At 2 a.m. on any given weeknight over the last few years, fourth-year student Mike Edwards may have been jolted awake by blaring alarms and found himself on a firetruck racing toward a burning house. By 9 a.m., he’d be back on Grounds for a morning class at McIntire.
That contrast has come to define Mike’s time at UVA. While many students juggle classes and extracurriculars, Edwards has also layered in something far more unpredictable. As a volunteer firefighter with Albemarle County Fire Rescue, he has responded to house fires, car accidents, medical emergencies, and even high-risk incidents, all while keeping pace with the often exacting demands of his McIntire education.
Mike, a Stamford, CT, native, had no background in firefighting before college. But the idea to join up came from his older brother Alex (A&S ’25), who joined the department first. When Mike met the group at an activities fair during his second year, he decided to try it out. After a few ride-alongs, including one that brought him to a real house fire, he was all in.
“Once I got out there and saw what it was like, I knew I wanted to do it,” Mike says.
Joining required a serious commitment. He completed a fire academy that ran on weekends, along with additional certifications in areas like hazardous materials and emergency vehicle operations. Now, he volunteers for overnight shifts each week, typically from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., plus extended weekend duty every few weeks that can last up to 48 hours at the station. Each shift includes training, drills, and time spent on call where, at any moment, alarms could sound, sending him from napping to driving toward danger in mere seconds.
“It’s taught me how to act under pressure and how to be selfless,” he says. “You’re helping people on what could be the worst day of their lives.”
Some calls have been especially intense, including a shooting in Charlottesville and fully involved house fires that required defensive strategies from outside. Even routine calls carry weight, whether it is a motor vehicle accident or a late-night medical emergency.
Just as meaningful is the camaraderie inside the firehouse. “You’re working with people from all walks of life, and you’re all there for the same reason,” he says.
That perspective has shaped how he’s approached leadership at McIntire. He serves as Treasurer of Commerce Council, helping manage funding and logistics for a wide range of student events and initiatives. From popular fitness programs with professors to large-scale volunteer efforts and community-building events, he’s helped expand student engagement across the school.
He first took on a leadership position as a representative for Block 3 during the Integrated Core, where he acted as a liaison between students and Commerce Council. In that role, he organized events, promoted programming, and helped foster a strong sense of community within his cohort. The experience introduced him to leadership within McIntire and set the stage for his role on the executive board.
Across both experiences, Edwards says successful leaders lead by example and know how to speak to the needs of different groups of people.
“It is really important to discover different ways to motivate people that you are leading. And I think that’s something that a lot of organizations grapple with,” he says. “Obviously, it depends on the context, but you really have to understand the people you are leading. I’m a big proponent of not just telling people what to do, but doing it myself.”
After graduation, he will bring his leadership and finance skills to Clearsight Advisors in Washington, DC, where he’ll be working in investment banking. During his internship with the firm in the summer of 2025, he was closely involved in multiple deals and sat in on calls with founders and executives, gaining insight into how companies grow and why they choose to sell. He is especially interested in how firms are leveraging artificial intelligence to improve operations and drive long-term value.
Balancing a Commerce School curriculum with a particularly physically and mentally stressful commitment to service has made his experience a unique one, to say the least. “It’s been an exceptional journey being a student here at McIntire,” he says.
But even with a demanding career ahead of him, Mike hopes to stay connected to firefighting, potentially returning on weekends to volunteer in Charlottesville.
“It’s something I love,” he says. “If I can make it work, I’d absolutely keep doing it.”
