As a student, when I got accepted into the program, I knew what the syllabus was and what I was getting into, but the small things it entailed were the real deal. The case studies, how to approach them, the tabletop exercises, the simulations, the news, and the discussions, were all steps to reach this milestone. I underestimated my own thinking ability. I never knew myself to think or question things.  I have gained immensely from my courses and not only because I enjoyed what I was studying but because my teachers spoke with true passion and eagerness to share. Their years of experience allowed them to be open to discussing and teaching beyond books. And I have been open to receiving their teaching. Curiosity is my drive and it is reflected in my work and my interactions in the classroom. Initially, I looked at my lack of work experience as a barrier to understanding concepts or corporate life examples in depth. But soon I started looking at it with a fresh set of eyes because either way I was curious and had questions. I had to know what the concept was, how my professor meant it, and how my peers perceived it. Communicating with my peers wasn’t difficult for me. I have always been open to viewpoints, and after-class discussions, in fact, they energized me.

​

​

 

As a leader, I believe to have carried leadership qualities with me from my undergrad and enriched them. Self-awareness being the most important and underrated quality I possess. My program has given me countless opportunities to be a leader, some of which I instantly caught onto and some that took time for me to step up. Either way, I have, to a greater extent, gained perspective on what kind of a leader I want to be. Having patience and taking complete responsibility for the team are two qualities that I am working on currently in this respect.

​

​

 

With all the perspectives that were shared in class and with my team, the amount of teamwork in this program was not expected. I have amazed myself in this space. I have gone through phases of being a team member, being confused, extremely annoyed, and happy, all of which today feel worth it. Teamwork is important for sure, but man it’s a task. The team you get, the different kinds of people, is a lot to deal with. I guess the patience part is still a work in progress, but I can proudly say I have grown a lot working in the teams here. There have been many instances where it took time to understand why there was a lack of quality or communication among the team members. One of the challenges I faced was providing feedback. Communication played an essential role here. Just actively listening and making them feel heard compared to saying what I have to say, came a long way. It didn’t mean I was not passing along the message, I just had to be patient and listen.

​

​

 

As a friend, I have been honest about my work, and their work. I am open to experiences as I am open to conversations. My approach is growing together, being supportive, and valuing others’ perspectives.

​

​

​​

​I personally have learned so much from the program which I want to build in my daily life. Small and seemingly simple things such as giving constructive feedback or using the appropriate words at the right time, are the underrated things that are taking the most amount of time to build in me. Overall, I am proud and happy to have had such experiences and I look forward to more. I want to keep building myself to a level where I feel content and have a smile on my face as I face them with grace and gratitude.