Program:

Master of Science in Marketing

Student Name:

Tat Whitley

Graduating Class:

Class of 2020

Undergraduate Alma Mater:

University of Colorado at Boulder & Rhodes College in Memphis, TN; History major, Anthropology/Sociology minor

 

About Tat:

I’m an identical twin, adopted from Russia at nineteen months. Growing up in Austin, I’ve seen it change for good and worse. I firmly believe Hyde Park is the heart and soul of what Austin used to be, and it brings back memories of what I love about Austin from the 1990s and early 2000s. I love this city, but I also love escaping it to go hunting in the hill country, exploring BBQ staples in small towns, and state parks around Central Texas. I’m an avid UT football fan and am a former high school football coach. I renewed my season tickets back in the Spring.

Proudest accomplishment:

I am incredibly proud and humbled of getting my first full-time, teaching position. I set out a goal to teach at a specific high school in Austin, TX after my first semester of college, and did activities and coursework that would help me reach, engage, and fulfill my future students. Although I was helped a lot along the way through networking, family support, and other socioeconomic resources, I am proud of myself when reflecting on the four years it took to reach that goal because of my persistence and devotion to something that I thought I would love, but turns out wasn’t the right career for me.

Why did you choose the MSM Program?

I think Jade DeKinder is an incredible program director. Her forthright conversation with me on the value and allocation of resources for the program played a significant role in why I chose McCombs over other programs, such as Denver University, Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, SMU, and Wake Forest. Furthermore, Career Services at MS McCombs showed differentiated benefit compared to other universities, and the curriculum design fit my zeal for analytics and social sciences. Lastly, I’ve always wanted to be a Longhorn, and I had already declined to be one once. Life is finite – become a Longhorn.

What have you enjoyed so far this year and look forward to for the future?

I’m looking forward to working with the great professors who opted to teach this program. Professor DeKinder wasn’t kidding when she said we get some of the best. As a former teacher, I think their pedagogy is astounding! I’m also excited to work closely with a diverse student-body. It’s something I was gifted when I studied abroad in South Africa, and I’m fortunate to be part of such a wonderful cohort.