Character

It's really interesting to think about business school from the paradigm of character.  I guess it's broadly difficult to notice the character of an organization-- because there are so many personalities and passions in the mix.  But when you zoom into the individual level, character really is everything.  It's what sets one apart.  Plenty of people are smart and/or hard working.  But only a handful of people have the character to stand up for what's right or to stick through a tough endeavor through thick or thin.  It's the latter part -- the one of character -- that really makes the difference between mediocrity and amazing accomplishments.

The character of Tepper is an interesting one, and one I have only recently become qualified to discuss.  Because I feel that I have only recently gotten a handle on the many characters that represent this place.  What I have find through this relationship-building is that is that our school can be characterized by a number of very positive attributes -- such as hard working, passionate, and clearly driven.  I have found that so many of my colleagues are really dedicated and motivated to reach their end goal, whatever it might be.  And honestly, that pushes me even harder to achieve the things that I dream about. 

It was only recently that I though back to all of the great b-schools I was accepted to, and I thought about whether or not Tepper was the right choice.  And I thought through all of the amazing opportunities I've had, such as winning the Moot Corp competition and opening the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, or my company being recently acquired by a fantastic company.  And just the great interactions I have had with really intelligent and motivated people.. and I realize that I definitely made the right choice. 

This place changed my life -- and I owe a great deal of my future success (if any) to the Tepper School of Business.