By Courtney Zerrenner
Sachin Dixit (Class of 2017) has spent the majority of his life in India, and he is now entering his second year at Darden. Before Darden, Sachin completed his undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics at the Indian Institute for Technology, where he studied nuclear physics and quantum physics, specifically their implementation in medical diagnosis. Following the completion of his engineering degree, he worked for seven years at Futures First in Gurgaon, India, as a trader specializing in interest rate markets.
Sachin was drawn to Darden after making connections with several alumni. They sparked his interest in the Darden MBA program, which he then researched further. His undergraduate courses were taught using the lecture style method, and while researching Darden, he realized that the Darden uses the case study method. A strong supporter of the case study method, Sachin felt that Darden would be a good fit for his future goals and former work experience, in addition to his learning style preferences. Having completed his first year, he is currently interning at Jeffries in New York City as a Summer Associate, gaining valuable exposure to investment banking.
Although most parts of his first year at Darden were enjoyable, Sachin acknowledged that “it was like drinking from a fire hose” for the first six or seven months on Grounds. He explained that the intensity of the classes and the extracurricular activities forces Darden students to identify priorities, and by the middle of fall semester, Sachin learned to balance the activities that he had chosen. During the rush of first year at Darden, he chose to become involved in the Darden Photography Club and the Darden South Asia Society (DSAS). His involvement in the two clubs merged in the “Best of Darden Talent” event in April 2016. Next year, Sachin will serve as the president of the Darden Photography Club and hopes to continue several successful events and partnerships, including the relationship with Darden South Asia Society.
The Darden South Asia Society fosters relationships amongst Darden students of South Asian descent, students who are interested in the region, and showcases the culture of South Asia and its many variations to the greater Darden community. Sachin explained that the club is extremely diverse in representation, with students from Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries participating in events and programs. This past year, DSAS participated in the International Food Festival, put on an event for Holi in Flagler Court, and provided food for all of Darden at the “Diwali Cold Call” event.
For the coming year, Sachin will be serving as the Vice President for Marketing and Communications of DSAS, and he is looking forward to increasing involvement of current members, spreading the reach of DSAS events, and reaching other stakeholders, such as alumni and professors, who have formerly been uninvolved with DSAS. He acknowledged that his first year in DSAS, several events were under marketed yet were attended by a surprising number of students. Sachin hopes that effective planning and marketing with greatly expand the reach of DSAS, and he hopes to share the richness of experiences and cultures of the students in DSAS with more students, professors, and alumni of Darden.
Additionally, while at Darden, Sachin had the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival through the American Pavilion Cannes Film and Business Program in May 2016. The program is associated with an elective at Darden, “The Business of Film,” and ten Darden students participated in the group of around 130 students in the American Pavilion program. While in Cannes, Sachin worked for a production house for the entirety of the two-week festival, and he also managed to fit in over fifteen movie screenings over the two-week period. Most of the movies are not released yet to the general public, and Sachin loved the chance to see films ahead of their distribution date. He said that this two-week global program, overseen by Professor Yael Grushka – Cockayne, was his favorite experience thus far at Darden. He laughed as he explained that “it’s fun to be able to talk about a movie that hasn’t come out yet with your friends.”
While he enjoyed the bustle of first year, Sachin is looking forward to returning to his second year at Darden in August, with hopes for more time to devote to life outside of class. He plans to take advantage of the lighter work load by contributing more the clubs that he is already involved in and in events with his Darden classmates. Whether participating with his section at the Darden Cup, choosing photos for the Darden Art Project (DART), or planning for the next DSAS event, Sachin is excited for the opportunities that second year at Darden brings!
