Bryant Narvaez, Dartmouth Tuck MBA Class of 2027
Age: 29
Hometown: Bethlehem, PA
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Penn State University, Bachelors of Energy, Business, Finance
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Product Owner, Professional Services, Bain & Company, 3.5 years; Sales Operations Analyst, FinTech, Worldpay, 2.5 years
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I was working in tech and operations for most of my career and the thing I loved most about my roles was the project work involved at every level: analyst, senior analyst, and manager. Two years before matriculation, I had a 360-degree review of my interests and intrinsic motivators in the context of my career and came to realize I thrive the most in environments where I’m working with teams on hefty problems side-by-side. I’m a team player through-and-through for work, class, friendships, sports, everything. I concluded business school was the perfect opportunity for a reset of my career and align myself with the motivators I most adore. I decided now (six years of experience) was the right time to pursue b-school because I had enough time to experience multiple roles and decide I want to take a different direction.
Why did you choose Dartmouth Tuck? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Tuck fit my MBA thesis to a T: community, energy, general management. I grew up valuing family over everything. As a first generation everything here in the U.S., my family emphasized sticking together and looking out for one another. Tuck has one of the most tight-knit communities I’ve ever witnessed, and their alumni network is strong and incredibly helpful. Because I studied energy in college, I wanted a school that offered energy programming in some form to allow exploration. Tuck has the Revers Center for Energy, Sustainability, and Innovation which has tools, speakers, partnerships, trips, courses, and much more to allow for that exploration. In terms of General Management, the answer is in the name – general. Having a core curriculum where everyone learns the same principles to start creates bonding opportunities and sets people up for careers in areas like consulting and general management.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2027?
My perspective is quite valuable. My perspective has many dimensions, and I bring the different dimensions to my day-to-day activities and decisions at Tuck. For example, being an Ecuadorian American has allowed me to integrate with both the Latin community and Hispanic American community here at Tuck. Another dimension is my Boston experience. There are many classmates that are exploring the idea of living in Boston for the first time. As someone who’s lived there for over five years, I’ve jumped at every opportunity to help answer any questions, provide recommendations, and schedule activities for our upcoming city trek.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I’ve driven a stick shift car since I was twenty years old. Driving stick in the U.S. isn’t as common as driving stick in other parts of the world. I find it fun and at Tuck I’ve been teaching others how to drive stick!
Post-MBA career interests:
Consulting; energy
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Allow plenty of time for introspection. Introspection helps create a coherent and clear applicant story, and admissions officers like clear and coherent stories.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would allow more time for test prep. Getting the test out of the way early helps get rid of the burden and gives you the most time to focus on writing essays and networking with students.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
If I could snap my fingers and have all my essays be done, that would be it. That was one of the most cumbersome activities given the vast amount of proofreading, researching, reviewing, and striving for easy to read yet compelling essays. My MBA prep program, first- and second-year MBA students, and those I’m closest to in my network helped me get through the essay writing portion of the application.
What is your initial impression of the Dartmouth Tuck students/culture/community?
Very strong community with a lot of Tuck/Dartmouth pride. I’ve never been to the woods like this before, yet everyone makes the experience welcoming with the amount of programming available to students to ease into the experience. Prior to orientation, me and thirty other first-years went on a two-day outdoor hiking trip—it was awesome. Tuck also has a tradition called tripod hockey, which is beginner-friendly amateur ice hockey in which your stick must stay on the ice at all times. Most of us don’t know what we’re doing on the ice, but we’re having tons of fun doing it. Every weekend I get to experience a new tradition. The Tuck students are exactly how I imagined they would be: collaborative, nice, funny, hardworking, and smart.
What student organizations have you joined/are you hoping to join and why?
I’ve been most involved with the Consortium and the soccer (“Futbolitos”) club. I was involved with the Consortium since before Tuck and have continued strengthening the bonds with my other classmates in that organization through small group dinners, barbecues, and study sessions. Futbolitos play in the field next to my apartment, so it was a no-brainer to get involved.
I hope to join the Hispanic American Student Association (HASA) and Tuck Admissions Associates (TAA). I want to share my culture experiences unique to me through HASA and I want to help build the next class of Tuckies through participation in admissions events handled through TAA.
What is one thing you have learned about Dartmouth Tuck that has surprised you?
I was surprised with how much you can do in the Upper Valley. There are hikes for days, trails, local towns, biking paths, farmers markets, and so much more. This place is great for those that want to explore locally and bond with their classmates through outdoorsy activities.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
I look forward to traveling with my classmates! Whether on domestic trips or international trips, I want to make more memories. There are treks being scheduled left and right and I’ll be going to as many as possible.
