Finding comfort in discomfort

3 minute read
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Until I started researching business schools, the term ‘impact’ exclusively recalled nebulous 90s action films.

‘Impact’ in business school means there is some objective, usually linked to people or planet, which is not exclusively bound to maximizing shareholder value. I learned that from a business perspective, my entire career has been in ‘impact’, so I was thrown off when I was rejected from both cycles of the MBA program’s Impact Lab. I reassessed. It was time to voyage into less comfortable galaxies. There are many in Oxford.

In a rash of choices designed for discomfort, I made a paper speech at an Oxford Union members’ debate, joined a finance competition, and prepped for consulting case interviews. I managed a team for the Oxford Development Consultancy where we helped a non-profit in Namuwongo, Uganda reboot itself post-pandemic. Through Project Aspire, I helped a gender-lens venture capital firm research female entrepreneurship in Southern and Eastern Africa. I attended as many School government relations group events as possible, and toured Parliament with them. I was privileged to bring a little piece of my second home, the Northern Mariana Islands, to Oxford for the Map the System competition. A mix of new friends and treasured colleagues, my team won the Oxford round, bringing island food system and obesity challenges to front page news. I’m embarking on a start-up with two wonderful classmates to connect children with family narratives thanks to mentorship through the Entrepreneurship Project.

Graced with the company of magnificent humans against the resplendent backdrop of this ancient city, discomfort became comfortable. Insurmountable turned over to past tense. Acquaintances sprouted to life-long comrades. I have no regrets about my approach to the last year, but with a chance to do it over again, I would have steered toward more finance challenges like Finance Lab and the Entrepreneurial Finance elective. I also stressed about things that I shouldn’t have stressed about, like getting an internship. Despite applying to several, I did not get an internship, and that is completely fine. I had always planned to go back to my job on Saipan anyway. I realize now I was not taking my own advice, and got swept up in the goals of others.

Not getting into the program I thought I should be doing made room for varied experiences and unexpected friendships. Stepping aside from what I thought I ought to do, second-guessing preferences, sparked new legs to grow. My advice to anyone looking to take on the MBA at Oxford is lean in, let go, and enjoy the ride. You won’t have time to jump into every opportunity that comes your way, but try to get involved with topics and with people to which you would not typically gravitate. Oxford is a dreamland, and now I’m prepared, and excited, to get back to real life for real impact.