Each year we ask our classmates a straightforward, simple question taken from the lines of a poem by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Mary Oliver. We share with you intimate and candid responses to this question, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Concept and photography: Tony Deifell, MBA 2002.
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
I still remember the feeling of emptiness while evaluating my career prospects when I graduated college in 2015. With youth unemployment at 50%, I was entering the workforce in one of the worst job markets Greece had ever seen. I was an engineer aspiring to innovate, yet the world’s vibrant tech hubs felt out of reach.
A small startup of five was the antidote to my distress. Huddled around a laptop in a cramped, buzzing co-working space in Athens, our team competed with Goliaths, fueled only by our determination, creativity, and skill. My life started feeling meaningful again, but my dreams still felt bigger.
When I came to HBS, I thought I had finally made it. However, as I delved into the case discussions, my heart tugged me back across the Atlantic. I remembered the hopeful eyes in that co-working space and realized the power we held in our hands—the power to create opportunity for ourselves and for those who later joined us.
In the years to come, I want to create for others what was not available to me: a vibrant European startup ecosystem. One that will empower young dreamers to shape opportunities equal to their aspirations.
