Check in With Yourself Often

“I’ve probably missed half of all the social events at Tuck because I don’t do big groups,” said Kehinde, a Nigerian immigrant who is a dual MD-MBA student and graduate of Mount Holyoke college. “I find it completely hilarious that today, on my last day at Tuck, I’m spending it talking to 1,200 people at once. This is the magic of Tuck—a place of reinvention, of stretching, and change.”

At the 2019 Tuck Investiture ceremony, Kehinde described her time at Dartmouth as her “people revolution,” where she learned to branch outside her comfort zone as an introvert. She made valuable connections with her fellow students that not only enriched her life but also got her through “emotionally challenging” times, often marked by hours of solo study time while in medical school.

“I came to appreciate human connection as an essential life force,” Kehinde said. “The best part about Tuck was the opportunity to connect with members of a tribe—those who’ve gone before, those who are here now, and those who will come after.”

Kehinde recounted how inspired she was by the accomplishments of her fellow students, from those who transformed a mother’s salsa recipe into a business to those who turned a love for dance into sustainably sourced dance apparel.

On her own path at Tuck, Kehinde became more confident and worked to discover the power of her own voice. She fell in love with macroeconomics and enjoyed every single Tuck Talk, where students share inspiring personal stories.

Kehinde rounded out her speech with a few wise words of wisdom, advising her fellow students to enjoy a quiet moment or two alone. The blessings of introspection, she said, are numerous.

“Don’t be afraid to drink in the brilliance of your mind,” she said. “Wrestle with uncomfortable thoughts and check in with yourself often. Lead yourself, and then share that self with others.”

After graduation, Kehinde will be completing a residency in anesthesiology. She earned her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke in neuroscience in 2013 and her MD from Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine in 2019, along with her MBA. While at Tuck, Kehinde served as a Tuck Africa co-chair and a Tuck ambassador for the Africa region. She also worked as a strategic initiatives intern for the African Leadership Academy in South Africa.

See the livestream video of Tuck’s investiture or click on the image below to enjoy photos from this year's event.