What Independence Means to a Middle-Class Boy | Power of an MBA

Independence means different things to different people. It isn't always about some grand idea of freedom. Sometimes, it is simply about having the freedom to build a life that your circumstances once made difficult to imagine.

It is being able to take an education loan to pursue an MBA, knowing that one day you can pay it back yourself. It is being able to choose the kind of work you want to do, the industry you want to be in, and the problems you want to solve — instead of simply taking whatever job comes your way.

It is being able to discover that you are good at something and actually get an opportunity to use that ability. To move into a leadership role. To change careers. To try a new function. To pursue a passion alongside your job. To start a side hustle. And, eventually, perhaps, to take the leap into entrepreneurship.

It is also the freedom that comes from having a network. A senior from your college who refers you for a job. An alumnus who helps you navigate a career transition. A batchmate who becomes a business partner. Someone who picks up your call years after graduation because you once sat in the same classroom. That network can become an invisible safety net.

That's what makes an MBA much more than a degree, at least to me. The education, skills, confidence, exposure and network can give someone something incredibly valuable: choices. And for someone who comes from a middle-class background, having more choices can fundamentally change the trajectory of a life.

Maybe that's what independence means to me today. Not having a perfect life. Not having unlimited money. But having enough financial independence, skills, confidence and relationships to decide what kind of life I want to build and having the courage to go after it.

Happy 80th Independence Day!