Growing up, Ria Puri considered herself shy. Realizing her fear kept her from impactful conversations, experiences and potential memories, she crafted a new mantra for herself after deciding to attend Goziueta School of Business: Do what scares you.
“If you go outside of your comfort zone, your comfort zone is going to grow to encapsulate this new experience,” says Puri, who came to Emory from Johns Creek, Georgia, but spent several of her growing-up years in Shanghai and Bangalore. “The business program showed me that life is going to be scary, business school is scary, but if you do what scares you, challenge yourself and push yourself, you’ll slowly realize that your comfort zone just wasn't big enough for your potential.”
Puri started pushing herself early on at Goizueta when she decided to add another major in philosophy, politics and law. She says the decision to pursue two degrees helped her bring a unique perspective to the classroom.
In addition to her studies, Puri recognized the importance of community and became more involved around campus. During her senior year, Puri served as senior representative for the BBA Council, where she solved problems within the senior class and helped organize events. Additionally, she served as president of the Student Programming Council, which offers free events to all students across campus.
“When you’re programming day after day to benefit student life, that’s something very impactful because you’re here for the betterment of the student experience,” Puri says. “You understand that everybody on campus is working towards the same goals. One thing that was very profound to me was being able to advocate with deans, the provost and student leaders about how we can make the Emory student experience better.”
While Puri looks forward to starting her full-time job at McKinsey & Company in New York, she is taking time to celebrate her final moments at Goizueta.
“Something that the business school does so well is teaching students how to celebrate,” she says. “Through celebration, you build community. Goizueta does a great job of celebrating their students and keeping the morale up. That’s why I got involved … to help shape the culture. I wanted to help give back to the community by keeping the idea of celebration alive.”