Yes The Senator Still Exists

Posted by thesenator2014 on April 25, 2013 · 2 Comments 

Go ahead and say it–I’ve been MIA. Guilty as charged.

It’s been a heck of a month for me personally here at Tuck and outside of Hanover. Where do I begin? Well first of all I’ve done exactly what I warned you all against in a previous post. I’m over-committed to leadership initiatives here on campus. I won’t even begin to name what I’ve got myself involved with but I even know I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.

In the midst of filling and already overflowing plate of activities, I ended up finding myself in the middle of Fellowship interviews for the Investment Bank I’m working at this summer, which back and forth to New York. Needless to say, while I’ve been extremely exhausted–but I’ve also felt extremely rewarded by being able to start leaving a legacy here at Tuck and helping get the incoming class adjusted to life in Hanover.

New York, New York

About three weeks ago I traveled to New York for a series of interviews for a Fellowship with the company I’ll be joining this summer. Many of you who read my blog know where I’m going to be interning, but for the general public I’ve chosen not to disclose my place of employment… if you’re really that curious send me an e-mail at thesenator2014@gmail.com and I’ll indulge you. Anyways, as always it was an hour and half drive from Hanover to Manchester for a flight to LGA that always gets delayed. This time the delay only last two hours but by the time I got into the city I was exhausted. Never the less I mustered up the energy to meet up with a friend that night.

The next morning I woke up and slowly shimmied around my hotel room in a failed attempt to get ready in a timely manner. By the time I finished dressing I had five minutes for breakfast before I had to hop in a cab to get to my interview. I choked down a fruit cup and muffin and scooted out of the hotel. The weather was dreadful. It was raining sideways and my umbrella decided to press the eject button 20 seconds into my walk down the street to hail a taxi.

I finally arrived at my interviewing destination thinking I’m late and I rushed up to the holding tank on the 10th floor… Seemed like everyone who was interviewing was be late as well… thank goodness. Immediately I went from frazzled to relaxed and caught up with some friends I had met at my sell day in February. I was surprised at how many people were competing for the Fellowship. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t intimidated. By 9AM we got the stack of back-to-back-to-back interviews kicked off. It felt like second nature after going through the recruiting grinder.

I left the building feeling good, but unsure of myself. In all honesty, at that point I mentally shelved it and said to myself “It’s out of my hands, I gave it my best shot.” And I did. There were so many qualified candidates I felt it would honestly come down to the luck of the draw. I gathered my discombobulated suitcase (and it’s contents) from the floor of my hotel room met with another friend for lunch and screamed to the airport in a cab worried I would miss my flight. My flight got delayed seven hours. The airport bar made a lot of money off of me that afternoon/evening.

The following Tuesday at 11:00am on the dot I got a call from a 212 area code. I was nervous when I picked up the phone. Fifteen seconds in the anxiety balloon was popped… I got the Fellowship! I was ecstatic. What a ways I’ve come from struggling with my decision to come to Tuck, grinding through the recruiting season and now being honored with an Investment Banking Fellowship at a Top Bulge Bracket firm. Some things just can’t be explained in words and this is certainly one of them.

The Other Side of the Coin

After a week of celebration, I got a ring on my phone at 3:00PM the following Monday. My fiance was semi-frantic on the other line talking about how a bomb went off a block and a half away from her and there was total chaos in Boston–she hangs up abruptly. I turned on the news and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I called my fiance back, no answer. Texts were barely creeping through and reports of bombs being found throughout the city had me worried. Just a week ago I was riding high, now all I could think of was something happening to her.

In the midst of all this I had to go to class and deliver a speech for my communications course and as you can imagine, my mind was elsewhere and it showed. When I finished class I reconciled the fragility of the situation. It could have all disappeared so quickly. In the midst of my happiness I was reminded how delicate life is and how the things most important to you (which do not include a fellowship) can be taken away so suddenly. I thank God that my fiance was safe and sound and Boston is starting to heal. She actually came up to Hanover to great away from the craziness of it all and spend the weekend which was reassuring and comforting for both of us.

Into May

I can’t believe my first year is almost over. I’m sad–I don’t want it to end. In the meantime I have a goal of getting in 20 more rounds of golf before I have to hang my sticks up for the summer. New York is a bit daunting for me at this point. I’m feeling so unprepared but I’m also looking forward to learning a ton. In the meantime I’m going enjoy springtime in Hanover. You couldn’t really ask for a more beautiful setting to wrap up your first year in business school. The only thing that would make it better is having Hanover Country Club in my backyard. Oh wait. It is.

Filed under About Me, Bloggling, Internship, Interviews, Recruiting, Road to MBA, Tuck School of Business, Uncategorized · Tagged with fellowships, hanover country club, investment banking recruiting, leadership initiatives, leaving a legacy, Tuck School of Business