Darden MBA of the Week Grant Guess (Class of 2022) has had a unique path to Darden. His pre-MBA experience includes working for an education start-up in San Francisco, a creative company in Kentucky and a ranch in Montana supporting adults with autism. After such a unique path to Darden, it may come as no surprise that Guess has embraced some of the quirkier elements of the Darden community experience.
Guess shared a bit more about how he’s been involved in re-invigorating the in-person enthusiasm and fun into Darden life after a hybrid 2020-2021 academic year.
He’s also hosting an upcoming virtual event with fellow Student Admissions Committee members Khaliyah Legette (Class of 2022) and Audrey Dyer (Class of 2022): I ♥ C’ville on 10 December. Join Guess and his classmates for an informative session all about living and learning in Charlottesville, Virginia. Sign up here.
Q: Favorite Darden experience so far?
A: Backpacking Dolly Sods Wilderness with Second Years at the end of Q1 as a First Year. I made some of my best friends during that trip!
Q: What is your relationship with the faculty like? And your learning team?
A: I love our faculty. They genuinely care about student well-being and happiness. And my Learning Team is the beez kneez. We are all different and awesome in our own unique ways — we just had our 2nd annual Friendsgiving a few weeks ago!
Q: How is the case method preparing you for your future career? What’s it like in the classroom?
A: I can no longer just memorize facts and formulas — I really have to at least attempt to understand the problem before going to class. While this takes more work up front, I believe it changes the way you think about the world, especially in that it is not black or white, but a LOT of gray.
The classroom is humbling. I am constantly reminded that I am not the smartest person in the room, and I LOVE it. I’d argue that I’ve learned more from my peers’ responses to problems than the cases themselves.
Q: What is SWOT? What drew you to this leadership position?
A: SWOT stands for “School Was Outstanding Today.” We are a student organization within the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) that is responsible for surprising students with fun activities and events. SWOT was founded several years ago by students in Professor Jeanne Liedtka’s Design Thinking class. The students who founded it interviewed other students to find pain points within the Darden experience, one of which was that classes and recruiting can be overwhelming at times. In turn, they created SWOT to bring random moments of joy and fun to the student body.
Q: Tell us about some of the SWOT events hosted so far! Any sneak peeks of upcoming events?
A: I can’t give away future events, but we’ve hosted things like Marathon Monday, where Second Years dressed up in running gear, blasted pump-up jams, and handed out Gatorade and Clif Bars to First Years on their way 8am class. We recently hosted “Dean Santa,” where Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Ed Warwick dressed up as Buddy the Elf and we visited Learning Team rooms to hand out hot cocoa and cookies along with other professors.
Q: You’re also the President of Darden Business, Innovation, and Design – tell us more about that organization!
A: Darden Business, Innovation, and Design (DBID) is a smaller club dedicated to promoting careers and work in design thinking. I like to say that it’s a lot like the “art club” of Darden – aka we’re a little quirky, but in the best creative, different, and fun way possible. Check out our website for more information: https://www.dardenbid.com/
Q: You’ve also been very active in Darden’s Resilience Initiative. Could you share a bit more about events you’ve been involved with?
A: I’ll be putting on my Bob Ross persona again to lead Resilience members in a “Happy Little Trees” painting session in Q3. We provide the paint and I do my best Bob Ross impersonation while leading students in a landscape painting session.
I’m hoping to run “Darden Hot Ones” in Q4. Last year, we recruited Professors Sean Martin, Elena Loutskina, Kinda Hachem, and Lalin Anik to eat progressively spicier chicken wings while being asked progressively more challenging questions. It was a lot of fun and we are hoping to host this event again this year!
Q: Favorite thing to do around town and/or favorite restaurant C’ville?
A: Being outdoors, especially hiking and fly fishing around Wintergreen. As for favorite restaurant, I’d have to say Ivy Provisions. I could absolutely crush a Cali Girl right now (soufflé egg, avocado, tomato, sprouts, and herb cream cheese on a croissant).
Q: Any advice or pro tips for prospective students considering an MBA?
A: Be yourself, go with the flow, and trust the process. In the words of Bob Ross, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”
Q: How did you decide that Darden was your best fit?
A: This is might sound bizarre (but, oh well), but when I came for my Admissions interview, I stayed at the Darden Inn. When I checked in, I told the lobby receptionist that I was here for my interview. He proceeded to tell me about how many college towns he has lived in and why Charlottesville was the absolute best. He recommended places to eat, things to do, and could not say enough good things about Charlottesville and Darden. The hospitality continued the next day when I attended a First Coffee, sat in on a class, and was given a tour by a current First Year. For better or worse, I tend to go with my gut when it comes to big decisions, and after my interview weekend, my gut said Darden is the place for me. I wrote the lobby receptionist a thank you note after I was accepted. Not sure if he ever received it, so if you’re still out there and reading this – Thank you for being you!
