Nathan Hixson, Duke Fuqua MBA Class of 2021
Age: 30
Hometown: Kingsport, TN
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Brigham Young University; Business Management (Finance)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry):
I worked for 5 years in community development finance. The fund where I worked provided capital to cooperatively owned firms and manufacturing housing communities. We underwrote general business loans to community- and employee-owned companies and financed leveraged buyouts of small businesses by employees.
Why business school? Why now?
I decided my interests lie in taking my “on-the-ground” community finance experience and having that influence work for larger capital providers in the ESG or socially responsible investing space. Business school is an opportunity for me to learn deeply about and connect with financial firms that capitalize businesses focused on addressing social and environmental problems.
I’ve already enjoyed the tools Fuqua has provided to help me discover my strengths and leadership style. I knew an unfathomable amount of resources (e.g. articles, databases, career coaches, professors) would be at my disposal in business school, and I was excited to use these to maximize my learning and potential while in school.
Why Duke Fuqua? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I visited all five schools I applied to and attended classes, spoke with students that had similar career interests, and learned about their centers for social entrepreneurship or impact investing. Fuqua’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) was incredibly impressive with classes, on-campus internships, speaker series, and strong connections to firms with whom I want to work.
CASE was the largest factor in my business school choice, especially the CASE i3 Fellowship where teams of students, over the course of a year, solve a real-world problem for an impact investment firm.
Other factors that drew me to Fuqua included the culture really “walking the walk” and the emphasis on work in teams that simulates how modern business actually functions. Fuqua starts earlier in August than most schools in order to give first-year students a dedicated mini-term on effective teamwork, building leadership, and global economic institutions. This foundation Fuqua builds from the very beginning just makes so much sense that I don’t know why other schools haven’t copied it.
Finally, living in affordable, beautiful North Carolina for a couple of years and eating this state’s BBQ as much as possible very much appealed to me.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2021?
I think bringing a background that is strong in finance but also in community development is a unique combination that contributes to my class.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I have been obsessed with the alt-rock band Guster since childhood and have seen them in concert four or five times. In a high school pottery class, I made a plaque featuring all of their album cover art.
Post-MBA career interests?
Any career at the intersection of finance and social progress or community development. I’m still researching and open to finding something I don’t even know exists right now, but bringing capital to businesses making the world a safer, greener, and more just place is the goal.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Interview students at schools of interest. I looked up clubs I knew I’d want to join and emailed the club leadership to set up calls.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
I wish I had started researching and studying for the GMAT earlier!
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The essays were no fun (except Fuqua’s 25 Random Things; I actually enjoyed that one). You just have to start jotting down ideas when they come to you while at work and once you have enough decent ideas, getting starting writing doesn’t feel like square one.
What is your initial impression of Duke Fuqua’s students/culture/community?
Since I had visited before applying, I wasn’t surprised that Duke Fuqua culture was everything it’s cracked up to be. I’ve enjoyed incredibly helpful and supportive classmates and professors that have already gone out of their way to make sure I’m getting what I need to learn what I want.
One thing you have learned about Duke Fuqua that has surprised you?
The mini-term at the beginning of the Fuqua experience isn’t business-school-lite. You hit the ground running with tests and papers and everything.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Figuring what internships I should focus on. So many internships I’ve read about could be interesting and instructive but determining which will be the best for my career will be a challenge.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I’m looking forward to taking some of the great electives that are offered once I finish the core coursework this fall.
