville, PA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve recently picked up scuba diving, and one of my favorite fish I’ve seen is a yellow boxfish.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pittsburgh, Information Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: DoorDash, Senior Associate, Strategy and Operations

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. One memory that really stands out is from a prospective student day event at Tuck last July. An alum had driven nearly five hours from New York City just to spend a few hours speaking with us, and her passion for Tuck was so evident by the way she spoke about the community, the people, and the classes. By the end of it, she encouraged every one of us to reach out to her, regardless of whether we ended up at Tuck or not, simply because she wanted to help. That moment, to me, perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Tuck. Always pay it forward. Funny enough, I did end up reaching out to her, and we stayed in touch throughout my application journey. In fact, she was one of the first people I called the day I got my acceptance.

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 remoteness of Hanover was one of the key reasons I chose Tuck. Pre-Tuck, I was living in small- and medium-sized cities, and I figured I’d always have the chance to go back. What I didn’t know was whether I’d get another chance to live out in the woods, and so I had to take the opportunity for all that it’s worth. So far, I’ve really loved it. There are small towns everywhere like Stowe, White River Junction, and more. It’s remote, but there’s a lot of small-town charm and things to try and do.

What excites you the most about coming to live in Hanover? What is the one activity you can’t wait to do? One activity I cannot wait to get out and do is biking! There are some beautiful trails around here like the Rail Trail, and Hanover is super bike friendly too. I recently acquired a road bike, and I am really looking forward to the fall rides with our Tuck riding group. We have a Strava group, and we try to get out every Thursday around the area.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Dartmouth Tuck? One activity I am excited about is Small Group Dinners. I had my first when I attended the Women in Business Conference. It’s warm and meaningful tradition where someone invites you into their home and cooks you a meal. Very few of us have family out here, and a result, this is our home away from home. I recently had the ability to host my first one with my partner for the Discover Tuck: Prospectives admissions event, and I can’t wait to do another.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment has been launching a product on DoorDash, which aims to ensure that regulated products are returned to the original store if there’s a mishap during the delivery process. My team’s focus was on regulated goods, specifically alcohol, and we ensured that we delivered the best-in-class experience—compliantly, safely, and smoothly. It was a great project because it was incredibly cross-functional, and it allowed me to see and own something end-to-end which I had never had the ability to do before. The amount of trust my leadership gave me is something that I don’t take for granted, and I was very lucky to have a safe space to iterate, fail, try again, and ultimately launch.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? I would love to go back into the technology space serving in a strategic role, specifically within the go-to-market or product strategy function. When I’ve reflected (we do a lot of that here at Tuck!), I realize that I want a role that is customer-driven and is really focused on pushing the business forward both at the micro and macro level.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA program? Truly think about what Tuck can do for you both personally and for your career goals. Not everyone is going to find the remoteness, the general management focus, or even the small class size a good fit! That’s 100 percent okay. You should be going into every program trying to best understand what each can give you to help you grow and develop. On this same note though, I truly believe that if you think Tuck is the right place for you, you’ll achieve your goals here. We have no limit of resources and an unbelievably strong community. Everyone talks about the Tuck fabric, but it’s something you need to experience for yourself. Reach out and talk to Tuckies, find what you want to do here, talk about your passions, and most importantly, be yourself!

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.