Incoming MHWI co-chairs, pictured from left to right: T’24s Ben Marshall, Claire Kadeethum, Manasa Buddharaju, Laura Peterson, and Kush Sodha.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we asked two incoming co-chairs of Tuck’s Mental Health and Wellness Initiative to share more on their mission, health and wellness resources at Tuck and Dartmouth, and ways they practice wellness in their everyday lives.
Learn more about Tuck and Dartmouth’s mental health and wellness resources.
What drew you to the Mental Health & Wellness Initiative? Why is something like the MHWI important?
Knowing that the MBA experience can be equal parts challenging and transformative, I believe that the MHWI is truly instrumental in increasing awareness and visibility of wellness and mental health at Tuck, and to making people feel less alone on their journeys. Because it is student-led, the MHWI is uniquely positioned to understand and connect with student experiences at Tuck, and to advocate for the right resources to address the community’s needs and challenges.
What do you hope to accomplish through the MHWI this year?
I’m excited to continue the T'23s work on developing Tuck’s Peer Support Counsellor (PSC) program. I think the PSC team truly embodies Tuck’s supportive and collaborative spirit. Looking forward, I hope that upcoming initiatives such as PSC/student club collaborations and “Wellness Breaks with PSCs” will enable more awareness and open dialogue around the challenges and solutions around mental health and wellness.
What was your favorite/most impactful program or event this year?
One of my favorite MHWI events this year was a panel session on navigating the highs and lows of recruiting. Moderated by Elyse Curtis, a T’23 MHWI co-chair, the panel provided a diverse array of perspectives on the psychological rollercoaster that is recruiting, from fellow first years to alums to professional psychologists. The discussion not only reminded me that I was not alone in my feelings, but also provided helpful tools to contextualize and deal with stress. Most importantly, it shed light on ways to better listen to and connect with peers who might share similar experiences.
What advice would you give the incoming class of first year students?
The social, academic, and recruiting commitments at Tuck can become overwhelming quickly. One of the biggest lessons I took away from my first year was not to be afraid of asking for help, be it requesting a chat with a PSC, accounting tutoring from a study group teammate, networking advice from a career mentor, or even trek support from the Revers Center for Energy, Sustainability and Innovation (RCESI). The Tuck community had my back every step along the way, but remembering that I’m allowed and expected to ask for support was the first step. I hope that the incoming class realizes that, while the MBA journey is not easy, it certainly should not be completed alone. Don’t hesitate to lean on your PSCs and the broader Tuck community—they’re there for you!
“The social, academic, and recruiting commitments at Tuck can become overwhelming quickly. … The Tuck community had my back every step along the way, but remembering that I’m allowed and expected to ask for support was the first step. I hope that the incoming class realizes that, while the MBA journey is not easy, it certainly should not be completed alone.”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. What tools/practices do you tap into in your own life to promote greater wellbeing?
One of the practices I’ve leaned into at Tuck is mindfulness meditation, through techniques such as using box breathing. It has been an effective way to slow down, relax, and focus on the present. On a related note, Dartmouth provides access to the Headspace app (for free!), which offers engaging breathing exercises and is an amazing tool overall to improve mindfulness, stress levels, and sleep patterns.
Claire is a first-year MBA candidate. Prior to Tuck, Claire worked for five years as an engineer in the Canadian energy sector. She came to Tuck to explore her interests in enabling an equitable energy transition through the deployment of technologies and infrastructure in frontier markets. At Tuck, Claire serves as a Director at Tuck Social Venture Fund, a Director on the Tuck Student Initiative for Decarbonization, and a Co-Chair of Tuck Sustains, LIFT, and the Mental Health Wellness Initiative. Claire holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from McGill University, and a Master of Science in chemical engineering. This summer, Claire will be interning at Bain & Company. Aside from being a fusion food enthusiast, Claire enjoys skiing, snowshoeing, and exploring the Upper Valley with her dogs.
What drew you to the Mental Health & Wellness Initiative? Why is something like the MHWI important?
Summer Term is a bit like cold water shock; in the madness of change I found myself forgetting a lot of the emotional intelligence and wisdom I thought I’d developed in the last few years. I felt adrift. It took lots of conversations with kind classmates to help me remember the version of myself I was trying to be at Tuck. I got involved in MHWI because I wanted to provide personal and structural support for other people facing their own challenges.
What do you hope to accomplish through the MHWI this year?
“Tuck” isn’t some abstract noun; it’s the people who are here. I’d like to get to a place where everyone knows they’re not alone; that there are folks who will be there for them, listen without judgement, and point them to the right resources. To achieve that, we’ll need: awareness-building, training, new events and initiatives, incorporated student feedback. We have the opportunity to build something supportive, scalable, and personal, and I want us to make the most of it.
What was your favorite/most impactful program or event this year?
I’m really enjoying the Gratitude Messages we’re running this month. It’s a simple idea we ‘repurposed’ from another b-school: scan a QR code on one of the TV screens, write what makes you thankful for someone in the Tuck community, they receive an email containing your message and the chance to send one of their own. Sending a note is a helpful shortcut for dialing into your own optimism and sense of connection, and receiving a note can really make someone’s day!
“Remind yourself always (and especially in those moments where the FOMO, imposter syndrome, or loneliness is more pronounced) that literally everyone feels those things. Secondly, ask for help when you need it. Your vulnerability can be empowering, and people will surprise you with the depth of their support.”
What advice would you give the incoming class of first year students?
Tuck is hard—in unexpected ways and to different degrees at different times. First, remind yourself always (and especially in those moments where the FOMO, imposter syndrome, or loneliness is more pronounced) that literally everyone feels those things. Secondly, ask for help when you need it. Your vulnerability can be empowering, and people will surprise you with the depth of their support. Finally, it’s okay. It’s okay to miss parties, to nap, to get off campus—whatever care looks like for you, do it without shame or regret. This thing’s a marathon.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. What tools/practices do you tap into in your own life to promote greater wellbeing?
Being in the Bubble can disrupt your perspective. Sometimes, the solution is to take time out. For me, it’s often to talk to my fellow Tuckies: to hear their stories; to be impressed by the achievements they keep under wraps, or be moved by the stories which—although they have a specific color—speak to something I recognize in myself. There isn’t one ‘Tuck experience’; there are ~288 of them every year. Engaging with them helps me to keep things relative, gives me energy, and often reminds me that we’re all just doing our best.
Ben spent most of his career before Tuck as a consultant: working on growth strategy, organizational design, and process improvement—mainly in the public sector. As his first company transitioned from a consultancy into a software company , Ben spent a year helping them expand into the US, before returning to the UK to support a PE raise and set up their in-house analytics and investor relations team. He then spent two years developing and launching an international innovation unit for the UK’s National Health Service, before becoming a principal and head of growth strategy at a boutique advisory firm. Ben has enjoyed various pro bono roles, including mentoring for a tech-for-good VC and serving as chair of a school board. Outside the MHWI, he is Co-Chair of the Tuck Europe Club, a Director of the Tuck Social Venture Fund, an admissions associate, and co-host of the podcast “If You Knew Me”. Originally from (Old) England, Ben loves hiking, beer, painting, and writing bad poetry.
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