{"id":138,"date":"2026-02-05T13:24:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T18:24:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/matter\/?page_id=138"},"modified":"2026-03-17T11:41:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:41:04","slug":"jay-hooker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/matter\/jay-hooker\/","title":{"rendered":"Jay Hooker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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make it matter<\/div>

Jay Hooker \u201926<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
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Game Plan for the Future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Jay Hooker \u201926 received an email from a Mary Washington lacrosse coach, he\u2019d never heard of the small Virginia university. But the Texas native started \u201cpeeling back the layers like an onion,\u201d he said, and realized he\u2019d found something special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUMW checked all the boxes,\u201d 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. \u201cI was excited to leave Texas for something new,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sealed the deal was Mary Washington\u2019s Division III philosophy. \u201cAt D3, you\u2019re encouraged to compete just as hard in the classroom as you do on the field,\u201d Hooker said. \u201cI wanted to be well-rounded, and my coaches gave me the flexibility to do both.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An accounting major with a minor in finance and quantitative analysis, and a four-year defenseman on the men\u2019s lacrosse team, he steadily ramped up his leadership responsibilities \u2013 progressing with Student Alumni Ambassadors from member to vice president to president. He also led the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Dean\u2019s Student Advisory Board for the College of Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His secret? \u201cEach activity is a break from the other,\u201d Hooker explained. \u201cLacrosse is a break from accounting class. Leading an event is a break from practice. You\u2019re resting one part of your mind while engaging another.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He used the same approach for his professional development. Through internships in accounting, corporate banking and private equity, Hooker built what he calls the \u201cevidence\u201d for confidence. After graduation, he\u2019ll put that confidence to work as a he steps into a full-time role in the finance industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing a student-athlete at Mary Washington built my belief in myself,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s prepared me to take on what\u2019s next \u2013 and I\u2019m ready to jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Game Plan for the Future When Jay Hooker \u201926 received an email from a Mary Washington lacrosse coach, he\u2019d never heard of the small Virginia university. But the Texas native started \u201cpeeling back the layers like an onion,\u201d he said, and realized he\u2019d found something special. \u201cUMW checked all the boxes,\u201d said Hooker, who grew […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2724,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"umw_cb_additional_links":[[]],"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_advisory_expires_time":"","_advisory_meta_include":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-138","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJay Hooker » Matter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umw.edu\/matter\/jay-hooker\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Jay Hooker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Game Plan for the Future When Jay Hooker \u201926 received an email from a Mary Washington lacrosse coach, he\u2019d never heard of the small Virginia university. 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