2024 was momentous in many ways. Offers of admissions to three top-rated business schools in March and my mum’s remission after a fierce battle with cancer started off the year. In April, my husband and I moved family, bag, baggage and dog from the charming Nilgiri hills in India to the urban bustle of Bangalore. We then started our 2-year-old into the routine of school, starting with a few hours per day to prepare her for the year of separation from me. At the end of August, I moved continents to begin an MBA programme at one of the world’s most heralded universities.
As a veteran, a military spouse and a self-imposed “strong” woman, displacement and resettlement were so ingrained in my life that all of these transitions were well within my stride. By December, I had completed nine MBA courses, the Cambridge Venture Project, learnt rowing, made a whole bunch of friends and had fallen in love with Cambridge. Yet, every time the dust settled, I found myself dealing with a whole range of emotions – excitement for the novel experiences, eagerness to learn (a little bit of a nerd, I admit), a constant ache for my daughter, concern and appreciation for my husband who’s holding the fort back home and apprehensiveness for what the future will hold.
With four months down and 8 more to go, the whirlwind that’s been the programme continues. So far, I have discovered finance was not the monster I imagined it to be. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that most of my shortlisted electives in the following terms are finance-related. In the Cambridge Venture Project, my team and I worked with NIAB, an agricultural research firm. We dug deep into the raspberry market worldwide and created an expansion strategy for NIAB to venture into target markets. I have also enjoyed delving into the world of business analytics as well as sustainability. To top it off, I am rekindling my long-standing passion for psychology while studying the intersection of behaviour, business, and leadership.
I am also learning that strength is not just a stiff upper lip. It means having the courage to admit you’re struggling and need grace. It means surrounding yourself with people who can prop you up when needed and doing your best to be there for those around you. It means going out there and learning something new (especially when you know you’re a decade older than the rest of the crew!), and a huge shout out to St Catharine’s College Boat Club for making that possible!
I write this as the Cambridge MBA class of 2024 prepares to enter the Lent term, our second term together and the first of the new year 2025. I continue to be impressed my cohort – individually and collectively. Some of us share similar experiences, backgrounds, interests, dislikes, etc. Yet, we are vastly different, and our journeys are uniquely our own; I can only fathom the ways we can enrich and strengthen one another this year and the years to come.
