What do you appreciate most about the pay-it-forward culture at Chicago Booth?
Elise Clark: Being in business school is overwhelming. You are trying to balance a social life, academic demands, and internship and job recruiting. When I started the program last year, I had no idea how valuable the Chicago Booth community would be for all those situations. I have had peers help me practice for interviews, explain complicated class concepts, and give me words of encouragement when I needed it most. It can be daunting as you navigate a lot of new circumstances, but I’ve found that having a community who prioritizes supporting one another and paying-it-forward is invaluable. It has made all the difference in my business school experience.
Stephen A. Kristiandi: Truth be told, one of the reasons I chose Booth to pursue my MBA was because of the pay-it-forward culture. It felt nice to be surrounded by down-to-earth people that are not only selfless, but also eager to share with each other. I always found it easy to reach out to someone at Booth (or even to alums) for help! There’s no judgment and no strings attached. This encourages other people to help and contribute as well, making this an endless cycle of giving, and in some ways or another, receiving help.
Cristal Powell: The Chicago Booth community is incredibly diverse and wide reaching. Couple that with Booth’s pay-it-forward culture and you have a network like no other! Whenever I’m looking to learn more about a subject or connect with someone, I can leverage either the student Slack channels or LinkedIn connections to find a resource. The best part is, every single person has benefited from the help of another Booth community member, so anyone you reach out to is not only willing to repay the favor, they’re eager to go above and beyond! I’m forever thankful that I get to be a part of this community.
Alexia Wiegandt: The pay-it-forward culture at Booth brings people together in more ways than one, it allows people to feel like they belong, and that their Booth community will always have their back. I also appreciate that it continues beyond graduation, every Booth alumnus I’ve met still embodies the pay-it-forward culture.