Career & MBA

Year One.

It’s hard to believe how quickly the first year of business school went by.

Going in, I expected to learn new frameworks and ways of thinking about business. And I did. But beyond that was how much the year centered on people, and how much that matters in how we listen, lead, and show up during growth and uncertainty.

Some of the most memorable moments didn’t happen in a classroom.

One of the first experiences was a ropes course at the University of Richmond. You really can’t prepare for the trust you put in the people around you. We learned together as we went, and it set the tone early for how much of the year would depend on how we work through things with others.

Later in the year, we partnered with Richmond ToolBank to build picnic tables donated to local schools. My experience in this area begins and ends with Ikea. But stepping into an environment where it’s loud, things can break, and we’re all figuring it out together was its own kind of lesson in trust.

Traveling to Japan as part of our global business course was a uniquely immersive experience. It asked me to be present and to try something new while getting to experience a culture I hadn’t before.

There were also moments that felt much closer to the work I understand. I had the opportunity to lead a consulting project for an organization in growth mode, focused on leadership effectiveness. We talked to people across the company and listened to how things were really running. It reinforced how much clarity comes from partnership.

One year in, and I'm grateful for all of it. The work, the people, the moments I didn't see coming. On to year two.