Daniel Hope ’23

I wanted an MBA to help jumpstart my post-military career. I was looking for a business education, a network of people from diverse career backgrounds, and access to employers at high-performing organizations. Meeting Yale SOM students during the interview process made me realize right away that this was the place for me. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and I felt an immediate connection that’s continued. My classmates are a big part of my day-to-day life in New Haven. I routinely bump into friends while having coffee, going grocery shopping, or going to the gym.

Something that has touched me most is just how much people go out of their way to help each other, both in the classroom and in the recruiting process. Instead of focusing on competition or self-promotion, my classmates have always given each other tips and advice, letting everyone know about great employment opportunities and helping out each other as much as possible.

One thing I’ve always considered important is finding ways to keep developing and growing in different areas of life. Yale SOM is all about this kind of personal development. It’s expanded my understanding of both business and people.

The integrated core curriculum shows you how deeply business and society are intertwined, and how powerfully they impact each other. Seeing how a takeaway from one course leads into a lesson in another course, and then seeing how all the parts contribute to the whole, has been transformative. This understanding of the connectedness is something all business leaders today need. Learning this in an environment where I’m interacting with classmates who come from such a variety of backgrounds has taught me a lot about listening and effective teamwork.

The Career Development Office was pivotal in helping me secure the right internship. They connect us to employers and sponsor employment events that let us interact with people from a wide variety of firms. My classmates, too, played a role. The Finance and Technology clubs broadened my understanding of the industries I was interested in, and second-year classmates helped me target the best fits and prepare for interviews. The Veterans Club has been another resource, providing a pool of likeminded mentors and peers who’ve been great at providing advice and guidance during my transition out of the military.