Annike Cummings
“I love helping our class bond with one another and have a fun experience in MQM. That’s why I became treasurer of our MQM Association, where I assist with event planning across social, service, and wellness events, and in professional development. It has been very rewarding to help create community within our program.”
MQM: Business Analytics
My Program Track
Industry:
Prior Education:
California Polytechnic State University—San Luis Obispo
Economics, 2020
Why I Chose Fuqua
From studying quantitative analysis as an undergrad, I’ve known that I wanted to pursue a master’s degree and go into business analytics. Fuqua stood out because of the large alumni network and Team Fuqua spirit. Although the MQM program is relatively new, Fuqua alumni from other programs, who work in many roles at a huge number of companies, are willing to help. This Fuqua network has provided immense value by being incredibly open to connecting and supporting me throughout my career journey. Much of this can be attributed to the Team Fuqua spirit we live here--something that led me to Fuqua and has made my time here super enjoyable.
Before Fuqua
I participated in an Audit internship with KPMG prior to MQM, where I observed processes that could be more efficient with further analytics usage. However, currently there aren’t many professionals with advanced analytics backgrounds. This gap led me to pursue the MQM program—to gain skills businesses need to grow and become more efficient.
After Fuqua
I’m looking for business analyst and data analyst roles in the technology, consumer goods, and health care industries. I want to use data to tell stories and drive insights and growth for companies, but also to make a positive impact in the world.
5 Top Day Trips from Durham
- Wilmington, NC – a two-hour drive – Zeke’s, Wrightsville Beach, sky diving
- Asheville, NC – a three-hour drive – Biltmore, Grove Park Inn, hiking
- Charlotte, NC – a two-hour drive – professional sports (Hornets – NBA, Panthers – NFL, Charlotte FC (new soccer team) – MLS), futo buta (really good ramen), National White-Water Center, NASCAR Experience
- Raleigh, NC – a 30-minute drive – NC Capitol Building, Dorothea Dix Park, Caroline Hurricanes – NHL, museums, lots of concerts (Red Hat, the Ritz, Walnut Creek)
- Boone, NC – a three-hour drive – skiing at Sugar Mountain, Appalachian State University – college town
My Favorite Professor
One of my favorite professors at Fuqua was our Critical Thinking and Collaboration professor, Jack Soll. Although we came to MQM primarily to build a quantitative toolkit, Jack Soll showed us how these softer skills would be critical in our roles as business analysts. He made the class incredibly engaging. Each class session would include an interactive group activity that connected to a real-world situation, prompting us to think about how we would act in a similar situation. We learned where issues might come up in business, and that if you make decisions without applying the skills we gained, there is a lot of room for error.