Michael DuTot
Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business
“I try to live a balanced life full of friends, family, school, and Pokémon Go.”
Fun fact about yourself: On an attempt to see Prague in a single day, I walked 25 miles, took 40,000 steps, and climbed 100 flights of stairs!
Hometown: Berwyn, Pennsylvania
High School: Conestoga High School
Major: Finance and Operations & Information Management (OPIM)
Certificate: Global Business Fellow
Minor: Economics
Favorite Business Course: Competing in a Flat World
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
- Captain of the McDonough School of Business Undergraduate Peer Ambassador Program
- Chair of the Sanction Reduction Committee for the Georgetown University Honor Council
- Engagement Chair for Georgetown Individuals Vocal and Energetic for Service (GIVES)
- Captain of the Georgetown Men’s Ultimate Frisbee B Team
- Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in Department of Operations & Analytics
- Member of McDonough School of Business Undergraduate Admissions Committee
Where have you interned during your college career? Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO (virtual), Solutions Trainee Intern
Where will you be working after graduation? Anheuser-Busch, Solutions Trainee
Who is your favorite professor? On my second day of college, I walked into my First Year Seminar, “Competing in a Flat World,” where I met Professor Ricardo Ernst. Unbeknownst to me, Professor Ernst would play a pivotal role in shaping my Georgetown career. Through our animated conversations about globalization and sourcing decisions, I gained a new appreciation for global perspectives and the complexity of supply chains. Inspired by his passion, I decided to become an Operations and Information Management major and apply to the Global Business Fellows (GBF) program. Through GBF, I engaged with a diverse cohort of students, visited Embassies in D.C., and studied at the intersection of business and public policy. These experiences shaped the person I am today, and I am extremely fortunate I had the chance to meet Professor Ernst. Through our two classes together and countless discussions outside of the classroom, I certainly learned a great deal about business and even more about myself.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Majoring in a business-related field will undoubtedly give you the tools needed to make a difference in your community. Still, to get the most out of your business education, you need to stay well-rounded and learn how to work effectively with others. Through taking courses and developing interests outside of the business school, you will better be equipped to tackle business problems from all angles. In addition to staying well-rounded, navigating group work is critical in the business world. Each semester, I would have four or five group projects which required managing different skillsets, interests, and personalities. Building a strong sense of collaboration among diverse groups is critical for making the most of your time in the business school.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? If I could restart my college career, I would certainly look to expand my horizons and explore all that college has to offer. During my first few years, I was very focused on fulfilling the core requirements and spent most of my day in the Hariri Building, taking business classes. In hindsight, I should have dived deeper into the liberal arts side of Georgetown and really tried to find a passion outside of business.
This past year through my Urban Ecology and Real Estate courses, I developed a new interest in city planning and development. If I had taken a moment to explore more during my first few years, I may have discovered this passion sooner and drawn different insights from my other courses. Also, if I could go back in time, I would have participated in undergraduate research. These research programs provide an invaluable opportunity to grow closer with faculty and leave college with a deep understanding of topics you find most interesting.
Which academic, extracurricular, or personal achievement are you most proud of? Halfway through my sophomore year, I took a leap of faith and showed up to my first ever Frisbee practice. Since most students join during their first year or at the beginning of the semester, I was worried of feeling like an outsider. I struggled to convince myself to join a team where I had never played the sport and I only knew one other player. Still, with a little courage, I took the leap of faith and showed up to practice on a cold December day.
Although I was in an unfamiliar setting, I was determined to stay positive and learn as much as I could from my new teammates. With a little extra effort from coaches and my new teammates, I quickly grew comfortable and felt at home playing frisbee. I am particularly proud of this experience because the following semester, I was elected team captain for my positivity and drive to get better every practice. As team captain, I was able to build our culture and create a welcoming environment for many Georgetown students who may have felt as hesitant to join as I did.
Which classmate do you most admire? During my Junior year, I was fortunate enough to meet my good friend Drew Carbone (B’21) during an interview for the Peer Ambassador Program. Although Drew was an internal transfer to the McDonough School of Business, he hit the ground running and soon become an integral part of the business school community. While his courage to take leadership positions in a new environment was extremely impressive, I was most amazed by Drew’s ability to balance his commitments. At the same time as planning our annual Accounting Workshop, Drew was a division-1 swimmer, training rigorously for the Olympic Trials. As a student-athlete and leader in the business school, Drew burns the candle at both ends yet carries a big smile everywhere he goes. I am proud to call him a good friend, and I hope that I can carry some of his grit and lightheartedness with me beyond graduation.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My success is attributed to a long list of friends and family who have supported me along the way. At the top of that list, however, is my dad for inspiring me to be a better version of myself day after day. If I start to feel overwhelmed by the stress of school and extracurriculars, I will remind myself of the lessons my dad taught me: do not take shortcuts, do not give up, and be present in the moment. These lessons remind me that, although life may deal you a difficult hand, you can control your response. Inspired by my dad’s own life story, I have learned to respond to adversity with determination and an ability to make the most out of any situation. In addition to inspiring a strong work ethic and a no-shortcut mentality, my dad has also supported me with unlimited patience and care. I am extremely lucky to know that when life gets tough, he will give me a shoulder to lean on.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- Work outside of the United States: Working abroad would give me a chance to explore a new culture and learn a new language!
- Become a Professor: It would be an honor to give back to Georgetown and become a professor for future Hoyas!
What are your hobbies? I am all about meeting new people and learning as much as I can from others! When I am not meeting new people, I love to play frisbee, go hiking, explore D.C., and read! I just finished the Lord of the Rings Series and am now reading Ready Player Two. I also spend a lot of time making art collages and enjoy making pottery.
What made Michael such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021? (
“I can think of no better student than Michael DuTot, who exemplifies the world-class education and value a McDonough undergraduate degree provides while simultaneously embodying our Jesuit values so distinctly. Michael is a model in our school of the Latin, Ignition phrase “cura personalis,” which translates into care for the entire person. Michael’s love for our community is visible in the many ways he contributes on and off-campus. Yet, for anyone who has the pleasure of knowing Michael, the care he shows is epitomized in every conversation you have with him. Not only is he warm and generous with his time, but his friendly, welcoming demeanor lights up our undergraduate commons.
In my capacity as his dean, I have met with Michael many times over the years to discuss academics, career pursuits, and personal interests. I have come to know the talented, bright, and hard-working student he is while watching him excel academically, majoring in both Finance and Operations and Information Management (OPIM) with a minor in economics. On top of a bustling course load in his two majors and minor, Michael is a prestigious Global Business Fellow making him one of our most extraordinary students in the Class of 2021.
Operations and Information Management Professor Bharat Kaku shared, “Michael excelled in my Global Supply Chain Management class in spring 2020, and when I was looking for a student to be the TA for the same class in fall 2020, he was a natural choice. Michael took over the responsibility for managing assignments, even suggesting improvements to my grading schemes that showed his understanding of the material and the relative importance of different steps in solutions. He has great interpersonal skills and handled students’ inquiries so successfully that I did not have to get involved even once. I think that students could sense that Michael was sympathetic but always within the bounds of fairness to the whole class. He was on top of the schedule and would contact me, even before I contacted him, to set up meetings to discuss work for the coming week. I am glad I made the decision to ask Michael to be my TA and that he accepted the invitation!”
In addition to his exceptional academic contributions, Michael is heavily involved on and off-campus. Michael previously served as a McDonough Peer Ambassador, which encompassed welcoming and mentoring new Hoyas. In 2019, Michael was selected to serve as Captain, a role he still serves today, providing supervision and leadership to the entire Peer Ambassador program. Embodying his care of the community, Michael is a GIVES member (Georgetown Individuals Vocal and Energetic for Service), whose only goal is to create a sense of community with random acts of kindness. As the Engagement Chair for GIVES during COVID, Michael excelled at the challenging take of bringing random acts of kindness into the virtual environment.
Overall, Michael DuTot embodies the best and brightest of Georgetown McDonough. He is an inspiration to both fellow students and many faculty and staff. I personally feel very blessed to have worked with him and gotten to know him over the past few years. With the uncertainty most of us feel right now, I take stock that the future of business is in great hands with a person like Michael at the helm.”
Justin Smith
Assistant Dean for Student Success, Undergraduate Program
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