{"671574":{"#nid":"671574","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Brendon Banks Is About Business  ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrendon Banks always felt a connection to Georgia Tech. Along with his ties to Atlanta, Banks saw a parallel between himself and the Institute that made it the only choice for him when he graduated from Lovejoy High School in May 2021.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has always been that school that\u2019s been about business, just like I am, and if you can get a degree from here, it\u2019s life-changing,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIn just two and a half years, Banks is prepared to walk across the Commencement stage with a degree in business administration with a marketing focus. As a child, his parents taught him the importance of finishing what he started, and he brought that mentality to his time at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI worked as hard as I possibly could to graduate, to be the best in my classes, and to be the best person I could be. It\u2019s something I was obsessed with \u2014 to be the best and to be successful \u2014 and I wouldn\u2019t be denied,\u201d he said. \u201cI take incredible pride in being able to graduate from here and call myself a Yellow Jacket.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBanks picked up his work ethic from his parents, and he shares a passion for business with his father.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy dad has always been a businessman, and I took after him in almost every way,\u201d Banks said. \u201cI\u2019ve always excelled in business classes because it comes naturally to me,\u201d he said, adding that the strong reputation of the Scheller College of Business drew him to Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile taking six courses each semester and a full summer schedule didn\u2019t allow much time for extracurricular activities, Banks poured himself into his academics and internship with the Atlanta Falcons marketing department. His work in the field led to a leadership position within the program, where he became part of the group that hired the next round of interns and regularly met with executives within the organization.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMeeting new people and being in the room with the vice presidents and other executives has been a highlight of my experience,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the kind of person I want to be one day, and I got to see that they\u2019re just like me and that I can do that.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBanks will not only achieve his goal of graduating from Georgia Tech but will also become the first person in his family to graduate from college, an achievement that he hopes sets an example for the next generation. Though he is the first, Banks gives a lot of credit to his mother, father, and girlfriend for their continuous motivation and support throughout the process.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter turning his tassel inside McCamish Pavilion, Banks will take time to celebrate with the family and friends who helped him throughout his journey as he mulls several job offers from professional sports organizations and government agencies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Brendon Banks will graduate from Georgia Tech in two and a half years thanks to a tireless work ethic and a drive to be the best.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrendon Banks will graduate from Georgia Tech in two and a half years thanks to a tireless work ethic and a drive to be the best.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Brendon Banks will graduate from Georgia Tech in two and a half years thanks to a tireless work ethic and a drive to be the best.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2023-12-14 19:47:09","changed_gmt":"2023-12-14 22:01:49","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672586":{"id":"672586","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech graduate Brendon Banks","body":null,"created":"1702583633","gmt_created":"2023-12-14 19:53:53","changed":"1702583633","gmt_changed":"2023-12-14 19:53:53","alt":"Georgia Tech graduate Brendon Banks. ","file":{"fid":"255854","name":"Screenshot 2023-12-13 at 11.08.04 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/12\/14\/Screenshot%202023-12-13%20at%2011.08.04%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/12\/14\/Screenshot%202023-12-13%20at%2011.08.04%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2372843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/12\/14\/Screenshot%202023-12-13%20at%2011.08.04%20AM.png?itok=jwil0v8K"}}},"media_ids":["672586"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"43101","name":"Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business"},{"id":"193354","name":"2023 Fall Commencement"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}