After working at an international bank in Brazil, Ariadne Sabatoski (Fuqua, ‘20) decided to get an MBA to accelerate the potential for her long-term career. With a desire to switch careers, she landed on selecting Duke University’s Fuqua MBA Program. At Fuqua, Sabatoski found a welcoming and caring community, as well as opportunities to define her future career goals, and a path to achieving them. In this interview, Sabatoski shared how the Fuqua MBA Program as well as her classmates have impacted and transformed her career.
MBASchooled: What did you do before business school, and why did you choose to come to business school?
I worked in an international bank in Brazil as a Subsidiary Account Manager, covering the local relationship of key global clients. I loved what I was doing; my favorite part was to address the challenges of conciliating the local client demands with the headquarter guidelines – but I struggled to see myself in that career in the long run. Knowing how much an MBA can help career switchers, I decided to come to business school to explore new career opportunities in different industries.
MBASchooled: What were your big questions coming into making your decision on which school to attend?
The main question I asked myself was “How does my “perfect” MBA experience look like from the academic perspective to the lifestyle I want to have?”.
Other important questions I asked myself were:
- What are the 3 main criteria that are not negotiable for me? (And this is very personal; it can be anything from region, weather, and cultural fit to recruiting, cost of attendance and network)
- Which criteria am I willing to compromise? (Personally, I decided to give up the direct flight to my home country)
- Do I have the same values as other people in the community, and do I see myself as part of that community in the long run? (This is not a one- or two-years experience – this is a once in a lifetime chance to build the most powerful and long-standing network in your life)
MBASchooled: Why did you choose to attend Fuqua?
I realized early in the application process that people would be a big piece of my ideal MBA experience. I believe diversity, network, and teamwork are paramount for professional success, so I wanted to be with people from different cultures, who care about each other, and who really step ahead to help each other when it is needed. Additionally, as an international student, I thought it would be easier to build meaningful connections with people outside my own community if all the students “emerged” in the experience (on my mind, that was the main difference between a large city and a college town).
Fuqua was the perfect match for everything I was looking for: the community is extremely team-oriented, close, and supportive. The diversity piece also surprised me – I have colleagues from different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs, and hearing their perspectives in and outside classes really opened my mind. For instance, we have an event called “Fuqua Talks”, in which students share their stories and lessons they learned with what they lived. While we cannot share what we heard in those sessions, I have to say that it was my favorite experience at Fuqua – it became a source of inspiration and a reminder of all world’s social, economic, and cultural clefts. Additionally, there are several student-lead initiatives, and I got really excited about the possibility of developing my leadership skills on the job.
Lastly, Durham, North Carolina is a college town, and most Fuqua students live in the same region, which can ease the process of building friendships (as an example, I would go to a colleague’s place to get help with a homework question, which would lead to chatting about life – and this is how you start new relationships).
But, at the same time, you can have a great lifestyle here, from excellent housing options to amazing restaurants, including nice weather all year long (I’m from Brazil, and this was an important piece for me). The perspective of being in a place like that made me even more excited about Fuqua.
MBASchooled: What about the culture and classmates stood out to you about Fuqua?
We care, and we do (this is actually one of our principles, Authentic Engagement). It is really impressive to see the variety of initiatives created and led by students because they are passionate about that topic and they want to build a better community for all of us. Those initiatives can be related to anything: career, mental health, and personal development, to name a few.
A current student, for instance, just created the Humans of Fuqua podcast, in which she interviews students and has deep and meaningful conversations with them. It is a great way to get to know my colleagues better while I also learn about a variety of topics. During the shelter in place, you could see even more initiatives coming up: A friend of mine is currently teaching online yoga classes; another friend cooked homemade (and delicious) meals every week for a few people who were in self-quarentine; someone else is organizing online games every week. You can see that the community is there for you, even when everyone is apart.
MBASchooled: What resources, programs or information were helpful to you in making your decision?
I joined all the info sessions hosted by different business schools in my home country, talked to many students and alumni, and visited a few schools.
In the end, the network sessions with the schools (info sessions and visits) were an important piece for my application, but talking to students and alumni were more valuable to make my decision. I tried to talk to people from diverse backgrounds and who explored different resources while in school. I also explored the daily aspect of their experience (What do you do over the weekend? What does your day look like? What you wish you could change in your routine?).
MBASchooled: How has Fuqua helped you work toward your own career goals and aspirations?
I knew I wanted a change in my career – but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. There was a big part of me who wanted to explore social entrepreneurship, another part who wanted to join the tech industry, and a small piece who wanted to explore other possibilities.
At Fuqua, I joined the Program for Entrepreneurs, in which I had all the support to co-found a Brazilian swimwear brand. I had mentorship from amazing entrepreneurs, could pitch my idea and receive candid feedback from a panel of successful alumni, and even received funding to my company! By leveraging our supportive network, I had exposure to a Corporate Strategy role in a Tech Company, which was one of the main roles I was considering. At the same time, I explored other options with the support of the Career Management Center and professional clubs.
In the end, all the career coaching I received was key to help me to plan my professional goals and next steps. Moreover, I learned how to leverage all the resources available to achieve my personal and professional goals even after my time at Fuqua is over.
MBASchooled: What parts or aspects of the academic experience attracted you to Fuqua?
- Core classes concentrated at the beginning (first half of the first year): I knew it would help me to build a solid knowledge base to take better advantage of electives. In addition, having classes with your section (group of about 60 students) every day makes it easier to build connections when you just started school.
- C-Lead: at Fuqua, during the core classes, you work in all assignments and projects with a group of other 5 or 6 students called “C-Lead”. I loved the diversity in each and every C-lead – people from different countries, races, and backgrounds who have to learn how to work together and support each other. It reminds me of “real world”, in which you will not be able to choose who you want to work with all the time, but you still have to deliver strong results and achieve common goals.
- Professors: a few names stood out to me in our faculty. Dan Ariely, needless to say; Gavan Fitzsimons, who is a major researcher in the Consumer Behavior space; and John Grahan, who leads a global CFO survey to assess the business climate and other economic topics around the world. As classes started, I got even more excited to learn from other amazing Professors who teach at Fuqua.
MBASchooled: What has been a surprise, or an unexpected element of your experience at Fuqua
The human factor – I’d never been to a place where people care that much about each other. It’s evident not only among current students, but also the Faculty and alumni base. For instance, we have a close relationship with the Dean and the Assistant Dean for the Daytime MBA – they are very open to connecting with students, and it’s clear they hear and address our suggestions and concerns.
Faculty are also very close to the students – we have periodic lunch & learn sessions in which the faculty discuss trending topics with students, for example. I already mentioned a little about how supportive all the students are, and it also applies to our alumni base – you are one email away from talking to anyone you want to in any company, industry, or role.
MBASchooled: What programs or experiences at Fuqua have been most meaningful to you in your time at Fuqua?
My favorite experience was Fuqua Talks. I wish we could have it even more often! The conversations are always very deep and meaningful. I also loved the Operation Blue Devil, organized by Duke Armed Forces Association (DAFA) in partnership with the Army base Fort Bragg. It’s a weekend of training and challenges in which you have to collaborate with your colleagues to achieve specific results. With no spoilers here, it taught me a lot about leadership and teamwork during enduring times, and how important is the individual contribution even when it looks like that it is not relevant.
From the fun side of the MBA, every term we have Fuqua Vision, a show of short comedy and music videos produced by students. They usually reflect an MBA student life in a very funny and original way. There are amazing videos! You can check a few of them on YouTube if you want to have an idea.
MBASchooled: What’s something you wish you knew more about before starting your MBA at Fuqua?
Recently, I had the opportunity to join Alicia Tillman, SAP Global CMO, for a chat with a small group of female students. She had previously said in an interview that women can do it all, and I asked her secret – “network”, she said. I understood that day that there is no one who can succeed personally and professionally without relying (and deeply trusting!) on its own network.
While my network has always been there for me, sometimes I didn’t allow or asked for help because I was afraid of looking weak. I now understand that this actually would have made me stronger.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for those who are evaluating where they want to attend business school?
Choose the values that are important for you in a community, and do never compromise them – remember it’s not only two years, but the network you will have for your life.
And be honest with yourself – do you really see yourself in that school? If not, you should rethink your decision.