AlphaSights
Role Play Script
"Hi ___________ I'm Juliette Mangini. We've been messaging and I'd love to tell you a little bit more about who AlphaSights is and what we do. AlphaSights is a high-growth leading global information services firm with hubs in 9 offices across the world. We are driven to connect top professionals with the best knowledge experts to fill knowledge gaps and business problem inquiries, via direct confidential 45min to 1 hour phone calls. We have four main client segments which include those in fortune 500 companies, private equity, capital markets, and consultancy firms who we connect to the best knowledge experts. I am reaching out to you because my client is in the X industry and I think you'd be a great fit given your background in X. Do you have a second to talk about your background and going into your experiences to see how they would align with my client? Once you have said that we'd love to work with you, decide that it's a good fit for our client, we usually pay $200 an hour? If you don't agree, "that's drastically higher than what we normally see here, do you have any flexibility of meeting in the middle at X price range?" "I'll pass that rate along to my client" - "Just want to remind you that they won't be asking you any non-public information and that this is a confidential call with no intention of finding out insider information, it is just to allow for the client to get a better understanding of X"
Compensation for Experts
- $100 - 150 makes sense because we work with high level executives so they should be competitively compensated
Emotional Intelligence
- - natural curiosity about others' lives, and inherent want to help them succeed - people are the foundation of AlphaSights, so developing and maintaining strong, trusted relationships is central to succeeding at AlphaSights - people who are inherently empathetic and curious about others and their experiences which helps them successfully engage with people across all industries and levels - Have grown up around so many different types of people and cultures/customs/etc. I am compassionate and empathetic to people from all backgrounds and to successfully engage with people from all backgrounds. - This experience has really helped me develop my emotional intelligence and adaptability as I have learned to connect and engage with people from all different backgrounds as well as learn how to approach change in a positive way and adapt to a multitude of different scenarios
Experts
- 1. FORMER CEO of target company - 2. CURRENT CEO/CMO/COO at COMPETITOR - 3. SUPPLIERS/OPERATIONAL/ TRADERS/etc. (anyone else on the supply chain) - think of competitors - people that used to work at the company or a similar one now operational people; leaders of industry - sales, strategy, business development people - traders who may know the market (JP Morgan, Goldman) - outside the industry for best practice - KEY = getting various unique perspectives on the case - look at how LONG people have been working in the industry --> years of experience leads to larger understanding
Ramping Up
- Access to external knowledge empowers clients when they are faced with unfamiliar challenges - Consultants applying themselves to new situations, investors assessing unexplored industries or marketers launching into foreign clients → AlphsaSights helps clients access insights directly from Expert Advisors in diverse industries and geographies - Used when clients are faced with unfamiliar challenges (expansions, etc) - Look into experts WITHIN the business (business partners, end clients, former executives in market) - Examples: marketers launching into foreign markets; investors assessing unexplored industries; strategy consultants applying themselves to new situations - new market, acquisition, etc. - look for: channel partner, supply chain, customer, finance, operational perspectives (COO), former executives of competitors
Value Chains in Complex Industries
- AlphaSights breaks down INDUSTRIES, VALUE CHAINS & MARKETS - determining whether to invest in a company, mapping a new market, understanding how to reorganize company structure or rolling out new products - perspectives from: uservalue, creators, decision-makers & evaluators
What is AlphaSights
- AlphaSights is a global, high growth information services firm that specializes in expert knowledge search - It works to connect professionals, their internal clients (private equity, capital markets, fortune 500 companies & consultant firms) with the necessary experts to solve their problems - AlphaSights will search for relevant experts, screen and qualify each expert and set up an interaction between expert and client experts provide clients with knowledge and insight necessary to make the best decision in today's competitive market
Unique things about AlphaSights
- AlphaSights is on an incredible growth pattern (growing 20% every year company expected to double in 5 years), it is incredibly exciting to be part of such a fast-growing company that is doing really amazing work that is in high demand - UNRIVALED career progression & OPPORTUNITIES FOR GLOBAL MOBILITY - The fact that you can be in a VP position and learn skills of people management/development in just 5 years is incredible - The opportunity to work abroad in one of the global offices through the Global Associate Program is incredibly unique and I would be extremely interested in working in the London office - "Knowledge for good" segment --> clients in the non-profit and impact investing segment (I am really interested in the non-profit sector and want my career to work in some way with the social impact scene, so this component of the company is something that sparks my interest a lot)
Why are you pursuing the opportunity
- AlphaSights offers me unrivaled opportunities to gain comprehensive training in a high growth information services firm and to grant me exposure to a multitude of industries as well as develop skills in communication, client service relations, product development and problem solving & critical thinking skills. - Fits into my career plan as a great starting point to learn about various industries and make connections everywhere. - With my goal of entering into the healthcare entrepreneurial space by launching my own business this fits really well into establishing connections and learning how to work with clients from a variety of businesses and backgrounds and how to successfully pitch ideas (in this case top knowledge experts).
In less than 1 minute, teach me something complex that I don't already know?
- Brazilian bureaucratic healthcare regulating body i. ANVISA --> Extremely high regulatory costs; Unpredictable time to market; Entrepreneurs and small businesses sometimes prone to federal overreach
What was your biggest risk you took at your last internship?
- Confronting my manager about an insensitive comment he made about my ethnicity. - He thought it would be funny talk about corruption stories in Latin America and poke fun at the messed up nature of bureaucracy in Latin America. I felt really offended by this topic because not only of the fact that my family is from Argentina and they have been personally negatively affected by the corruptive nature of the government but moreover that there was a complete lack of awareness and ignorance to how profound the issue is and not something to make light of, especially since the company that I was interning with last summer has an incredibly large employer and client base in Latin America.
Sparking Innovation
- Exchanging knowledge and recombining ideas sparks creativity and drives innovation. - Clients work with AlphaSights to gain perspectives outside their usual network and combine their thinking with relevant conversation partners. - Such live dialogues help them spot new commercial opportunities, novel applications for existing products and unexplored business adjacencies. - Enhancing knowledge and recombining ideas → sparks creativity - When clients need to gain perspective outside their usual network - Spot new commercial opportunities; novel applications for existing products; unexplored business adjacencies
If you were applying to other companies, what would you look for in those companies? What will ultimately determine which company you accept a position with?
- I am looking for companies that have a strong focus on fostering a positive work environment that fosters communication, collaboration and strong mentorship among both the employers and external contacts because I think that no matter what you are working on, if you don't have a supportive community around you it will be a miserable experience - person focused - I also am really looking at positions that will challenge me in areas I don't have as much experience in because I want to use this summer as a time to both apply and utilize skills I already have but in ways I haven't before or to explore a new industry in general to gain a better understanding of what I want to do after graduation
A time that you quit?
- I quit swimming before coming to college --> decided I didn't want to swim in college in the end - Valued the balance between of school and social life and didn't want to be restricted by a sport, that I love but that wouldn't really be worth it in the future - Struggled with it in the beginning because my identity for my whole school life has been as an athlete
Why AlphaSights?
- I really align with the mission on connecting people to knowledge for the force of good. I truly stand by the belief that a connected mind lies at the heart of creativity, innovation and development and leveraging technologies to make those connections is something I want to be a part of. - Founding idea that digital connectivity can provide the tools to tackle the problem of extracting useful knowledge that is dispersed, hidden and buried in the midst of individuals around the world - Focus on tasset knowledge - Person-focused - from what I've heard from my friend she said that it was incredibly unique that in such a short period of time she felt as though she grew so much and felt like AlphaSights was really investing in the intern - I really like the fact that throughout both the duration of the internship and Associate role you have a strong understanding of how you're doing and get quick rewards on your progress and work.
Why this role?
- I think that this role is a really amazing way to create a strong foundation and base in learning concrete and transferable skills in a dynamic, supportive fast paced environment that fosters a lot of responsibility and autonomy while also keeping in mind the common goal that ultimately brings people together. The critical thinking and problem-solving aspect of the role through its main focus on client project delivery in a myriad of industries is really appealing as I feel those are extremely beneficial skills to have going forward, specifically with my interest in potentially entering the healthcare entrepreneurial space in the future. - As an Associate Intern I think I will really develop my skills in client project delivery since that is the main focus of the internship and with that strengthen and develop skills in negotiation, time management, sales as well as critical thinking and problem solving when working on a variety of projects with varying client needs - Working at alphasighs allows a development of understanding of a business value chain, how to identify stakeholders and what people care about
Tell us a time you had to sell an idea
- I&E project pitch
Attaining Best Practices
- Identifying best practice often starts with looking outside of the barriers of your own organization, region or industry. - With AlphaSights, clients leverage the honed expertise of seasoned professionals who have overcome and excelled in similar challenges or who are notable for market-leading practice in adjacent or different fields. - They speak with specific experts to learn about competitive dynamics, trends and best practice that they can apply to their specific challenge. - Starts with looking outside barriers of your own organization/region/industry - Examples: use expertise of advisors who have excelled in similar challenges or who are notable for market leading practice in adjacent field - looking outside barriers of own industry/organization - look at public sector, advisors to ministers of certain areas (economics, oil and gas, healthcare)
How to describe yourself professionally & personally
- Professionally --> Motivated, Organized, Flexible - Personally --> Compassionate, Kind-hearted, optimistic
Ramping Up Case: An alternative energy company headquartered in Asia is finalizing its go-to-market strategy in 19 different countries across Europe. Although an expert in the space in their home region, our client is less familiar with local market dynamics in Europe, particularly around distribution, installation and regulation
- Solution: AlphaSights arranges a European market exploration trip with over 100 telephone consultations in preparation, and over 20 meetings during the clients trip: - Local industry advisors include: - Distributors & other potential business partners - Installers and other end clients - Regulatory experts with local understanding - Former executives of key incumbents in each market - Impact: - Local familiarity → our client extends its network in Europe and gains valuable insight into the unique regulatory, distribution and marketing challenges in each market - Key acquisition → in-depth, face-to-face consultations with local experts enable our client to identify and then quickly execute a strategically relevant acquisition, giving them a leg-up in a large potential market
Ramping Up Case: A manufacturer of edible and non-hazardous oils is considering buying a target specializing in the storage and shipment of edible oils and biofuels with a view to integrating its supply chain. Our client requires a detailed overview of the downstream industry by speaking with decision-makers at companies requiring storage and shipping services.
- Solution: AlphaSights arranges one-on-one interactions (in-person meetings and calls) with the following individuals: - Business Development Director (port controller) - Commodities Trader (edible oils) - Multinational food producer (channel partner) COO, international agribusiness and vegetable oil trader (supply chain & customer) - Food Products Director, global agribusiness and food company (financial & operational) - Impact: 60 Degree Knowledge → such a range of expert advisors provided the client with channel partner, supply chain, customer, finance and operational perspectives, giving them a holistic understanding of the opportunity - Better decisions & discussions with suppliers and key customers helped our client evaluate the medium term viability of the business, and inform their decision to move ahead with the potential acquisition
Handling Shocks Case: After it was revealed that Volkswagen, a major automobile manufacturer, had covered up the true environmental impacts of its cars, a number of investors were asking if the issue was confined to the US and what the implications of the exposure would be for VW. Our client was looking to identify an expert to lead an event for their end clients on this matter
- Solution: AlphaSights facilitates multiple conversations for the client to assess the suitability of a number of experts including - Former Chief of US Environmental Protection Agency's Compliance Office -Former Chief Executive of a leading European emissions analytics company - Impact: Impact: Meetings/conference calls were held and our client then selected one of the experts for a road show. During this, different institutions discussed their questions with him. AlphaSights sourced both experts within 48 hours of the initial brief from the client and assisted in setting up the road show.
Sparking Innovation Case: As part of a strategic innovation process review, our client, a multinational cosmetics corporate, needed to complement their product innovation. In connection with this, they wanted to understand how to incentivize innovation
- Solution: AlphaSights identified a number of experts whose unique perspectives would enable our client to quickly gain fresh perspectives around product innovation, and within 72 hours we connected our clients with: - Former Senior Director of Product Innovation at a leading multinational cosmetics corporate → advisor was the Lead Formulator for the beauty care arm, responsible for driving innovation, therefore could give examples of how cosmetic companies define and promote innovation - Former Innovation Officer at a leading US personal goods corporate → advisor could speak to resource allocation between innovation projects as well as breakout/sustaining strategies (advisor could provide insight into best practice innovation resource allocation models and how "performance-metric thinking" varies between different personal and skin care corporates - Impact: 1. Combinatorial Thinking: In-depth consultations with former executives revealed strengths and weaknesses of organizational design models and best practice, informing our client's evaluation exercise 2. Actionable Knowledge: Insight gathered from discussions led to new ways of thinking around the key elements of best-in-class product innovation structures and processes
Attaining Best Practices Case: Our client, an R&D (research and design) director at a global multinational conglomerate, wanted to improve global R&D centers to become a top tier player in the electronics space. In connection with this, they were hoping to gain a solid understanding of R&D management and operational best practice in the space
- Solution: AlphaSights identified a number of experts whose unique perspectives would enable our client to quickly understand R&D operational best practice in the electronics space, and within 72 hours we connected our clients with: - Former Chief Technologist at a global automotive manufacturer → Advisor was directly responsible for all R&D efforts, including electronics, integrated systems, robotics, energy and ITS, as well as outsourced functions - Former R&D Director at a global consumer electronics manufacturer → advisor was responsible for overseeing R&D processes for a range of products, specifically highly knowledgeable on in-house and outsourced R&D best practice of electronics companies in Asia - Impact: 1. Authoritative Expertise → in-depth conversations with former executives revealed effective R&D operational models that could be quickly implemented within our client's organization and highlighted the key strengths and weaknesses of each 2. Directional Intelligence → exposed specific R&D managerial best practice, specifically allowing our client to identify management programs and governance models to investigate further
Sparking Innovation Case: Our client, a leading global food producer, was looking to improve their product offerings. In connection with this, they needed to identify how firms in the food production space utilize natural ingredients and understand overall consumer trends
- Solution: AlphaSights identified a number of experts whose unique perspectives would enable our client to quickly understand the synthetic and natural ingredients space and within 72 hours we connected our clients with: - Former R&D Director at global food producer → advisor managed two global R&D centers and was responsible for overseeing R&D for a wide array of categories, including innovation for a grass-fed meat frozen lunch line - Former Vice President of R&D Europe at multinational food producer → Advisor held responsibility for developing research and innovation strategies for all food coloring, fruit-juices, syrups, foods and spreads in Europe - Former European R&D Manager at leading global food producer → Responsible for frozen food and bakery product development; advisor was a specialist in food ingredient innovation and could provide insights on the best practice natural ingredient usage - Impact: 1. Expert Insight: In-depth consultations enabled our client to understand best practice in replacing synthetic ingredients with natural alternatives, which further informed their product line analysis 2. Idea Generation: Expert interviews with senior R&D professionals in the space revealed current consumer trends and those in which food producers are reacting to most aggressively, leading our client to spot opportunities and take decisive steps forward
Attaining Best Practices Case: Our client, a global engineering conglomerate, is seeking to benchmark and subsequently re-design its human resources function. Our client is looking to understand best practice HR in a comparable setting as a potential guide to its own redesign.
- Solution: connections with - Former heads of Human Resources/ Heads of Talent at three similar organizations - CIOs and technical architects with deep HR process and software knowledge - HR industry experts providing insight into industry trends and latest thinking - Impact: Industry Best Practice: Our client quickly and efficiently gains a thorough understanding of current best practice in HR in the context of a global, multi-segment engineering conglomerate and takes this into consideration as it scopes out its own organizational redesign project
A client, a leading global food producer, wanted to enhance their products with natural ingredients to match industry trends
- Task: help client grasp the natural and synthetic ingredient space - Solution: 3 experts in Research & Development at global and multinational good producers - Timeline: - Suppliers (farmers who grow and harvest) - Distributors (companies that package and distribute) - Consumers (grocery stores that re-sell and consumers who buy) - Third-Party Distributors (farm-to-table online retailers)
BREAD Process
- The work of the associate revolves heavily around the BREAD process which is the on the ground work that is done to fulfill AlphaSights' mission of connecting top professionals to the best knowledge and it is the method of how associates play a fundamental role in making sure that the clients only speak with the most relevant people - BREAD process is critical to what AlphaSights does on a day to day basis which entails being a partner to your client, understanding their needs and delivering to them in a timely manner - timeline: 24 - 72 hours - BREAD process is continually cyclical, not a start-to-finish process → you'll be working on a number of projects at one time and a client may want to connect to another advisor
Handling Shocks
- When major events outside of your control create confusion or uncertainty, leaders need to understand the situation and respond convincingly and quickly. - At AlphaSights, we help clients find their way through uncertainty caused by global events and market shocks. - Whether an unexpected fall in commodity prices or unpredictable political events, first-hand, fast insights are an invaluable asset in responding. - When events outside your control occur and create confusion - E.x: unexpected fall in commodity prices; unpredictable political events
PERSON focused
- a person is driving research and development, product design, marketing & sales, or distribution
Skills you learn
- ability to research and learn about new industries quickly and effectively - ability to parse out what is important/unimportant deadline driven - negotiation & sales skills - client project delivery - project & account management - client/account management - strategy development & input - decision-making
AlphaSights CORE attributes
- adaptability - results - humility - drive - EQ/Empathy
Adaptability
- brings changing circumstances; handle uncertainty, ambiguity and change with confidence, positivity, and poise - I have moved around a lot growing up which is really reflected in my ability to adapt and acclimate to changing environments and circumstances → respond to change in a positive manner
D - Delivery
- connecting clients to advisors - sales conversation with clients (1 hour long conversation) - About packaging those statements into a short memo to send to client - Client either decides they want to speak with them or give feedback on what direction they want to go - Strong client relationship is valuable at this stage - Your opportunity/challenge to articulate to your client why these experts are the most relevant - Associates are on the frontlines driving commercial impact and revenue to get perspectives for a client - Revenue generating event → win for you and for the firm
Things to look for in cases
- efficiency - sales - growth strategies
knowledge search
- expert network industry recognized the value in outsourcing primary research - expert network firms facilitate calls/meetings between client and chosen consultant - provides highly beneficial for these clients who need to get up-to-speed on new projects quickly
Humility
- humility & confidence builds an environment of continuous improvement without entitlement; positive mindset allows people to view the world with a growth and open mindset, enables learning & development
Greatest weakness?
- need to be more assertive
knowledge gap
- one person can't know everything - ever-changing business world there are knowledge gaps - knowledge gap on entering a new market, understanding layers of customer insights or staying up-to-speed on industry innovations - provides clients with hard-to-find insights by facilitating conversations with industry specialists who can address niche questions
Types of Cases
- ramping up - attaining best practices - sparking innovation - handling shocks
E & A - Engage & Assess
- reaching out to potential advisors - start engaging with expert advisors & assessing their backgrounds - packaged 5-10 minute phone call: explain what AlphaSights is, how the process works, logistics, payment, who the client is and what AlphaSights wants to know - Key check = client protection policy & compliance --> Important to spot red flags in terms of compliance, specific characteristics of experts that we need to watch out for: Client protection checks and balances are key → keeping clients safe and well informed - ensure credibility and build trust with advisors
Drive
- relentless want to achieve simply to achieve - set and smash through targets, love scoring and achieving goals for your team & have the drive to excel beyond what's asked, embrace a whatever-it-takes mindset and push through obstacles to achieve our ambitious goals - I am also very accustomed to succeeding in a very fast paced and dynamic environment because attending a school like Duke where everyone around me is motivated and driven and a "go go go" mentality I feel confident that I can transfer the skills I have learned in this environment to AlphaSights - Another way I think I am a good fit is I am extremely motivated and driven in everything I do which is reflected both in my academic achievements and personal endeavors through club leadership roles on campus as well as honestly anything I put my mind to I always put my best effort and when I have my mind set on a task or goal I do everything possible to reach it even if that means stepping out of my comfort zone or challenging myself.
AlphaSights Founding
- solves disconnect between the expert and client - founded in 2008 - founders: max Cartellieri & Andrew Heath - pioneered KNOWLEDGE search industry rather than EXPERT network industry - 9 global offices
Biggest Failure?
- talk about how it took you a long time to adjust freshman year
Results
- top performers are motivated and energized by thrill of immediate reward and revenue; think about different angles of a client's problem, come up with solutions & execute on their ideas to deliver results
B - Brief
- understanding the clients' needs - Can vary in size, scope, depth and complexity and is delivered over phone or via email; want to get all the specific challenges and nuances are about the client; complex challenge varying by clients needs - Confronting a question together and figuring out how to address it; understanding the problem well - More specifically the brief offers the time to understand timelines, geographies, and angles that the client may or not be interested in as well as specifically what the client is trying to achieve (will vary by client type and their business stage) - up to the Associate to figure out what the client is trying to achieve in their business problem and which expert advisors may or may not fit - focusing on timelines, geography & specific angles - looking for the ability to really understand what your client is looking for
R - Research
- understanding the market to identify expert advisors - The research portion is split into 2 parts, the first being: 1. Understanding the industry, who are the key players, high - level, fast paced, results focused, efficient research to develop a framework of the industry in order to move on to the second portion which is: 2. Identifying who the individuals/advisors are Understanding where advisors are working whether tech or sales advisors so that when we speak to them we can tell if they're appropriate - use people and information databases, search engines and websites & our own personal networks - collect keywords, probe for information & then conduct sweeping searches to determine what someone's role was and understand their lived experience
How to recruit advisors
- use people & information databases - search engines & websites - own personal networks
What are you looking forward to most in your final year of college?
I am most looking forward being able to visualize and contextualize everything that I have learned over the four years and see how it applies to what I will be doing post-graduation and how I can take everything that I have learned and done (whether academically or through extra curricular, jobs and internships) and see how I can tangibly utilize those skills to my future endeavors.
What is your career path?
I hope to work at AlphaSights to gain concrete skills in communication, sales, and client project development and delivery in order to either continue on in the AlphaSights trajectory or move on to a global health/international development consulting agency and eventually create my own entrepreneurship endeavor that focuses on utilizing the skills I learned in previous professional positions and academic background to create a project of my own that focuses on addressing global health challenge, specifically in accessibility to care or climate change and environmental systems degradation and its impacts on human health.
How do you do in a fast-paced environment?
I thrive in fast-paced environments, my strong attention to detail, communication skills, time management and multitask skills and strong goal setting mentality helps me perform well in a fast-paced work environment.
What's your story?
a. A big part of my identity and who I am today is heavily influenced by my unique upbringing and diverse experiences I was exposed to from a young age. My family is originally from Argentina but I was born in the US and lived there till the age of five when we moved to Seoul South Korea, I attended a British school there and had my first exposure to abroad living and expat life and was completely in love with the new environment and learning so much about Korean culture while also making friends from all over the world through school. From then on we moved to Tokyo where I did middle school and first two years of high school which were very formative years of my life and growing up in a big city during those years definitely contributed to my sense of independence and responsibility that I have carried on. After that I moved back to the US which was definitely a defining experience in terms of adjusting to a completely new environment, experiencing culture shock to "my own culture", while also going through the pressure and stress of applying to college. Overall though my experiences living abroad and my cultural blend of Argentine and American culture contribute immensely to who I am today, my perspectives on the world, and how I interact and view all different types of people.
What are you passionate about?
a. I am really passionate about the innovative healthcare startup space and the incorporation of addressing global health challenges that are traditionally neglected or undervalued into the entrepreneurial landscape. I have always been interested in a career in social impact because I believe it is a way to personally get involved and leave behind the passive commentary on the frustration of topics and go beyond the statistics of newspapers and research papers and actually participate in the problem-solving process of issues plaguing the country and world. However, the development sector does not work in isolation, there are several stakeholders who participate in these initiatives, one for example being AlphaSights through their "knowledge for good" sector. I think AlphaSights fits into my passions really well because through past experiences interning and volunteering at organizations in the social impact space I have recognized that it is incredibly important to get a strong foundation in learning analytical problem solving and decision making skills, communication and negotiation skills, time management, as well as business/project/people managing skills. Furthermore, I think it is incredibly important to have a diverse background of work experiences which can contribute to a more well-rounded employee and engaged and informed citizen going forward.
Why did you choose your major?
a. I have always been interested in health topics regarding health disparities and how different communities around the world are disproportionately affected by health outcomes given confounding factors of race, ethnicity, gender, culture, geography, religion, etc. And the International Comparative Studies side was heavily influenced by my experiences living abroad and my continued curiosity and inquiry on learning about the different social, political, economic, and cultural differences among countries and communities around the world. I absolutely loved my experiences living abroad because I had an unrivaled experience in learning and growing and it very much has contributed to an open mindedness and compassion I feel towards others which I pride myself very much on and which contributes heavily to my identity and how I carry myself through different environments, so I wanted to study something that would prepare me well for learning and in the future pursuing a career abroad or working in a global company.
What is your dream job/ where do you want to see yourself in 10 years?
a. My dream job/where I see myself would be having my own startup company in the global healthcare sector, specifically addressing challenges of accessibility to care in marginalized communities or addressing the intersection of degradation of environmental systems and human influence on the environment which contributes to human health impacts. Over the summer I had lots of time to think, as we all know and can imagine experienced when stuck inside for long period of time laying in my bed having existential thoughts on life, but anyways I did start to generate some ideas that I am starting to implement through a course I am taking right now called Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Problem Solving Global Health and I am learning tangible skills and ownership and initiative over my own project. Given my upbringing and background I want to be working on something or for a company that has a strong international focus and offers me the opportunity to work abroad and engage with communities from all around the world.
Tell me about a defining experience
a. The most defining experience I have had so far is moving back to the US after 10 years of living abroad in Asia (Korea and Japan). Moving from a small international school in a big city where everyone is a "third culture kid", has an ambiguous nationality identity, and is extremely aware of the pick up and move lifestyle of an expat, to a suburb of Connecticut attending a high school of 3000 kids where majority of them have known each other since they were in diapers was definitely a tough transition to say the least. Moving my junior year also meant balancing college applications, on top of a heavy course load, varsity swim schedule, making new friends, and trying to settle into my new environment which was a lot to juggle and handle, however this is one of the most defining experiences that contributed to my growth as a person and make me so much stronger because of the struggles I endured. It was very tough suddenly being in an environment where no one understood, nor could relate to my upbringing and I experienced such a culture shock to the US which is technically supposed to be "where I'm from" which just added a whole other level of identity exploration and ambiguity. However, from that experience I have become such a more confident, strong, adaptable person and really feel that if I could go through that crazy year of my life and I can endure anything.
What was the worst grade you got in school? Why?
a. The worst grade I have gotten in my Duke career so far has been in an introductory statistics course freshman year. Granted, I did not fail the class, nor did I get a terrible grade but comparably to how I was performing in my other classes it was lower. This was my first exposure to a big lecture hall class with over 200 students which doesn't align well with the teaching and classroom setting that I learn best in which involves small classroom environment that fosters communication and discussion between the students as well as with the professor, so this was the first time I was learning in this environment. I think that definitely contributed to the grade as well as the fact that I had never studied statistics before so it was definitely a tough class where I had to put in a lot of extra effort outside of class to help myself understand the material well and to try and perform the best that I could in the class. While this is my worst grade, it is one that I am really proud about actually because I worked incredibly hard in that class to try and get the grade that I did and while it doesn't compare to my other grades in classes which contribute to my strengths, when I look at this grade I feel satisfied knowing I tried all that I could to do my best even if the outcome was not valued entirely in the grading system.
case resource
clients1.ibisworld.com
