Meet Maryland Smith’s MBA Class of 2018

Colin L. Goddard

University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A husband and new father who will fight for what’s right and hates mayonnaise.

Hometown: I was born in Kenya and grew up in Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the United States and Egypt – this is always a hard question to answer.

Fun Fact About Yourself: I got slimed at Nickelodeon Studios in 3rd grade.

 

Undergraduate School and Major: Virginia Tech, B.A. in International Studies

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Assistant Director of Federal Legislation

Everytown for Gun Safety, Senior Policy Advocate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After surviving the shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007, and then watching too many other shootings unfold, I felt strongly something had to change. My personal experience then became a launching pad for my career as an advocate in the gun safety movement. After organizing over a dozen successful state legislative campaigns, giving hundreds of media interviews, and educating thousands of Americans about how to become agents of change, I am incredibly proud of my contribution to simply making gun safety an issue that is no longer being ignored. However, we must still make significant improvements to our basic public safety laws so “my biggest accomplishment” with this work is yet to come.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? Actually going to the campus, walking the halls, and meeting to students and staff gives one a sense of the school’s culture and community, so be sure to do this before making any final decisions. Oh, and take the GRE’s before you leave undergrad, instead of eight years later when you’ve forgotten every math course you ever took.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Smith clearly stood out to me because of how both the students and faculty talked about teamwork – “Terps Helping Terps” is a phrase I heard early and often. Some MBA programs have a reputation of being cutthroat, but Smith values working collaboratively, not just on academics but also on your own career development, which put it at the top of my list of schools in the D.C. area.

 Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I’ve seen the possibilities and the limits of the impact that both the government and the non-profit sectors can make on today’s problems, so in the future I aspire to be the CEO of a mission-driven benefit corporation focused on doing well while also doing good.

 What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? That I was a good teammate who helped my peers, asked the right questions, and always found ways to have fun.