Coincidences from Engineering to Consulting
When I first came to Michigan, I hadn’t even heard of consulting. At Festifall, I expected to sign up for a handful of engineering clubs as an Industrial and Operations Engineering major, nothing more. Having just moved from Singapore, where I spent middle school and high school, I didn’t know many people on campus, or even the kinds of things students usually got involved in.
That’s when a small coincidence changed everything. The only other person from my high school class who came to Michigan told me about BOND, because an alumnus from Singapore had told him to check it out. I had no idea what consulting was, but I applied. I didn’t get in that first semester, but I loved the culture of the club so much after going to the mass meeting that I applied again the next semester. This time, I got in.
I’ll never forget that moment. I opened my phone to find five congratulatory texts from numbers I didn’t even recognize. That was when I realized BOND wasn’t just a club; it was a family.
From then on, the support was constant. In the beginning, I got help with things as simple as downloading PowerPoint, and by the time I was recruiting, I was leaning on members for case prep, advice, and encouragement. Along the way, I worked on projects that taught me how to think like a consultant, and I even carried those skills into internships where I worked with actual consulting firms.
Now, going into my senior year, I can say with 100% certainty that I wouldn’t be where I am today—starting a career in an industry I hadn’t even heard of before college—without BOND. More than the professional preparation, though, it’s the people I’m most grateful for. I’ve learned from them, laughed with them, and leaned on them, and I know that wherever I end up after graduation, I’ll always have the BOND alumni network to count on, whether for a barbecue, a pickup run, or just to catch up.
And before all of that, I’m just excited for one more year with this group. Whether it’s the Chicago trips, cabin weekends, getting humbled at senior roasts, or hitting the golf course, I know it’ll be with some of the coolest, most interesting people on campus. That’s what makes BOND so special—and why I can’t wait to make the most of this last year.