Read the full story, published by the Tuck School of Business.

Trained as a Navy Seal, Dave Dauphinais, Tuck ’18, had one of the most physically demanding and mentally challenging positions in the U.S. Armed Forces.

He was deployed overseas five times and traveled all over the world to war-torn countries. But as he explained to the Tuck graduating class of 2018, despite all this experience, he still found himself humbled when he arrived at Tuck to begin his education.

“When I started here at Tuck, I found the transition hard,” said Dauphinais, who was nominated by his classmates to serve as class speaker on graduation day. “I had left behind an identity of 10 years in the Navy, and adjusting to this new world was very, very difficult and, at times, debilitating. I felt fog bound and adrift for the first time in my life.”

In his remarks, Dauphinais recalled an experience he had in 2008 that got him through this tough period.