Matthew Lyde-Cajuste (MBA ’18) from Mount Vernon, NY, on his MBA journey and why he chose UNC Kenan-Flagler.
Hometown: Mount Vernon, NY
Undergraduate school and major: Syracuse University, mechanical engineering
Past employers and job titles: Software engineer at JP Morgan Chase
Describe yourself in 15 words or less.
I like to consider myself a focused, multifaceted and tenacious supplier of laughs.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
While at Syracuse University, I played four years for the Syracuse Men’s Basketball Team.
Describe your biggest career accomplishment so far.
Aside from being admitted to the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Program, I was very proud of graduating from JP Morgan Chase’s Corporate Development Program with the highest performance rating.
Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?
Throughout the admissions process, aspiring MBAs seek to prove how smart they are, how quickly they learn and that they ultimately can handle the rigor of a top MBA program. However, sometimes we forget that MBA programs admit a person and not a transcript. While your 4.0 is extremely impressive and I applaud you, my recommendation is to use the essays, interviews and recommendations to give the admissions committee a picture of you as a person and what makes you so much cooler, more interesting or more fun than the next 4.0.
Why did you choose to pursue your MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler?
Aside from UNC Kenan-Flagler’s stellar reputation as a top educator amongst U.S. and global MBA programs, I found a unique sense of family and genuine interest in me as a person and as a potential member of the UNC family – not only post-acceptance, but throughout the entire admissions process. This sense of community, combined with UNC Kenan-Flagler’s emphasis on both collaboration and leadership in its curriculum, made the decision relatively simple.
What is your dream job?
Since my sophomore year of undergrad, I’ve dreamed of an investment banking career within the technology, media and telecomm group at one of the top eight global investment banks.
What do you hope your Business School peers will say about you after graduation?
“No matter how difficult times get, you can always count on Matt to make you smile, give you his honest opinion and work as hard as needed to get the job done.”
This post originally appeared on Poets & Quants.