From a social impact-focused internship with nonprofit Sesame Workshop to analyzing global partnerships for Microsoft, no two MBA internships look the same. Though our students arrive with diverse career aspirations, they often share a common goal: to pivot into a career that will change their life—and the world—for the better.
We sat down with a few of our current students to see how their internships went, what their biggest takeaways were from the experience, and generally, what made them choose an MBA—and Tuck.
Summer Internship: Executive Fellow, GoodLight Capital
Pre-Tuck: Growth & Expansion Manager (East Africa), Venture Garden Group
Undergraduate: Osun State University, BS, Accounting
WHY MBA?
Prior to my MBA, my professional journey spanned across diverse industries, including financial services and tech in Africa. While these experiences were enriching, I saw an MBA as a tool to consolidate my learnings, frame my diverse experiences, and amplify my professional network. My ultimate post-MBA ambition is to establish a fund in Africa, and I believed that an MBA would be pivotal in preparing me for this challenge.
WHY TUCK?
I chose tuck for three reasons: the community, academic rigor, and the unique self-exploratory opportunities it offered.
In respect to Community: from the moment I was researching business schools, The people—Admissions, current students and Alumni at Tuck were not just nice, they were intentional in helping me see that Tuck is a place that I could be my authentic self. Their intentionality in ensuring I understood the Tuck Fabric made me feel that it was a place where I could truly be myself. This was further cemented by my role as a co-chair for Tuck’s diversity conference. Our goal was to assure prospective students of diverse backgrounds that Tuck is an environment where they can be seen, heard, and truly thrive. An added personal touch was witnessing an alum, whom I greatly admire, take on the same role during my pre-Tuck research days. I had a full cycle moment experiencing that as well.
On Academic Rigor, I had distinct academic objectives, especially pertaining to analytics. Tuck’s analytics-driven curriculum impressed me, offering an avenue to augment my education and bolster my analytical acumen.
Finally, coming from Nigeria, I was keen on pushing my boundaries and immersing myself in novel experiences. The Upper Valley offered just that—from winter sports to intimate encounters with nature. I viewed this as a two-year opportunity to grow.
My internship experience at GoodLight Capital was very enlightening in validating my medium- to long-term MBA goals as well as enriching my learning curve. From a personal perspective, it aligned with my social impact goals of unlocking capital to the most underserved communities—Women, Black, and Latine founders solving the most critical problems in our society.
MY CAREER GOALS
My goal is to establish a fund that drives inclusivity and productivity of wealth in Africa in areas of education, sustainability, health care and financial inclusion in the next 5 years. I am passionate about exploring that intersection of driving strategy that builds great companies and support talented founders tackling the biggest ideas to drive economic change on the continent.
CAREER RESOURCES AT TUCK
I have leveraged the Tuck Alumni network to provide career support. The alumni network is an unhidden gem that is always ready to be of help whenever a Tuckie reaches out. I leveraged their insights and mentoring in validating my career objectives. My internship was also with a firm that was founded by a Tuck Alum. This not only exposed me to the industry dynamics but also further emphasized the strength and reach of the Tuck community in the business world.
MY INTERNSHIP AT GOODLIGHT CAPITAL
My internship experience at GoodLight Capital was very enlightening in validating my medium- to long-term MBA goals as well as enriching my learning curve. From a personal perspective, it aligned with my social impact goals of unlocking capital to the most underserved communities—Women, Black, and Latine founders solving the most critical problems in our society. I was privileged to close out an investment in a legal tech firm that helps expunge criminal records for justice impacted people. The impact of supporting companies like that is both socially and economically rewarding.
My preparedness for the internship was bolstered by my First-Year Project in the spring, where I and four colleagues worked with an early stage fintech firm to navigate their pricing and market entry strategy. The experience allowed me to apply core academic theories with real-life applications. Most important was working with a small team of startups whose headcounts was three and applying the dynamics and complexities of early-stage startups in my venture capital experience in the summer.
MY ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE MBAs
Do not be scared to embrace failure, I know this is very counter-intuitive advice for high-achieving MBA candidates and prospectives. It’s fine to arrive with a set plan, but don’t be disheartened if things don’t go exactly as planned. Your MBA journey is as much about learning from mistakes as it is about celebrating successes.
Be strategic with recruitment. Quality of engagement matters over quantity. It’s very important to take stock of your experience and what resonates with you, this level of self-awareness will guide your recruiting approach than vibes.
Summer Internship: Partner Development Manager Intern — Global Partner Solutions, Microsoft
Pre-Tuck: Technology Project Manager — Innovation Team, Elevance Health
Undergraduate: Purdue University Indianapolis, BA, Chemistry and Spanish
WHY MBA?
With a background in chemistry, the transition to the tech sector through startup VC and corporate innovation was pivotal. The MBA was seen as an investment to scale the impact I could make, understand business fundamentals, and explore what it means to be an inclusive leader, creating equitable spaces in the workplace and beyond. It also offered a chance to build a diverse and lifelong network with peers from different backgrounds who have navigated unique industry challenges.
WHY TUCK?
The decision to attend Tuck was influenced by its tight-knit and immersive community, which I experienced firsthand during both WIBCo and Admitted Students Weekend (ASW). Tuck’s philosophy on co-investment—where the MBA experience is about mutual growth and learning to be an inclusive leader—was appealing. Your MBA is ultimately a co-investment.
Tuck's Next50 Initiative, the opportunity to be a Fellow with the Centers for Digital Strategies and Health Care, and groups like the Tech Club also provided a rich environment to foster community, give back, and learn from my peers. This was especially valuable coming from an underrepresented background within the tech sector.
My biggest internship takeaway was how important it is to be curious and to continue to seek out diverse perspectives. Whether you’re building a process or a framework, it’s important to get diverse perspectives before pivoting to solutioning. My internship also highlighted the significance of being a DEI champion and creating inclusive spaces for ESL speakers.
MY CAREER GOALS
Before Tuck, I had the opportunity to work in both health care and tech. My goal coming into Tuck was to build off my pre-MBA experience and develop a career at a big tech platform business, focusing on product and partnership roles. My experiences at Tuck and my internship with Microsoft reinforced my desire to drive impact at scale through building and growing strategic technology partnerships.
ON CAREER SERVICES AND RECRUITING IN TECH
The tech recruitment process looks a bit different, a bit more unstructured, at Tuck than recruiting for other paths like consulting. I was fortunate to receive an offer early in the process—resume drops were in September, I went through interviews in October, and in December I received an offer.
I leaned heavily on the Tuck network, including second years, alumni, the Tech Club, and the Center for Digital Strategies. Anyone I’ve reached out to throughout this process has been super willing to talk and to candidly share their experiences. One-on-one mentorship and Tuck’s leadership coaching program were also pivotal in preparing for this journey.
MY INTERNSHIP AT MICROSOFT
I had an impactful summer experience as a Partner Development Manager MBA intern on the Global Partner Solutions team at Microsoft. In my role, I gained valuable exposure to various aspects of the business, from technical solution road mapping to learning how to go-to-market and co-innovate with the company’s diverse ecosystem of software partners. Outside of my day-to-day work, it was great to connect with other interns, explore Seattle, and participate in Microsoft’s speaker series, where I got to learn from innovation leaders across industries. In fact, one of favorite events was hearing from the co-founder of Salt & Straw on how the company thinks about systemizing innovation in the ice cream industry, while building a platform for connection and community.
My biggest internship takeaway was how important it is to be curious and to continue to seek out diverse perspectives. Whether you’re building a process or a framework, it’s important to get diverse perspectives before pivoting to solutioning. My internship also highlighted the significance of being a DEI champion and creating inclusive spaces for English-as-a-second language (ESL) speakers. This topic especially resonated for me having seen my family and friends navigate the challenges of being ESL speakers in the workplace. It felt very rewarding to have the opportunity to co-plan a discussion at Microsoft’s Inspire Conference on Being a Champion for ESL Speakers and host a community conversation on this topic with my MBA intern cohort.
Tuck's curriculum—including the First-Year-Project, core courses like ManComm, and Analytics electives—was instrumental in providing a solid foundation for the internship.
MY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING TECH PROFESSIONALS
For those pivoting into tech, it’s important to not self-select yourself out of the process before you even start, recognize your transferable skills, and to be clear on your career motivations. Using resources like career mentors, connecting with your classmates, and tapping into Tuck’s supportive alumni network can make a big impact. Don’t be afraid to also do cold outreaches on LinkedIn and even email. At the same time, I think it’s important to be open to new opportunities you may not even have thought about. Overall, the bottom line is to not be afraid to bet on yourself and your potential!
Summer Internship: Summer Associate, Morgan Stanley
Pre-Tuck: Management Consultant, Tech Strat and Advisory
Undergraduate: University of British Columbia, BS, Chemical Process Engineering
WHY MBA?
An MBA is a melting pot of people from a variety of backgrounds, in culture, work experiences, and many other aspects. Being able to immerse myself in an environment where I am able to listen and learn from different points of views was valuable to me. It offered an opportunity for personal growth and a strong professional community, on top of the career transition that I was looking for.
WHY TUCK?
Tuck represents the best of what I am looking for. Tuck’s commitment to students that are aware and encouraging lead to a community where everyone is invested in the experience. The students, professors, staff all come to Tuck to invest in the experience which creates an incredible dynamic that enables meaningful connections.
On top of the technical skills that I picked up over the summer, the leadership qualities that I saw in the senior leaders is also something I took away. The way that they mentored and guided me put me in a position to succeed. I hope to be able to give back in the same way when I get the opportunity to in the future.
MY CAREER GOALS
Coming from a background in management consulting, where I helped Energy and Natural Resources clients with tech strategy and advisory, I learned that I enjoy the pace, challenges, and relationships that come with being in a client service business. However, I wanted to be in a career where my work contributes a significant impact to a company’s strategic growth plan. Specifically, I’m in interested in advising companies on their options to strategically grow organically or through acquisitions.
To me, investment banking represents a new opportunity to utilize my prior experience in a different setting, one that enables companies to achieve their goals through strategic advisory and knowledgeable financing.
ON CAREER SERVICES AT TUCK
Tuck’s Career Services team is second-to-none. The ratio of career services staff to students means that you get personalized advice and career coaching. I mainly worked with Deirdre O’Donnell who came from a successful career in the finance sector and now has many years of coaching and guiding Tuckies in their careers. I felt that my personal relationship with her allowed for great candid discussions. The second years are also a great resource. Tuck’s pay it forward culture is incredibly strong whereby second years give as much of their time to help advice and prep the first years for their recruiting journey with no expectations in return. The alumni network is also incredible. They were always willing to take a call to discuss their experience and share their advice. Lastly, my own classmates are an incredible support network. We help give each other tips and also pick each other up when we have a bad day. Tuck’s entire community rallies around you to help you achieve your dreams.
MY INTERNSHIP AT MORGAN STANLEY
My internship was incredibly valuable and enriching. I was able to work with multiple teams that valued my input and I could see the impact of what I did. I was astounded by the collaborative and collegial nature of the teams. The associates and analysts (junior team) looked out for and helped each other, ensuring that only the best quality work was provided to the seniors. The seniors always took time to give guidance and nurture the juniors and had the well-being of each team member in mind. To sum it up, the entire team was invested in each other’s success.
On top of the technical skills that I picked up over the summer, the leadership qualities that I saw in the senior leaders is also something I took away. The way that they mentored and guided me put me in a position to succeed. I hope to be able to give back in the same way when I get the opportunity to in the future.
Going into my internship, there was a slight apprehension, but I felt I was given the right tools to succeed. Tuck’s curriculum gave me a foundation that prepared me well for my internship. The alumni network also gave ample advice on how to navigate my internship. Classmates that were interning with me also provided a support network that I could always go to.
MY RECRUITING ADVICE
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