Highlights of My Tuck MBA Experience
WHY MBA
I pursued an MBA for a variety of reasons—from personal growth to career exploration. What ultimately prompted the decision, though, was a desire to supercharge my transition from law to real estate development. I believed business school would equip me with the finance skills, strategic frameworks, and network needed to accelerate that pivot.
WHY TUCK
My decision to go to Tuck caught me by surprise. I had already paid my deposit at a peer school and genuinely believed that’s where I was headed. But when I received my offer from Tuck and an invitation to Admitted Students’ Weekend, I figured—why not? At worst, it would be a fun weekend in the mountains. The experience turned into a whirlwind. I felt the closeness and connection that others had tried to describe. At Tuck, connection to people and to place isn’t just marketing—it’s built into the experience. I realized I didn’t want an MBA that I’d weave into my life part-time. I wanted one that would fully immerse me—a Tuck MBA.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY TUCK MBA EXPERIENCE
One highlight of my Tuck experience was traveling to Boulder, Colorado, with my First-Year Project (FYP) team to visit our client, Viver Properties. Viver was founded by Karlston Nasser T’06, inspired by his own challenges finding housing for his son at CU Boulder. Being on the ground—comparing Viver houses to non-Viver ones, touring neighborhoods, and meeting with local stakeholders—gave us insights we never could have gotten from behind a laptop. It was a great reminder of how powerful it is to be there.
Equally meaningful were the relationships we built. We grew close with Karlston and his key team member, Nicolas, over the course of sunrise hikes, ping pong tournaments, and visits to local breweries. A true highlight was when Karlston welcomed us into his home, introduced us to his family, and served us homemade pizza from his backyard oven. It was one of those moments where professional lines blur in the best way—where you connect deeply over shared values, mutual respect, and, in this case, a love of craft beer.
ON TUCK’S ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
The academic experience at Tuck is defined by mutual respect, trust, and a shared commitment to growth. Everyone comes here to stretch—to take risks, try new things, and push beyond their comfort zones. That only works because the community is all-in. There’s a collective understanding that experimentation, vulnerability, and even failure are part of the process. What makes Tuck unique is how deeply invested people are in each other’s development. That co-investment—between students, faculty, and staff—creates a learning environment that feels both challenging and safe. It’s not just about mastering material; it’s about learning to lead through ambiguity, risk, and discomfort.
Communicating with Presence, taught by Dartmouth theater professor James Rice, is a perfect example of this in action. The course draws from the craft of the stage actor and is the only business school class I know of that requires students to perform a fairy tale—complete with character voices. As unusual as it sounds, it created a space where I could stretch in ways I never expected. That kind of practice gave me the tools and courage to show up when I recently was called upon to speak in front of a large audience during a moment that was emotionally weighty and deeply personal, I was able to deliver the message and impact that I needed to. And that, more than anything, speaks to the kind of growth Tuck makes possible.
