Destiny Clark

University of Michigan, Ross School of Business

“Strategist by trade, connector by nature—turning setbacks into breakthroughs and connections into belonging.”

Hometown: Powder Springs, Georgia

Fun Fact About Yourself: As a freshman, I was a founding member of Kennesaw State University’s inaugural marching band, serving as its first-ever clarinet section leader.

Undergraduate School and Major: Kennesaw State University |BBA in Business Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Papa Johns International | Manager, Delivery Strategy

Michigan Ross is best known for experiential learning programming like MAP, Living Business Leadership Experience, and the Leadership Crisis Challenge. What experiential program interests you the most?

MAP was one of the biggest reasons I chose Ross. No other school I looked at makes experiential learning a required part of the curriculum in the way that Ross does. I’ve always learned best by doing—by taking concepts off the page and testing them in real-world settings. MAP offers that kind of immersion at a global scale, giving me the chance to stretch myself, collaborate deeply with peers, and see the impact of our ideas firsthand. It’s the kind of experience that I know will not just shape interviews, but shape the way I lead and tell my story for years to come.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Michigan Ross’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The community. When I started coffee chats in the summer of 2022, Ross alums like Nate Foxx and Andrea Gutierrez Marty didn’t just answer my questions—they invested in me, connecting me with others and offering encouragement that felt genuine and unprompted. As a first-generation student, that kind of authenticity mattered; I’ve learned that real growth happens when people lift each other up without expecting anything in return. Ross stood out because it wasn’t just a network—it was a family. I knew I wanted to be in a place where I wouldn’t have to navigate the journey alone—and where I could make sure others don’t either.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Michigan Ross?

The activity that excites me most is the Leadership Crisis Challenge. I see it as a rare chance to practice leading under pressure, making high-stakes decisions, and rallying a team when the stakes feel real. Those are the kinds of reps I’ll need as I aspire to lead large teams in the future, and the Leadership Crisis Challenge gives me a safe but challenging arena to start building that muscle. I’m equally energized by the Consulting Club, where “iron sharpens iron.” I know case prep isn’t just about frameworks—it’s about pushing each other to think sharper, communicate with conviction, and never settle for good enough. The chance to learn alongside peers who hold each other to a high standard is exactly the kind of growth environment that I came to Ross to find.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2027? Why? My unique quality is resilience, shaped by my first-gen journey and a path to Ross that was anything but linear. It was humbling, but it showed me resilience is more than persistence; it’s about adapting, growing, and returning stronger. I’ve carried that mindset into every chapter of my career, from driving digital transformation at Papa Johns to leading employee groups and ultimately earning a full scholarship to Ross. Still, resilience alone isn’t enough. I pair it with a connector’s mindset—bringing people together, holding us all to the same high standard, and turning individual strengths into collective wins. That blend of grit and connection is what I’ll bring to the Class of 2027, ensuring we thrive together in both the tough and triumphant moments.

When you think of the University of Michigan, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why?Belonging. From my first coffee chat to MTrek, I felt that Michigan is more than a business school—it’s a community where you’re welcomed as you are, supported as you grow, and reminded that success is something we share.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far has been helping launch a program at DoorDash that provided $20K in grants and an eight-week accelerator for Black-owned restaurants during the pandemic. I partnered with our social impact team to select participants, held office hours to support them through the program, and worked closely with owners navigating the crisis. Seeing the restaurants graduate—and meeting a few of the owners who told me how the program kept their doors open—made the impact real. It’s the accomplishment I’m proudest of because it blended my skills in strategy with my passion for creating opportunities with lasting impact.

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