"I arrived in Ithaca believing that college would prepare me for a career—idealistically, one where I could make a discovery that would change the world," Rachel Krug '04 writes in a Cornellians "Chime In" column. "I did not realize that, in addition to my education, Cornell would prepare me to navigate ambiguity, build resilience, and remain confident under pressure.
"Years later, as a business executive leading a cross-functional team, I found myself in a room where my strategy and vision documents were challenged line by line. I had to absorb objections, respond with curiosity, and clarify trade-offs with as much data and foresight as possible.
"Cornell had already trained that muscle: I knew I could revise and enhance my work without losing my confidence."
