“Stay the course, be committed to your goals, and never stop learning.” JULY 3, 2020 | BY LILY ZHU Charlotte currently resides in NYC and...

"The most important thing I learned at Duke was to be reflective about myself, and to know my values so I could put them into practice."

“Embrace a growth mindset and continue to push yourself to learn new things and expand your comfort zone”

"Getting exposure to C-suite level executives from Fortune 500 companies at BOW functions inspired me and opened my mind to new careers."

“Being President of BOW was the most rewarding experience I had at Duke, and I am so proud of the way that BOW always continues to grow."

"When your future is not clearly mapped out, and that can feel paralyzing. Just know that your first job will likely not be your last job."

"I've learned that if you want something, you have to take the initiative to make it happen."

"You’re not going to get things right the first time. Don’t be too hard on yourself."

"Just because something doesn’t happen the first time doesn’t mean it can’t happen later. There isn’t one way to get to your ultimate goal."

"I realized in life you can only achieve your goals by taking risks. Every successful person has taken risks and failed."

"We as women need to keep working to support each other. Just because a woman is young doesn’t mean she’s not ready to lead."

"[Do] not put pressure on yourself to find the perfect first job. Just make sure that you are being thoughtful in each experience."

"The biggest challenge was learning to tune out what other people thought I should do and focus on what I believed was best for me."

"Duke prepared me very well to be successful at McKinsey, and McKinsey has done a great job training me [...] and empowering me to do well."

"I probably wouldn’t have had a career in finance had it not been for my early start in the industry through meeting BOW women."

"I would advise students to really define success for themselves. The most successful people are the ones who love what they do."

"It’s respectable to bring a sense of humility when it comes to lack of experience, but combine it with an attitude of wanting to learn."

"Passions don’t happen overnight; it often starts as an interest. The best way to find a passion is to begin with fostering your interests."

"Don't waste any time building something people don't want. The groundwork for building a business lies in understanding the customers."

"Don't feel limited trying to find experiences that exactly replicate a target career–try to see how your experiences are interconnected."