Darden Alumni
Alumni - Words of Encouragement
Words of Encouragement
When you're part of the Darden community, you're a part of it for life; we're here to encourage one another in our time of need.
The Darden alumni network is a tight-knit community whose members show up for each other. In an unprecedented time, now more than ever, our alumni are there for our students, whose lives have been disrupted by COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). They've asked to share their uplifting thoughts with our students, reminding them that as they navigate the unfamiliar and face an unknown future, this is a community for life.
If you're a Darden alumnus/alumna and you'd like to submit some words of encouragement, please submit them here.
"Hi Darden students, I hope you are all staying healthy during this challenging time. While it's easy to get down about the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and your Darden experience, I would ask you to look back at what happened during your first semester at Darden. You were challenged and often worked tirelessly to achieve getting through that first semester. Reflect on that experience and think about what you learned about yourself during that time. More than likely, you will find that you became stronger from that experience. This COVID-19 situation is another challenge in front of you. I would challenge you to leverage the extra time you have to continue to improve yourself. Learn another language, learn to code, or learn to do something that you have always wanted to do. Look to come out of this experience stronger because we will come out of this and you will want to put yourself ahead of other business school students by working even harder to get better. That's what Darden is all about!"
Jason Sinnarajah (MBA ’07)
"To our students, I offer you my deepest appreciation and admiration for your tenacity and courage to “trust the process” during this uncertain time. Trust the process — that’s the phrase we love to use at Darden because we all know the resolve it takes to prepare case after case, and the transformational experience you go through over these two years. None of us could have predicted what this semester would look like for you, especially for our graduating Second Years. I recognize your anxiety about your career and paying off student loans. I feel your disappointment that you can’t head to the Corner with a group of classmates on Thursday night. I know you are frustrated and sad about how this year is ending. But when you are done here, this is your forever family — a community for life. Look at your classmates’ faces — these are the people who will be with you forever and in 30 years, you’ll share your grandparent stories with them. So while this feels devastating — and it is — don’t lose sight on what you’re gaining for a lifetime. On behalf of our alumni and Board of Trustees, we are here for you — you’ve got this!"
Bob Hugin (MBA ’85), Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees
"From the moment I completed my undergraduate studies, I had the perfect plan for the next few years of life. Four years later (and one month before my MBA applications were due) Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, triggering the deepest financial crisis experienced since The Great Depression. My plan no longer seemed so perfect.
311 of us chose to move forward with our now imperfect plans and enroll at Darden as members of the residential c/o 2011. We had the best two years of our lives and found the world welcoming of our talent and experience upon graduation. The (near) decade that followed has been one of the more prosperous in our history. During that time, my classmates have (1) provided immense social good, (2) founded, built, and sold businesses, and (3) received recognition through their work as partners at top tier consultancies, managing directors at leading global financial institutions, and executives of multi-national corporations.
What is the point of all of this? The long arc of life is ‘up and to the right’ — timing matters immensely in the short-term and naught in the long-term. Take care of yourself! Take care of your family! Take care of your customers! The world will be welcoming of your talents and experience."
Andrew Crowley (MBA ’11)
"As you cope personally and professionally with the COVID-19 crisis, remember that the skills you are honing at Darden and the qualities that brought you to this point are in even greater demand now and into the future. Times of crisis and separation create the opportunity for self-reflection. As a helpful resource, I recommend, In the Lead: Coronavirus — Crisis and Opportunity, by clinical psychologist and IWF South Africa member Dorianne Weill at https://www.iwforum.org/news.
The extended Darden community is a powerful network providing personal and professional support. Give to and take from that power over your life. Doing so has enriched mine."
Nancy Callahan (MBA ’84)