Who says you can’t do it all? Darden MBA student describes his journey to earning a spot on UVA’s football team.

After 16 years of hard work and never giving up on his dreams, Matt Ganyard, Full-Time MBA Class of 2024, earned his position as the kicker (#98) for the Virginia Cavaliers. Being part of UVA’s football team was a long-time goal which he finally achieved as a graduate student at the Darden School of Business.

Ganyard earned his bachelor’s degree in history from UVA in 2011, and then served in the Marines as a Cobra helicopter pilot for 10 years. For Ganyard, pursuing an MBA at Darden is what was going to give him the tools he needed to make an impact on day one, and he feels that Darden has prepared him to enter his new career in management consulting.

This is a story of personal ambition meeting professional aspiration, and the importance of perseverance in pursuing one’s passion. Matt discusses how and why he chose Darden for his MBA, and how he managed to make one of his dreams come true by earning his position with the Cavaliers.

Check out his recent feature in GQ Magazine and the video below to hear more about his journey and the impact of a Darden MBA.

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