Aidan Fitzgerald, Fuqua MBA Class of 2019
Age: 31
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Notre Dame, accounting
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 7 years, aerospace and defense industry
Why business school? Why now? I wanted to get a better understanding of how other smart people solved complex problems and ultimately afford myself the opportunity to hone my personal leadership skills outside the confines of the aerospace & defense industry. The why now is really because of two reasons: 1) some of my most respected mentors received their MBA around the same time in their career, and 2) given my career trajectory, I was probably at a perfect mesh point between what experience I’d gained to date and what information I needed to be a better leader.
Why Fuqua? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? I chose Fuqua because of the team. From the time I was a little kid, I’d always been part of a group, and I enjoyed the challenges and victories that came through teamwork. I wanted my MBA journey to be no different. I value the focus that Fuqua puts on achieving excellence as part of a team and the recognition that success isn’t a zero-sum game.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2019? I feel my contributions pale in comparison to a lot of my classmates, who bring phenomenal experiences and insight. If I had to choose something though, I think it would probably be organizing a Consulting Club mock interview week with 20 or so industry practitioners so that my peers could get some realistic interview experience prior to the grueling consulting interview process.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? My wife and I found out we were having a child three days after I submitted my deposit for Fuqua. I remember one of my first thoughts was “do student loans cover diapers?”
Post-MBA career interests? I’m interested in consulting and/or healthcare. I appreciate the broad skills and scope of problems that I could tackle in consulting, while as a cancer survivor, I am really intrigued with what is in store for the U.S. health care system in the foreseeable future.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Bounce your resume and essays off people you trust and who will tell you the truth. I remember sending my “final” resume to a mentor of mine and thinking I was in awesome shape. His one-line response to my email was, “This is crap. Call me later.” It was clear my subjectivity had hindered me, and his objectivity and perspective really helped me hone my core message in a compelling, cogent manner.
–One thing you would change or do differently? Make sure you don’t go through the process alone and be sure to talk to people that know you. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the “what do they want to hear” game instead of bringing your real self to the table. Friends and family can help you make sure you don’t lose sight of your values and interests.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? Definitely the wait. As a self-admitted Type-A personality, I HATED the fact that the decision was out of my hands after I hit “submit.” I found that staying active and continuing to invest myself at work really helped with that stress. Also, be sure to hit pause and enjoy—my wife and I took a mini-vacation after the process just to reset emotionally.
Greatest highlight so far at Fuqua? That’s easy (and not just because my wife would have a few choice words for me if I didn’t mention it): The birth of our son this past October. The outpouring of support from Fuqua was absolutely incredible and really highlighted what the Fuqua community is all about.
One thing about Fuqua that you didn’t expect before arriving? I think this goes back to the depth of “Team Fuqua.” I expected to have strong relationships at b-school and for people to be community oriented, but I didn’t expect those relationships to be as deep or personal as they’ve become at Fuqua. What really blew me away was how committed people are to each other here and how much of a family Fuqua has become.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year? Making the transition to a successful summer internship. I am coming from a very narrow industry scope (aerospace and defense) and am anxious about performing at a high level in a new industry. I think Fuqua has prepared me to succeed, but there is always just some anxiety that comes with the unknown.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? It’s a bit of a cop-out answer since I listed it as an anxiety, but I am really excited about all of the open canvas in front of me. I can go in any direction with my career and interests, and that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity afforded to very few people.
