Game Plan for the Future
When Jay Hooker ’26 received an email from a Mary Washington lacrosse coach, he’d never heard of the small Virginia university. But the Texas native started “peeling back the layers like an onion,” he said, and realized he’d found something special.
“UMW checked all the boxes,” said Hooker, who grew up playing lacrosse at Jesuit College Prep School of Dallas. He was looking for a school in a cool college town with an AACSB-accredited business program and the chance to compete athletically. “I was excited to leave Texas for something new,” he said.
What sealed the deal was Mary Washington’s Division III philosophy. “At D3, you’re encouraged to compete just as hard in the classroom as you do on the field,” Hooker said. “I wanted to be well-rounded, and my coaches gave me the flexibility to do both.”
An accounting major with a minor in finance and quantitative analysis, and a four-year defenseman on the men’s lacrosse team, he steadily ramped up his leadership responsibilities – progressing with Student Alumni Ambassadors from member to vice president to president. He also led the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Dean’s Student Advisory Board for the College of Business.
His secret? “Each activity is a break from the other,” Hooker explained. “Lacrosse is a break from accounting class. Leading an event is a break from practice. You’re resting one part of your mind while engaging another.”
He used the same approach for his professional development. Through internships in accounting, corporate banking and private equity, Hooker built what he calls the “evidence” for confidence. After graduation, he’ll put that confidence to work as a he steps into a full-time role in the finance industry.
“Being a student-athlete at Mary Washington built my belief in myself,” he said. “It’s prepared me to take on what’s next – and I’m ready to jump.
