I Am The Stuff Of An Institution
by Mark Marino T'07

Hanover, NH: When I was a little boy, long before I became a Master of The Universe, I owned a teddy bear.  I called him Rufus and he was my best friend.  One day, Rufus's t-shirt ripped.  To stop the flow of tears, my mom told that I was loving him too hard.  That only made it worse.  Then she taught me a lesson that I'll never forget: it's not Rufus's clothing that matters, it's not his soft brown fur, no, it's the stuff inside.

I've lived by that mantra for the past 20 years.  So imagine my reaction when I saw the shiny dedication plaque in Rosenwald.  I got goosebumps all over my body.

Rufus was suddenly back in my life, looking over my shoulder after all these years:  it's the stuff inside that matters.  I am that stuff.  For Tuck.  I'm the stuff inside the institution.  I'm what counts. 

"So imagine my reaction when I saw the shiny plaque in Rosenwald.  I got goosebumps all over my body."

Without people like me, Tuck would be filled with soft-nosed marketing types who couldn't value their way out of a paper bag.  Without people like me, the middle- market firms would own this place.  I make a difference.  I am the very stuff that makes up this institution!  Me!  I matter!

And so do you.  You matter too.  You're stuff, just like me.  And stuff has responsibility.  So next time you're debating whether you should read the case or go to sleep--read the case.  Run the numbers.  Do the DCF.  And then run the comps and maybe even take a stab at an APV. 

You're the very stuff of this institution and you have a responsibility.  What you are, it will be.