During his time at Haas, Dank "actively sought out any experience with the word 'leadership' attached to it—implicitly or explicitly." He found no shortage of opportunities: He served as the MBA Association president and co-founded the Leadership Club. He also worked as a graduate student instructor in the Leadership and Leadership Communications classes.

"Students should know from their first day here that questioning and challenging the status quo is how Haas does business," says Dank. "Sustaining any cultural movement in a place with as transient a population as a business school is tough. What Haas is doing is creating a culture among not just the students, but among the faculty and administration that recognizes and rewards innovation year after year. That is leadership."

One of Dank's most innovative—and impactful—experiences was Peers@Haas, a leadership coaching program for students. "It taught me how to ask for feedback, acknowledge it, and incorporate it into my life," he says. "Haas is creating a feedback culture. That's something that will have lasting effect on me and on my approach to the people I'll be working with."

Dank describes his classmates as "shockingly well-rounded." And while he admits that his decidedly liberal arts academic background occasionally put him at a disadvantage, the collaborative nature of his coursework taught him to recognize and draw on the individual strengths of his peers. Dank learned "not to get in the way of the spreadsheet wizards" in his study group and they came to rely on his ability to express himself—and his team—using the written word.

"Being at Haas is about preparing yourself to act on your passion," he says. "Haas is a place where you can test and clarify your wildest ideas and bring them to fruition."