When you apply to B-school and you attend information sessions, you always hear about the value of the “network” you gain in B-school. You hear these things so often, they start to sound cliché. At this point in my B-school career, I would also take it to the next level by saying you don’t just gain a network, you gain friends.
If you ever run across me and two of my closest friends you will immediately get that we are quite the combination. We came together out of necessity…we had to survive Decision Science!! I was always early to class, because I’m always late and I wanted to ensure a good seat, assignment turned in on time and time left for something to go wrong. One of my partners in crime would arrive next because he needed time to enjoy his second mug of coffee. Rounding out the trio, came our “third”, who ended up with us because we saved him a seat…”good looking out for” is one of his favorite lines.
And that is how you get friends for life. It may not seem like much to build a bond on, but it is enough to start a conversation, where you realize how much you admire everything the other people have done to date and what they want to do in the world. It is enough time to realize you share common values. It is enough time for you to know their story and determine you might have a role to play in theirs and vice versa. And it is DEFINITELY enough time to have one another’s back…and frankly, you need that type of “looking out for”.
I didn’t realize the bond was this strong, until the physical connection was broken. We ended up as far apart as possible: one on the west coast, another on the east, with me in the middle in Minneapolis. I can honestly say, the highlight of my summer was when I got to travel to the west coast to hang out with my classmate, see how much his baby had grown, hug his wife and meet his parents. It is such an honor when people share their family, history and homes with you. On this visit he held back none of these things!
And today, two of us held a room full of people, while we waited for our “third” to arrive so we could surprise his wife and celebrate the anticipated coming of their second child. We had several Tuckies, their partners and their kids, there showing their support. And at the end, my friend’s little boy came and gave me a hug (he hugged my knees) and told me “thank you for my party Aisha”! I could have cried! It is such an honor to be a part of this little man’s life and to be seen as part of his family.
To have someone, you admire and who you know will do great things in the world, send you a message saying, “thanks for being a great friend to me and my family” isn’t what you normally hear about when people talk about B-school, but I can guarantee, it is one of the moments you live for!!!
Read the full article: The important things in life