Jay Sarcone 

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

“Adaptable and aware dude with a passion for living life one day at a time.”

Hometown: Norfolk, VA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve surfed all three major U.S. coasts—Atlantic, Pacific, and the Gulf of Mexico—as well as the Caribbean.

Undergraduate School and Major: Georgia Tech; Civil Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Navy; Civil Engineer Corps Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Leading 57 U.S., Cambodian, and Japanese military engineers in the construction of three maternity wards in rural Cambodia. We instituted new processes and planned the work such that all three would be completed to coincide with a large multinational exercise that saw significant participation from the local populace.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Enthusiastic. Everyone I’ve met fully embraces their fellow classmates, the school, and the Darden experience – and they all have a bright outlook on the future.

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? The case method shows how classmates from different backgrounds and with varying thought patterns approach a similar problem. It also helps us in the shoes of a decision-maker for real-world problems.

Aside from your classmates and cases, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I was drawn by the faculty members I had the pleasure of meeting during my visits. I could tell immediately that they have a passion for their students, the school, and teaching.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? What I’m most looking forward to comes down to a tough choice between playing soccer with classmates from different countries or attending one of Darden’s Worldwide Courses.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most challenging question I was asked was the essay prompt regarding a time when my opinion changed after being presented with new information from the world around me. Having my opinions challenged is something I enjoy, but I had never actually reflected on the impact any one particular change made on me or what information caused me to make the change in the first place.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was ready to transition away from the Navy, and I knew that I was lacking the private sector business knowledge that I would need to be successful in a career outside the military. After doing some research on the various programs open to transitioning veterans, I decided that an MBA would position me most effectively with the business knowledge I lacked.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None. I applied in the fall of 2017 while out to sea responding to Hurricanes Irma and Maria that hit the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Darden was my top choice, so I waited to hear the decision on my admission before applying elsewhere.

How did you determine your fit at various schools?  I determined fit in variety of ways, but the key for me came down to gut feeling. Due to my commitments with the hurricane response mentioned above, I wasn’t able to visit every school that I was interested in. I talked to students at other programs, viewed webinars, and did research online. At the end of the day, many programs provide a good education, but I ended up at the school that I felt most connected to.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was looking at my final grades at the end of my first year in college—a whopping 1.78 cumulative GPA—and deciding that I had to make a big change to get things back on track. I ended up taking a year off to enlist in the Navy Reserve, and the time off from school and discipline instilled in boot camp was invaluable. I ended up graduating from Georgia Tech with honor and was selected to become an officer in the Navy after school.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? There are a lot of possibilities, but the only thing I can see for sure is working with people I enjoy in a job that I don’t hate.