Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business students come to learn, explore, and build community. As they move forward in their careers, they take everything they've learned and use it to power innovation in industries and businesses across the globe.
In celebration of Spring 2025 Commencement, we sat down with a few students to learn about their experiences and the wisdom they've gained in the process.
Meet Darius Chinoy, who is graduating from the Evening MBA program.
Hometown:
Johns Creek, Georgia
Describe yourself in 15 words or less:
This guy loves life.
Tell me about the person who most influenced your decision to pursue an MBA?
My mom and dad. But my mom was the most vocal (sorry dad). She can take the credit for pushing me to do my MBA. She had the foresight of the impact it would have on my career. She then motivated me to do it during this time of my life. She understood what doors the MBA would open for me and knew that it would help me succeed in my career. Without her and my dad encouraging me to take on this journey, I might not have considered coming back to Georgia Tech for my second degree.
What was your favorite course as an MBA?
Strategic Brand Management with the late Professor Aaron Hackett was my favorite course. Before I started the program in 2022, I would ask current students what their favorite course was. Nearly all of them said, “Brand Management with Hackett.”
I learned why in the summer of 2023. Professor Hackett made the choice to care about the class and be unwaveringly kind. He honed his craft each year to ensure that the students learned. At one point, he realized the textbook that the curriculum was based off was not effective, and he wrote an entire book called 80/20 Brand Marketing with a P&G Edge. He used that to teach the course.
Professor Hackett also put in effort to listen and to build on others’ ideas. He challenged student ideas and made them better. He went above and beyond just teaching the material and taught life lessons. Because of his effort, the students felt seen, inspired, and motivated. It was contagious. I wanted to put every ounce of effort into mastering brand management. May Professor Aaron Hackett rest in peace. We miss you.
What advice would you give to an incoming Evening MBA student?
Just keep going. That’s a lesson I learned from marathon training. The MBA program, like any challenge, is tackled one day at a time. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the long road ahead, focus on the present moment. You can only live everyday minute by minute, second by second.
Another key takeaway: build relationships. The MBA is as much about the network as it is about the coursework. Spend time in the grad commons before class, strike up conversations, and get to know your peers. The program is temporary, but the connections you make can last a lifetime.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during your time at Scheller?
I was an ambassador for the Scheller MBA Program. I did this when I was in undergrad at Scheller; being an ambassador came naturally to me. As an undergrad, I was a Scheller College of Business Dean’s Scholar, receiving a full ride to Georgia Tech. During the MBA, I have the distinct honor of interviewing students who are prospective Dean’s Scholars.
With our late Professor, Aaron Hackett, I led a marketing practicum in partnership with my current company and the marketing department at Scheller. I had the opportunity to manage and mentor five extremely bright and motivated undergrad business students from Georgia Tech. I have been invited to speak on the Scheller MBA podcast. I am also looking forward to giving back by serving on the Scheller Young Alumni Advisory Board.
What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at Scheller?
I loved hanging out with friends at Cypress the first semester of the program after Professor Debbie Turner’s accounting class. Despite being tired from a full day’s work and 2 -3 hours of class, I feel like those meet ups in the evening were some of the best times I got to connect with people in my cohort.
What was your career journey in the Evening MBA program?
During my undergrad at Scheller, I did an internship at Coca-Cola in brand management. It was there I realized how much I love the field of brand management because it influences people. Every step I took since then was to shape my career path in brand and product marketing management.
I worked in big four management consulting at KPMG in their marketing practice to get experience as a problem solver, learn new industries fast, and build my network. Then I built my quantitative skills as a category manager at a CPG manufacturing company. As my journey was ending there, my journey in the Evening MBA began. Right when I started the Evening MBA, I started my current role in brand management at IHG.
As I look forward to my post graduate life, I am keen on continuing my career journey in brand and product marketing management working with companies that have cool and exciting brands.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- To lead an organization
- To mentor and empower someone to achieve success in their own endeavors
What was a moment when you had to practice persistence and/or resilience while in the MBA program?
During my MBA program, I faced one of the toughest periods of my life in 2023. I was struggling to balance work, school, and personal challenges. The breaking point came when I received a negative review at work—my job was on the line, and I was barely staying afloat.
In the days that followed, I had a realization. The difference between effort and struggle is perspective. That shift in mindset changed everything, and it happened to coincide with Professor Hackett’s “I Am a Brand” project. The challenge was to convince my classmates why they should want to get to know me better. Instead of just completing the assignment, I decided to push my limits.
I wrote a rap to one of Drake’s songs. Then, I learned how to record it. I used AI to transform my voice to sound like Drake. Not satisfied, I filmed and edited an entire music video. Then, I performed it live, acting as my own hype man while the video played behind me. I even brought a prop microphone and ended the performance with a mic drop.
That project became a turning point. It reminded me that resilience isn’t just about enduring hardship—it’s about reframing challenges into opportunities. I carried that momentum forward, turning my situation at work around and proving to myself what was possible with the right mindset.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from your Scheller MBA?
Your network is your net worth. People will not remember what you said, but how you made them feel. I try to use that philosophy when building relationships.
What will you be doing to celebrate your graduation?
Taking a deep breath, smiling as big as I can and being deeply appreciative of the effort that I put in to improve myself and others around me.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
My time at Georgia Tech is very full circle. My parents were local contacts and guardians for international students from India when I was a child. The students used to babysit me while my parents would watch a show on occasion at the Ferst Center. I used to run around the halls of North Ave as a kid!