Charley Hart

Professionals - Evening
Current Industry/Job: Oil & Gas - Structural Engineer
From: Corpus Christi, TX

Favorite quote and why:

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. –Michael Jordan

I love this quote, as it comes from such an elite athlete, but he demonstrates what it has taken for him to reach that level. It's like a toddler learning to walk. They don't just start walking; they slowly progress and take risks. Yet, we celebrate immensely after they take only two steps and fall back down. In life we often learn more from our failures than we do our successes.

If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor and why?

If I could choose anyone, I would probably choose Steve Jobs (or someone like him). I say that because I think he is a very different person than me, and he would challenge me to think outside of my comfort level. He had the ability to know what consumers wanted before they even knew it. He changed the way we think, act, communicate and interact with one another. He impacted our culture far more than we realize. To be mentored by someone like that would challenge me to grow in ways that I couldn't ever imagine.

Best memory from your first year in the MBA program:

My best memory from the first year in the MBA program would probably be either Wednesday night PCFs or the Holiday Party. Wednesday nights were such a fun way to connect and interact with classmates. I really enjoyed getting to know people who are now some of my best friends. As we all spent our time together in the classroom, Wednesday evenings were a fun way to put our school work on pause for a brief moment to hang out and have fun. The Holiday Party was equally as fun. We had just finished up our fall courses and finals that day, and the Holiday Party was just an opportunity to celebrate our accomplishment of completing our first semester of the MBA program.

What story does your family always tell about you?

Growing up in Corpus Christi, we always had to be prepared to evacuate for a hurricane. I had just turned two, and there was a huge storm in the gulf that was headed straight for Corpus. While my dad and his friend were outside nailing boards up to cover up our windows, my mom was inside with three kids packing up all of our stuff to leave town. As my dad and friend were hammering in some nails for one of our larger windows, they heard a slight tapping from inside. They didn't think much of it until the tapping got louder. Soon enough they heard the sound of shattering glass. Inside, I had taken my toy hammer and started helping my dad by hammering the windows. My dad came running inside to get me to stop before I broke even more windows. Sorry, Mom and Dad!

What advice would you like to provide incoming students?

Adjusting to the demands of school, work and life is challenging in the fall. It took me a bit of time to really get into a rhythm. With that being said, make an effort to socially hang out with your classmates. Go to PCFs, even if its only for a short time. Come to dinners. They are a great opportunity for you to get to know your classmates that you will be spending your next two years with. There is tremendous value in the relationships that you develop and network that you build throughout your time in school. You will go from barely knowing peoples' names the first week of class to having lifelong friends in the program. Make the most of the opportunities that you have available while in school because it truly does go by extremely quickly.

Any additional unique facts you would like to share:

I grew up with a sister that has special needs. She has been confined to a wheelchair all of her life and is non-verbal and non-mobile. She fully depends upon the care of other people for almost everything that she does. Within the past year, my family recently moved her to the Houston area to live in a facility that is able to provide her with long term care. Growing up with a sibling with special needs was never a burden, but it was a tremendous opportunity to learn about sacrifice and service, with a great example from both of my parents. My sister has shaped and molded me more than I could express. My sister had a life expectancy of three years. She turns 32 this year and has taught me to enjoy each day, cherish each day, and laugh every day.