Fellows of SOM: Lucy Brice ’27, Consortium Fellowship

Why did you pursue this fellowship, and what does it mean to you?

If you asked me a few years ago whether I planned to attend graduate school, I would have said no, and cited a lack of financial means as my primary reason. But my undergraduate sorority advisor, who knew I was studying business and recognized my high level of campus involvement, encouraged me to look into the Consortium if I ever decided to pursue an MBA. Although my concerns about affordability did not immediately disappear, I tucked that conversation away in the back of my mind.

When I finally decided to begin my application journey, I attended Consortium information sessions to determine whether I would be a strong candidate. Commitment to service was emphasized in every webinar, which resonated with me and prompted me to reflect on how service had always been foundational to my family. As a first-generation college graduate raised on the Haitian values of legliz, lekòl, ak la kay—“church, school, and home”—I developed a deep commitment to community, service, and education. These values shaped my belief in expanding resources to create opportunities for underserved communities. Long before I knew what the Consortium was, I had already spent years supporting low-income and first-generation students in achieving college and career success. This experience gave me the confidence that I would be a strong fellow—and, most importantly, helped me see the MBA as attainable.

How does your status as a fellow impact the way you engage with your community and contribute to your overall SOM experience?

I consider myself an introvert who is actively learning to put herself out there and meet new people. Being a fellow has given me an additional community, and meeting my cohort during the Consortium’s annual orientation program in July was especially impactful, as it allowed me to begin the academic year with a few familiar faces. Although the MBA spans two years, the time passes quickly. Having that sense of familiarity helped me focus on other aspects of acclimating—such as learning my way around New Haven and developing strong time-management skills as a student—without falling into social isolation.

Because a strong sense of community is important to me, I feel a personal responsibility as a fellow to be intentional when I enter a space. I try to look around and notice if someone seems nervous and alone (feelings I know well) and offer to be a familiar face. I hope doing so eases their nerves and encourages them to fully maximize their experience in that space.

What lessons have you learned that will help you contribute to business and society at SOM and beyond?

The most valuable lessons I will bring to SOM and beyond include resilience, discipline, and adaptability, which I forged through an unconventional extracurricular: training for beauty pageants. As the daughter of immigrants, I learned early to create opportunity from limited resources, and pageantry became my arena for growth; I had to fundraise to compete, balance jobs and community service, and prepare with the rigor of an athlete. Losing a major competition after years of effort taught me that true success lies not in titles but in consistency, preparation, and perseverance.

At SOM, these lessons guide how I approach challenges and teamwork, reminding me to stay encouraged amid uncertainty and push through setbacks. Beyond business school, I will carry this discipline and adaptability into my career, where navigating ambiguity, building resilient organizations, and finding solutions amidst constraints are essential to driving impact.

What’s one highlight of this experience?

I truly enjoy being a student again. Being back in the classroom, which was made possible through my fellowship, has allowed me to discover new subjects of interest, develop perspectives that shape how I interpret and respond to current events, and expand the tool kit I’m excited to bring back into the world post-MBA.

Learning isn’t limited to formal education, but I found it difficult during my pre-MBA career to balance work responsibilities with recreational learning, due to the pressure I felt to constantly produce results. Although the pace of my day-to-day life hasn’t changed much since my time in corporate (I’m still busy!), it’s now filled with studying, recruiting, and extracurriculars instead of work projects. I appreciate having this season to lean into my intellectual curiosity and aim to bring that into my routine post-MBA.

What advice do you have for other students interested in this fellowship?

Don’t overlook the details of your past. When putting together a fellowship application, it’s easy to strive for perfection and focus on crafting the “perfect answer.” In reality, candidates can stand out for the stories and experiences they may not yet have paused to examine.

Once I took the time to reflect, I realized there are many pieces to the puzzle of who you are today and who you are becoming. Ask yourself why you made certain choices and how those decisions propelled you to where you are today, and be proud of your accomplishments. Reflect deeply rather than obsessing over wordsmithing.