“I live life not wanting to really make any choices I would regret,” says fourth-year Jack Rose. That idea shows up again and again in how he talks about his experiences. For him, choosing a path that may prove uncomfortable or difficult is something to lean into and is behind many decisions that shaped his experiences over the last few years.
Jack knew he wanted to study business long before he ever stepped into a college classroom. It started with hockey cards. What began as a childhood hobby for the Merrick, NY, native turned into something more strategic during the pandemic, when he realized he could buy and sell cards with real intent. “You can invest in them by choosing to buy a specific card with the sole intent of selling it in a day, in a week, or in a month for a profit,” he says. That early instinct for markets and people shaped the direction he would take later.
When it came time to choose a college, Jack actively avoided the easiest option. Faced with a decision between familiarity, applying to a school that his father and many of his relatives graduated from, and something new, he chose the unknown. Once accepted to UVA, that same thought process shaped his inner debate between majoring in Economics and applying to McIntire. He picked the harder path again, not because it was guaranteed to pay off, but because he knew he would regret not trying.
At the Comm School, his decision paid off in ways he admits he couldn’t have imagined. The workload was intense and the expectations were high, but Jack found that the real value came from the people around him. Being placed in tight-knit groups forced him to collaborate, compromise, and build relationships with a wide range of people.
“Whether you love your group or hate your group, it doesn’t matter,” he says with a laugh. “You’ve got to deal with it.” What could have been a frustrating situation became one of the most meaningful parts of his college experience. Some of his closest friendships came from those late nights in study rooms, working through their Integrated Core presentations and solving problems together.
That environment also pushed him to grow personally. Surrounded by driven peers who all believed in their own ideas, Jack learned to listen better, adapt, and know when to step back. He describes it as learning to “swallow your pride” and see things from someone else’s perspective. Those moments of tension turned into lessons in teamwork that he now carries into his professional life.
He’s been called a natural leader by McIntire faculty. It could be because his leadership style reflects that same approach of valuing others’ viewpoints and keeping things light.
Rather than trying to dominate a room, Jack focuses on energy and maintaining an encouraging atmosphere. “It’s really easy to have a good, positive mindset when you’re having a good day,” he says. “But when you’re having a bad day, it’s important to still bring that same positive attitude.” For him, leadership has often meant something as simple as breaking the tension with a joke and giving someone a chance to laugh during a stressful moment. “It probably helps that I also smile a lot,” he says.
That focus on people also shaped his internship experience in sales and trading. While the work itself was interesting, what stood out most was the culture. He felt welcomed and included from the start. “I didn’t really feel like I was auditioning. I felt like I was one of them,” he says. That sense of belonging reinforced how important personal fit is to him.
After graduation, he’ll be returning to the New York office of French bank Credit Agricole, where he did his internship, joining their sales and trading desk. So while there’s familiarity with his future co-workers, there’s uncertainty about what it will be like when it’s his full-time position—but that’s exactly what excites him. It holds the promise of more challenges and more opportunities to apply his skills and stretch himself.
“Every time I’ve embraced change, it’s worked,” he says. That simple idea has become his guiding principle.
