Daniel Rust puts Bryan School skills to work at Lenovo

Daniel Rust’s enthusiasm for UNCG is palpable, and he happily promotes the University every chance he gets.

Rust found his way to the Bryan School of Business and Economics thanks to his determination to attend the best school possible and become the person he envisioned: an exceptional problem solver that businesses want and communities need.

Today, this 2020 graduate with a BS in economics and a minor in Spanish, and the MBA he received in 2022, praises UNCG for its supportive environment, outstanding faculty, innovative curriculum, and robust professional development opportunities.

He credits his success to being one of the first recipients of the Bryan School’s Routh Patterson Scholarship Endowment. Founded by alumna Phoebe Routh Patterson ’85 and her husband, Anthony, the endowment supports exceptional Bryan School undergraduates based on academic merit. Rust says that honor confirmed he made the right decision to be a Spartan.

“Receiving this scholarship confirmed that I belonged at UNCG,” he says. “Knowing someone believed in my potential gave me the confidence to invest in my education and future fully. The Pattersons’ wonderful gift unlocked so many opportunities for me and helped launch my career.”

In 2017, Rust was also a member of the inaugural class of the Bryan School’s highly touted Blueprint Series, a groundbreaking mandatory 4-credit course curriculum designed to equip all undergraduates with the employability skills needed to flourish in an ever-changing world. Like hundreds of other Bryan School undergraduates, Rust found the series transformative and credits the skills he learned in it to his internship with the Brooks Group and now his current role as a national computer sales executive with Lenovo.

Rust channels his zeal for UNCG as a student mentor and as a member of the Bryan School Alumni Board. “The relationships I built with my fellow students and faculty were top-tier, and I deeply appreciated the open and flexible environment at UNCG that allowed me to explore so many opportunities to succeed,” he says.

By Jo Carol Torrez
Photo courtesy of Daniel Rust