Why M.S. in Commerce? Anonymous

The University of Virginia has been good to me. I had the college life of storybooks—lazy afternoons on the Lawn, head-scratching debates about philosophy, and spirited evenings at athletic events. As a third year, I should be looking forward to a traditionally exciting fourth year, when I can frequent the Corner more often than Clemons. However, I’m one step ahead.

First year, I learned about the M.S. in Commerce, but I shied away from it for the same reason why I didn’t consider McIntire as an undergraduate. Back then, “business” only meant “doing things for money” to me. I wondered why so many smart people would go that route, when there’s so much more to life than material gain. While I majored in economics, my motivation was to better understand decision-making, politics, and the science behind our economy, not to make money. I concluded that the competitive business world simply wasn’t my best fit.

Long story short, I was wrong. Since then, my ideas have matured considerably due to experiences that have shown the pervasiveness of business skills in the places that matter to me most. I first tasted this as a sales associate at LUSH Cosmetics, where I did more than just sell makeup and soap. Through clever marketing and...