Laura Gardiner

“I assumed that I would seek extracurricular activities at Fuqua that were similar to activities I’d participated in in the past. However, once here I found a strong desire to use my business school experience to get involved in activities unlike anything I’d ever done before—like FuquaVision, a sketch comedy club. This has contributed to a lot of learning and fun.”

Daytime MBA

Class of 2019

Industry:

Financial Services

Prior Education:

University of Southern California
Accounting, 2013

Hometown:

Pasadena, California

Nationality:

USA

Why I Chose Fuqua

I applied Early Action to Fuqua because I was certain it was the best place for me to continue my education.

First, I was attracted to the quarter system because it allows students to build a strong cross-functional foundation without having to dedicate the entire year to a required core curriculum.

Second, I loved that Fuqua places students into a wide variety of roles, including traditional consulting and investment banking, but also marketing and general management in meaningful numbers. I felt strongly that this would translate into a lot of help from the Career Management Center no matter what I decided to pursue right after Fuqua and beyond.

Finally, I was enamored with the Team Fuqua spirit. I know that I thrive in collaborative environments, and my campus visit to interview only solidified my decision.

5 Great Breakfast Spots in Durham

Elmo’s Diner has classic diner-style brunch, including eggs, pancakes, and waffles.
Enjoy great food at Nosh, complete with eclectic décor and a community-oriented vibe.
I really love the chai latte and oat balls at Cocoa Cinnamon, a hip coffee shop right by the Station Nine apartments.
Monuts is home to the best donuts I’ve had in Durham so far.
Foster’s Market features a gourmet food market and a cute café.

My Life Before Fuqua

I worked for 4 years as an international tax consultant at both Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers. I loved that my public accounting experience gave me broad exposure to a lot of different industries, but ultimately, I really found myself gravitating toward the financial services sector.

My Life After Fuqua

I hope to transition from client service to a decision support corporate finance role for a financial services company.

My Fuqua Activities

FuquaVision (Sketch Comedy)

2018 Orientation Team

Association of Women in Business

Global Academic Travel Experiences–South Africa

My Summer Internship Experience

This summer, I will be pursuing a finance internship at American Express in their New York City office.

What I Love About the Fuqua Network

I love the fact that most Fuquans didn’t come to school with a preexisting network of friends. From Day 1, almost everyone is essentially starting over, and while that can be intimidating at first, it really facilitates a very tight-knit environment that no doubt contributes to our team mentality.