Monday 28 May 2012

Reflecting on the Dean’s Words

The beginning seems so fresh in my mind. I recall the opening ceremony in Bloomington. Dean Dan Smith welcomed us to campus in the beautiful Whittenberger Auditorium at Indiana Memorial Union. Listening to the dean speak was like building a collage in my mind. He said he wanted to remind us that choosing to pursue an MBA from a top-ranked institution was “doing nothing short of changing our lives.” The dean continued by saying that, make no doubt about it, the Kelley School “chose us.”

Those were powerful statements. I exited the auditorium ready to take on the world, and the next week was filled with networking opportunities that validated the dean’s comments. Each student I met was impressively successful, intelligent and ambitious. I knew that I was with current and future leaders of the world’s most important organizations.

Nearly a year later, I’m returning to Bloomington, remembering my initial feelings and the memories I’ve created over the past year. The dean’s comments seem as true now as they ever have. I feel privileged and honored to be a small part of the Kelley School.

A year later, wiser and more experienced, I can’t wait for the dean’s next words to build in my mind. I wonder which words will stick with me this year. Will they be broad, inspirational phrases that make good quotes at the bottom of emails? Or, will it be the subtle guidance that is typical of great leadership? I’m thrilled to find out.

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