05/11/2026
🎓 Grad spotlight: Justin Straus
Help us congratulate the BSBA-Accounting and BSBA-Finance double major. 👏
Favorite memory: “One of my favorite things from living on campus was a month of Friday nights during my sophomore year. I very rarely play video games, but someone told my friend and I to play a cooperative game together where we each play our own character for the entirety of the story. We decided to give it a try. ... Harrison and I would log on and get sucked into this game because of how well-written and interactive the story was. We would start at 10 pm, blink, and it would be 1:30 am. On the last Friday of the month, we finished the game, and I let out a loud, “Noooo!” because of how the story wrapped. I could hear him on the other end of the phone having the same reaction. My roommates came rushing into my room, saw what I was playing, nodded understandingly, asked me to quiet down, and walked out.”
Who was instrumental in his success at UTC: “First and foremost, my immediate family, Marc, Stacy, and Jordan Straus. Following them, my best friends, Hunter Armstrong, Harrison Bean, Joshua Lovett, Carson Hammond, Omari Franklin, and Paul Jones. ... Faculty and staff members Jaclyn York, Joanie Sompayrac, Christi Wann, Susan Poss, Kim Thomas, Michael Jones, and Robert Dooley! Without them, I would not be where I am today!”
Orgs that made him feel at home: “The College of Business’ Beta Alpha Psi helped me feel most at home because it resembled a major-specific honor society, so I was in it with highly driven, intelligent, and like-minded students.”
Advice for new mocs: “You will make friends, I promise! If you are like me, you may be a bit introverted and not like certain things. This may limit the number of friends you make, but this is OKAY because the friends you do make will be friends you have for a LIFETIME. I met THREE of my closest friends during my four years at UTC. ... I could not imagine my life without them!”
Post-grad plans: “I will be attending the UTK for their Master of Accountancy program. I aim to obtain my CPA license and work in the professional sports and entertainment industry.”
