Matt Pirrello (MBA ’21) epitomizes strength and perseverance. As a college student in the U.S. Air Force ROTC, he lost his leg after a parachute training accident. He learned to walk and run with a prosthetic leg, medaled in the Air Force Warrior Games and completed his ROTC program. When he came to UNC Kenan-Flagler, he found a cultural fit: “The School’s emphasis on veterans was evident and as an individual with a disability, was inclusive from the start.

Born in Rwanda and with family origins in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fidele Mugisha (BSBA ’21) had only known life as a refugee when he and his family arrived in North Carolina with just the clothes on their backs. Amid the loss of family and friends, his parents emphasized education’s importance: “When you flee from one country to another, you don’t have anything tangible to hold onto. The only thing that you have is knowledge and no one can take knowledge away from you.” He worked and studied hard, learning English (his sixth language).

Mary Laci Motley (BSBA ’21) learned how business can be a mechanism for doing good at UNC Kenan-Flagler. She developed an appreciation for nonprofits after spending a summer building Habitat for Humanity houses and witnessing their impact on the local economy and community. The experience changed her personal view of success: “The vortex of success can take many forms.” So even before she graduated she founded EATS2SEATS LLC to connect stadium operators with nonprofits looking for fundraising opportunities.