Isaiah Thomas

Texas A&M University, Mays Business School

“I hope to inspire others as others have inspired and mentored me.”

Fun fact about yourself: I have traveled to 20 different countries, and want to visit all 7 continents eventually!

Hometown: Houston, TX

High School: Quest Early College High School

Major: Business Honors and Finance (double-major)

Minor: Philosophy

Favorite Business Course: BUSN 401: Mays Business Fellows

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Work Experience:

Mays Business Honors Program – Academic Coordinator

Leadership:

Mays Business Fellows – Chief of Staff

Horizons Consulting Guild – Director

Aggie Venture Fund – Founding Member, Class 0

Titans of Investing – Economics Team

Mays Business Honors BUSN 125 – Coordinator

Delta Sigma Pi – VP of Fundraising

Mays Transformational Leadership Academy – Small Group Leader

Activities:

Harvard Business School’s Summer Venture in Management Program

Cast on Amazon Prime’s The College Tour

MSC Stark Northeast Tour

Study Abroad in Southern Africa

Fish Aides

Honors:

Dean’s Excellence Award Semi-Finalist

National Diversity Case Competition

President’s Endowed Scholarship

Marian ‘82 & Willie Langston ‘81 Scholarship

National Merit Scholar

Where have you interned during your college career?

Freshman Summer: Shepherd Pacific; Seattle WA; Private Equity Summer Associate

Sophomore and Junior Summers: Boston Consulting Group; Houston, TX; Summer Associate

Where will you be working after graduation? Boston Consulting Group; Houston, TX; Associate

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I’ve learned from studying business is the value of humanity in all we do. One of my mentors, General John Van Alstyne, bases his whole class around this concept. While there are a million functional areas to gain expertise in, the most important thing is focusing on people’s humanity. General Van Alstyne’s class, Mays Business Fellows, taught me that that valuing the individual and getting to know someone deeply is often the most impactful part of working with others. After going through the program originally and now two more times on the leadership team, I’ve learned many life lessons that I’ll take with me post-grad.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Business is all about the soft skills. No matter how much technical knowledge you have, the soft skills can make or break you. As a natural introvert, I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone a ton in college. While challenging, I’m much more capable for the real-world because of these lessons now.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I am most surprised at how much our professors have learned from the real-world. Most professors here have worked in industry for many years, and bring an extra passion to the classroom when talking about their past experiences in the workforce. It makes classes much more engaging and helpful.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I would have not stressed about my major as much. While finance is interesting, I chose it more for the career I thought I wanted at the time. With any major in business, you are still learning valuable skills, and as long as you’re resourceful, you can bring those skills to any job.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of my involvement in Horizons Consulting Guild. Being able to help students reach their dream firms is what college is all about. I’ve seen the program develop a ton in the last year, and we more than quadrupled our placement over my time leading the organization.

Which classmate do you most admire? I most admire my friend, Joaquin Lugo. Joaquin can light up any room he enters and always brings energy to anyone he meets. The way he carries himself with positivity is something that I value a lot, and it makes him such a joy to be around whether that’s at work, at school, or just hanging out.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My dad deserves the biggest thanks for the success I’ve achieved. He has always pushed me to pursue excellence in all I do, no matter how small they seem. I would not be nearly as driven as I am today without him.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I eventually want to start my own business and work abroad, probably in Nigeria or South Africa.

What made Isaiah such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“In his great play, ‘King Henry the Fifth’, William Shakespeare describes the Sovereign’s walk through the English camp on the night
before the great battle of Agincourt. The King, Shakespeare writes, walked from ‘watch to watch and from tent to tent bidding all good
morrow, with a modest smile and greeting them as brothers, friends, and countrymen.’ All the King encountered ‘plucked comfort from his
looks’ and were provided ‘a touch of Harry in the night.’ Such is Isaiah Thomas as he walks among the students of the Mays Business
Honors program and the Mays Fellows program. To listen to Isaiah’s quiet reassuring voice and to be in his presence is to believe that the
ambitious plans, pursued together under his leadership will come to fruition and that all will be well.”

Director of Mays Business Fellows
General John Van Alstyne

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