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Bill Poston is an entrepreneur, business advisor, investor, philanthropist, educator, and adventurer.

The Class of '94

The Class of '94

The UT MBA class of 1994 returned to Austin this weekend for our thirty-year reunion. What an incredible collection of human beings! A lifetime ago, we spent the better part of two years together and formed bonds that are still strong. That was before the Internet, cell phones, and social media. We became real friends who have stuck together for a long time. Does that still happen?

The hopes and dreams of B-school students in their twenties are seemingly boundless. There was no doubt that we were going to make our mark on the world. Three decades later, I can safely say that we have. We may not have saved the world just yet, but my friends are living their best lives and making a difference every day.

There have been the typical trials and tribulations. We’ve lost a handful of people to car crashes and cancer. There have been business failures, divorces, problems with children, ups and downs, and things that didn’t quite work out as planned, but we have persevered. I am proud of my classmates and the lives they have built for themselves and their families.

The weekend made me wonder about the nature and origin of our relationships. We didn’t pick each other. We were forced together by the whims of the admissions office once upon a time. Sure, we were a lot alike in many ways, yet there is a special connection that still runs deep.

I worry that those types of relationships are not being formed today. What was so special about that place and time? Maybe it was the fact that we sat in the atrium for hours each day talking that formed the foundation. We talked about our coursework, politics, backgrounds, business, and life. We shared our plans and ambitions. We got together and drank beer on Thursday nights. We didn’t sit next to each other with our heads buried in our phones; maybe that made all the difference.

And so we are stuck with each other. It is too late to make new old friends. Pay close attention. The Class of ’94 may save the world after all.

Rivalries

Rivalries

A Big Reefer

A Big Reefer