This post was written by Duke MBA student Piero Arrigoni in October 2014. Piero interned at ARISE Academy through an Education Pioneers Fellowship. Piero’s internship was made possible with the support of the Summer Internship Fund.
Before Fuqua, I worked as a process manager for a Chilean steel structure manufacturing business. I would never have expected that I would have the opportunity to spend my summer in New Orleans helping to achieve quality education for hundreds of underprivileged children. That is certainly an example of the many transformational experiences one can go through as a Duke MBA.
I first heard about Education Pioneers from a fellow classmate during my first term at Fuqua, and I was immediately sold. Education Pioneers is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to transform the education sector into the best-managed sector in the United States, therefore allowing every child to get access to high quality education. Every year they place graduate school professionals in internship positions at more than 180 leading educational institutions across the nation. The opportunity to use my business skills and experience to help others, and to learn about the education sector (something I have been always interested in) motivated me to seek this internship.
As an Education Pioneer Summer Fellow, I was placed in ARISE Schools, a New Orleans organization that manages two charter schools, ARISE Academy and Mildred Osborne Charter School. Their mission is not an easy one. Their students are some of the most underprivileged children in a school district that has historically performed well below the country’s average academic score. Getting their students to read and write at a basic proficiency level requires top teachers and excellent management professionals.
During my internship, I worked directly with the organization’s COO, revising the school’s five-year budget and making recommendations to improve the grant application process, among other things. Aside from the practical work experience, what I appreciated the most about this internship was the cohort of talented people who decided to commit their lives and careers to the greater good, even amidst difficulties and less than ideal conditions.
I view the Fuqua MBA as one of few inflection points in my life. A moment in which I can dare to follow my dreams, re-imagine myself or simply try new things without fear of failure. As my classmates look back to our first year MBA experience and prepare ourselves for the coming year, I hope we all continue to take risks and make the most out of this opportunity that has been handed to us. We should strive to remember the lessons we learned from our mistakes; rather than regret the paths we did not follow. By doing so we will truly transform ourselves in to the courageous leaders that will make the world a better place.
The Summer Internship Fund (SIF) enables first year Duke MBA-Daytime students to learn about the rewards and challenges of social sector management without making a significant financial sacrifice. In addition, the program enables organizations that otherwise could not afford to hire MBA student interns to benefit from students’ expertise. The SIF has supported more than 150 students, distributed nearly $470,000, and helped to further the mission of many nonprofit and government organizations. Funds are raised through student fundraising and from donors who believe in the mission of the program. If you would like to contribute, you can donate online.