By Anisha Gurumurthy, master’s student in business administration

When I began searching for an MBA program, I was looking for a specific kind of rigor. I didn’t want a degree for the sake of the letters. I wanted a program that spoke the language of my technical background — one that lived at the intersection of business and STEM. RPI felt right from the start. 

Then, life happened. Halfway through the program, I became a mother. Suddenly, I was balancing a full-time career, a rigorous MBA, and a newborn all at once. Nothing in any syllabus prepares you for that kind of shift. Overnight, my carefully structured life became a blur of fragmented sleep and high stakes.

I showed up to my classes on two hours of rest, submitted assignments between feedings, and navigated a constant, internal tug-of-war. I was trying to be fully present in roles that each demanded 100% of me. There were weeks I ran purely on caffeine and determination, holding on to a quiet promise I made: I would not fail my family, and I would not fail myself.

In those moments of deep exhaustion, the RPI community became my lifeline. The people in the MBA program are truly what set it apart. My professors were  great mentors, and they were always just a call away. I was able to set up meetings to brainstorm ideas and talk through challenges at a moment's notice. That level of accessibility showed me how much they truly cared about my success both as a student and as a person.

These were leaders who had operated at the highest levels of industry, and they brought that humanity into the classroom. I remember a moment when I was completely overwhelmed, questioning if I could actually finish what I started. What kept me going was a professor who had walked through their own fires,  looking at me and saying, simply, "You’ve got this, keep going.” That had more of an impact than any motivational quote. 

The coursework demanded both intellectual bandwidth and character. Through immersive projects, I was forced to step into the shoes of a CEO. I had to trust my instincts, and lead under pressure — all while my personal life was teaching me those same lessons in real -time. This program both gave me tools and sharpened my perspective, making every lesson immediately applicable to the world outside the classroom.

Through every late night and every assignment, my family and my RPI community were right there beside me. My daughter won’t remember the exhausted mornings or the glow of my laptop screen at 2 a.m., but I will. I’ll remember crossing the finish line knowing I didn’t just survive — I grew.

This MBA is now a permanent part of my foundation. RPI gave me world-class mentors for life and a degree that commands respect, but more importantly, it gave me a resilience I didn’t know I possessed. I came looking for an MBA. I found out what I’m made of.