HBS Leaders on HBS | Alumni on Leadership | Community Memories

Community Memories

A collection of poignant, humorous stories and reminiscences on the HBS experience from our community members, including alumni, staff, and MBA students.

1-4 of 4 listed alphabetically by storyteller's last name

MBA2010

Sean Cameron Story VIDEO: RT: 08:46

Story regarding his admiration and appreciation of the mutual engagement of students and faculty in the educational process at HBS. As a floor trader, he shared his occupation's skepticism about the value of a business education. Accepting a friend's recommendation to visit the School, his incertitude was dispelled by the dynamic commitment of the class and professor to the case method. Serving as his section's education representative, he has participated in and furthered the students' proactive ownership of their MBA Program and witnessed his section's unstinting generosity to help each other. Propelled by the faculty's passionate devotion to teaching, his class and he will carry that inspiration into their second year and beyond.

 

MBA2010

Yinan Du Story VIDEO: RT: 07:08

Story regarding his first impressions of HBS through the Harvard University reputation, his adjustment to and total engagement with the case method, and his entrepreneurial pursuits. Growing up China, he became acquainted with the Harvard name and observed the respect accorded to those who attend the University. The transition from the lecture style of instruction to the case method was challenging until he fully understood the model of students learning from each other with the professor as guide and leader. He finds the additional types of teaching modes at HBS to be complementary to the case method, such as the Best Reflected Self exercise in his Leadership and Organizational Behavior course. His original goal of coming to HBS was to develop his entrepreneurial acumen and so he has availed himself of the School's numerous resources, the faculty's guidance, and his classmates' knowledge and expertise.

 

CLASS OF2008

Hunter Pierson Story VIDEO: 7.5 minutes

Story regarding his experience as a teacher and a native of New Orleans attending HBS in the 2000s, studying public education in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as a participant of the New Orleans Service Immersion program. The "exhilirating, exhausting days" interviewing school principals (including a HBS alumnus), led to deep friendships, personal growth, and an independent research project to develop a case study about the New Orleans Public Education System.

 

CLASS OF1998

Mary Teichert Rotelli Story VIDEO: RT: 06:51

Story regarding the educational and personal highlights of her HBS experience. She describes her defining academic moment when she opened a class discussion of a case which she had prepared thoroughly with her study group. She recommends making the MBA curriculum more flexible to facilitate completing the program for women with families. On an HBS High Tech Fellowship, she worked with Prof. Myra Hart and Prof. Lynda Applegate to research and write cases on the transformations wrought by the new Internet economy and the future of business.