My Journey to Harvard
When I was growing up in India, my father would always talk about Harvard. Listening to him as a young child, I knew Harvard was one of the best schools in the world.
When I moved to the U.S. in 2017 and I started thinking about continuing my education, I could only think about Harvard. But how? I was already working and I was also planning to have a family. That’s when I learned about Harvard Extension School — this was something I could actually start working on along with achieving other goals in my life.
I started with a graduate certificate in Principles of Finance in 2019. That’s exactly when the whole journey started — there was no looking back.
How Harvard Impacted My Career
Because the finance master’s degree covered all the core concepts of finance, it helps me every day with the work I do, especially with financial analysis and risk analysis.
The best thing was how we could actually apply the concepts we learned to real-world scenarios. For example, I took the course “Business Analysis and Valuation” and by the end of the course, we determined the worth of a company, which would help a potential investor decide whether to invest in it or not.
The degree has been valuable for the work I do now, but I also intend to use it for a broader career pivot. In the future, I would like to transition into another role, and this degree will definitely help me get there.
Cutting-Edge Coursework and Committed Faculty
Several of my courses surprised me. Statistics, one of the admissions courses, was particularly challenging for me because I hadn’t been in touch with the topic for a long time. But both the instructor and the teaching assistant were always ready to answer questions, review the material, and help with assignments.
The instructors are just phenomenal and Harvard Extension School always emphasizes continuous growth. I studied alongside students from all over the world, and the conversations and perspectives meant we were all learning from each other and growing together.
Looking at those brilliant minds around me, I realized it had transformed a decade-plus of professional experience into a deeply rooted confidence in who I am today, while opening my eyes to how much more I still want to learn and grow tomorrow.
On Campus for Active Learning Weekends
My first active learning weekend was Applied Behavioral Economics with Professor David McIntosh, and my second was Economic Tools for Business Decision Making. The on-campus experience is amazing; the weekends are intense but very rewarding.
Professor McIntosh’s lectures were so well organized, and the team activities and group exercises meant our class gelled well together. The networking was the best part; when I left Boston, I had a bunch of new friends, both professionally and on LinkedIn.
Balancing Harvard with Work and Family
Honestly, it’s hard. It’s very challenging, and it gets overwhelming at times. But that’s when I remind myself why I’m doing what I’m doing.
I had my first daughter when I started working on my certificate, and my second daughter was only three months old when I came to campus for my first active learning weekend.
I used to plan a lot every week before the lectures. I set aside blocks of time to listen to or attend the lectures live, time for reviewing the material, and time for working on the assignments right away. I set my goals for the week and stuck to them without deviating or procrastinating.
I want to set an example for my daughters. I want to teach my daughters that if you have the willpower, the passion, and the drive, you can definitely achieve all you want in your life. We don’t have to be perfect all the time, but we shouldn’t regret that we didn’t try.
A Transformation
Standing in Harvard Yard during Commencement week, it clicked that this was not just about adding a prestigious name to my resume. It was so much more about the change, the transformation that took place during this journey, and that will continue beyond it.
I didn’t expect how deeply the experience would reshape how I view my own capabilities. Looking at those brilliant minds around me, I realized it had transformed a decade-plus of professional experience into a deeply rooted confidence in who I am today, while opening my eyes to how much more I still want to learn and grow tomorrow.
