(Upbeat music)
- I was born in Azerbaijan and when USSR split,
my family had to emigrate to Russia,
where I eventually grew up.
I earned my Bachelor in Automotive Engineering
and for the most part of my career
I played Volleyball professionally
(Crowd cheering)
I was a number of the Junior National team,
European champion among students.
Played for various Russian professional clubs.
And then in 2012 I got seriously injured
and my shoulder was literally torn apart.
Even though I managed eventually to recover
and get back to high level, I realized
that I won't ever advance to the Olympic Games,
and that's where I lost my inner motivation.
That's when I started to think about what to do next.
I took a bunch of Coursera courses and came up
with a great course called Grow to Greatness,
led by Professor Hess.
I was absolutely astonished with the experience and that's
how I learn about what an MBA was and about Darden.
During that period I also started my first company.
I had three retail stores, one online store
and a beauty salon.
Last year I decided that, it's time to apply
to business school.
Got admitted to a bunch of them
and then straight away made my decision
that I want to go to Darden and that was the single
best decision that I've ever made.
Because of the case method I could bring my experience
of a professional athlete and an entrepreneur to class.
And I also developed a new set of skills
of leadership skills.
Thanks to my professors and classmates.
I'm sure that after Darden,
I will be well prepared for the challenges in my career.