Working on my M.B.A. in finance from 1981 to 1984, I would close my office door at Frito-Lay in Dallas at 5 p.m., travel up I-35 (always under construction!) toward Denton, stop at a Braum's for a burger or, if I was in a hurry, at the gas station mini-mart for a bag of Lay's and a soft drink, and spend the evening in class.

Saturday or Sunday meant a drive from Carrollton to the library for research of Federal Reserve data, or writing up the format for the marketing questionnaire for that CPA practice my wife and I were considering.

My favorite moments? As a grad student focused on completing my studies, all of them were academic: Making my way, like so many before me, through Dr. George Christy's finance class, remembering when we all gasped when an instructor predicted in 1982 that it was possible that the Dow Jones Industrial Average would eventually hit 2,000, and the sincere and helpful counseling I got from Dr. James McDonald.

Thank you, UNT, for launching me into a successful financial career!

Mike Stoniecki ('84 M.B.A.)
Duluth, Ga.