“I had never been out of South Dakota. … The memory that comes back is driving out to Stanford with the U-Haul trailer, being in the fast lane in traffic and horns honking, people pointing and screaming at me. I asked myself, ‘What the hell did I get myself into?’ I mean, literally I didn’t even realize that there was a fast lane and a slow lane! Once I got on campus, it was very, very easy to adjust. … Stanford put an emphasis on prior work experience, and so I was able to learn from my classmates as well as the professors. The whole experience was, I’d say, crucial to any success I’ve had in my business career.”
– Gary Pechota, MBA ’74, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, is part owner of DT Track Consulting, a business involved in Indian health care. Pechota reflected on his career for Winds of Change, a magazine that focuses on education and career advancement for Native Americans.
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