Lucas Hagerty

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management

“Brand strategist and recovering English major luxuriating in being the dumbest in the room.”

Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina

Fun Fact About Yourself: Every morning I nerd out by posting a quote from classic literature on IG (@writtorg); I haven’t missed a post in over 700 days.

Undergraduate School and Major: The George Washington University- English Major

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: 3 Sons Media- Strategy Director

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During the kickoff of a brand architecture presentation, I spilled an entire glass of strawberry-water on the phone of Uber’s head of design. The accomplishment was that I delivered the presentation without spontaneously combusting in embarrassment.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? While most students pursuing an MBA are driven, Vanderbilt’s students seem to also have a special positivity about them, which makes the program feel more exciting than competitive.

Aside from your classmates, 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? Location. I have lived in Nashville for four years and have fallen in love with the city. It is a wonderfully philanthropic community, encouraging all of its citizens to get involved and help each other. I wanted to pursue an MBA but simply couldn’t bring myself to leave the community that has made me feel like an important part of its makeup.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I would love to learn more about the Vanderbilt Entrepreneurship Association. The energy, passion and spirit of the entrepreneur community always inspired me during my time in San Francisco, and I am sure the VEA will deliver the same awe.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Detail a time you stepped outside of your comfort zone. I discussed my time performing standup comedy to pay for beer in college. That experience taught me that any pain or embarrassment is just fodder for story.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I would like to make a career shift out of the advertising industry. While I loved solving different challenges in different industries each week, I would like to dive deeper into a single client or product and work on their challenges over a longer timeline.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? NYU. If I was going to move away from Nashville, the opportunity to live in New York was the only thing that would have drawn me away.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? My school search was a bit unorthodox in that I knew Vanderbilt was my top choice. I wanted to stay in Nashville, and Vanderbilt is the market’s most well-known educational commodity. Living here, I have several friends already in the program, so I was able to pick their brains and now feel as though I have already lived through year one with them.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? In high school, I was undercut while playing basketball. I landed on my head and was knocked out and seizing in front of a terrified crowd. I came-to an hour-and-a-half later in the hospital. That moment was a confluence of life-changing realizations about appreciating gifts, savoring moments, nurturing humility, building a diverse life, moving on from dreams, and making new ones.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Part of the reason I am pursuing an MBA is to help bring clarity to that vision. But I hope I am in Nashville, doing something I love with people I enjoy.