Jane Cavalier ’23

I pursued an MBA because I wanted a skill set in financial analysis and strategy that would enable me to advise organizations on achieving their missions. Since I planned to pivot from the art world to finance, I needed a school with a strong track record of supporting career switchers. SOM had the largest alumni base of people with similar experiences, and I was drawn to the school’s tight-knit community. Coming from a nonprofit background, I was also excited about the integrated core curriculum as an opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view on the different types of roles and perspectives that a business leader must be able to take on.

I knew coming into the MBA that I wanted to recruit for an investment banking role, and the Finance Club has been a formative part of my experience. Each year, the second-year club members help prepare the first-years for interviews. I’m incredibly grateful to have had these brilliant, kind mentors who dedicated time each week to teaching and mock interviewing me. I credit the club with helping me land my dream internship. Now, as a second-year student, I’m helping train the next class of SOM bankers. It’s a joy to be part of a community of such driven, fun, and inspiring people. 

One of the coolest experiences I’ve had was participating in a two-week trip to India with 30 of my classmates, led by a group of our Indian peers. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the country through their eyes and to get to know the places they call home. One of my favorite experiences was having cocktails at the house of one of our trip leaders, Aakash Dattani, in Mumbai. It was very special to be welcomed into the space where Aakash grew up and to meet his family. We traveled to six different cities in two weeks and got a sense of the rich cultural diversity of the different regions.