The Spirit of Belief

Molly Nunn is a new addition to the Wake Forest Schools of Business student blog. She recently completed her first semester in the Evening MBA program.

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Happy New Year and Happy ‘Start to Another Semester! Since this is my first time writing for the Wake Forest Schools of Business blog, I would like to take a brief moment to discuss my background. I graduated from Wake Forest  as an undergrad in 2006, with a major in English and a minor in Journalism, I set out with the desire to find my “fit” in the working person’s world. Growing up and going to a very small high school - my graduating class had a staggering 23 people - I had the unique opportunity to get to know and spend time with my teachers. Because I so greatly admired them, I decided to try my hand at teaching.

So I found myself in middle school. Ah, the land of bliss … or rather the land of nervous twitches when a text arrives (“R U going to the movies l8r?”), 8^th grade girls all with matching Uggs and 7 Jeans (“Omg!”), and the curtain of oblivion starts to rise as the birds finally discover the bees (“will u b my gf?”) This became my world and as my teachers had inspired me, I hoped to instill in my students the same passion for learning and discovery that I had gained long ago.

I was given the rare and very special opportunity to work with middle schoolers who have learning and attention disorders. We work one-on-one and I teach my students social studies in ways that are geared towards their strengths, and then use those strengths to work on their weaknesses. Currently being in my fourth year of this position, I have truly gained a profound respect for those in the teaching profession and certainly those that work with children with various type of learning difficulties. It has been greatly fulfilling to me and it brings me such joy when former students return to my office to update me on their triumphs and simply their lives.

Although teaching has meant a great deal to me, I decided it was time to set new goals and ultimately change careers. Part of this motivation was a result of my personality and aspirations in other parts of my life. As a semi-professional distance runner whose grand goal is to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials, I have a great passion and determination for setting high goals for myself. When analyzing my current career and my hopes for my life’s work, I started researching graduate p rograms and schools that fit my personality and career goals. I was immediately drawn to business school.

Even though I am not the “typical” MBA student with a business background, there was something so very intriguing to me about this foreign world. I was drawn to its fast pace, to the goal-oriented people I met who also had high hopes and great passions for their future, and to the intellectual curiosities and challenges that business seemed to bring with it. I wanted in.

Researching schools was somewhat daunting because I was still unsure about many things, but all along the choice seemed clear; a Wake Forest MBA. Upon contacting the school, I received immediate responses and invitations to come and view what the school’s MBA programs were all about. From the admissions staff, to the facilities, to the efficiency in which events were run, and to the friendliness and willingness of professors, staff, and students to meet with me, I knew it was time to return “home” to Wake Forest. I was absolutely elated when I received the phone call that let me know I had been ACCEPTED!

Without looking back, I dove into my first semester. The line up; Financial Accounting with Bern Beatty (right), Quantitative Methods with Pat McMullen, and Organizational Behavior with Chet Miller. At first, accounting felt like I had just taken off face-first into the Arctic Ocean. ‘Wow!’ Getting back into the swing of things after a few years outside of school was … challenging. However, after a few weeks and getting to further know my wonderful classmates - we had the opportunity to get to know each other at a ‘Team Building’ Day during Orientation - I was good to go. And the rest of the semester fell into place.

Looking back on the first semester, I not only took a big sigh of relief but a sigh of gratitude. The experiences that I had, the classes, clubs, and organizations I have gotten involved in, and the people that I have been given the opportunity to know easily reached the status of “priceless” to me. Moving forward, I simply cannot wait to see what the future will bring not only for me, but also for each of the WFU MBA students. There is simply a wealth of opportunity just waiting and I find the challenges exciting. And in the spirit of belief that goals can be achieved, I wish everyone a very happy 2010.