Always Choose to Embrace Adventure

After completing his bachelor’s degree with a focus on politics and government, Mr. Driest began his career in Washington, DC, with Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA Brands) before moving to the Brookings Institution. While there, a mentor encouraged him to consider graduate school. At her encouragement, he set his sights on New York.

During his time at St. John’s, Mr. Driest had classes in Queens, NY, and at the old Manhattan, NY, campus, but his standout memories came from his time in Rome, Italy, as part of the Executive-in-Residence Program. Recently renamed Tobin Strategic Consulting, the program provides students in-school opportunities to engage in real-world business consulting with actual business and nonprofit organizations. 

“I loved my time in Rome,” he said. “It was probably my favorite part of the entire program.”

The small class sizes in the program facilitated connection with classmates, and, like in New York, the city surrounding the campus offered plenty to explore. Mr. Driest embraced adventure during his semester abroad, traveling from Rome to other sites in Italy, including Naples and Florence. 

“It’s really easy to get outside the city and really experience all that Italy has to offer,” he shared.

During the same time, Mr. Driest put himself on the career path that ultimately led to his current role as Chief Operations Officer for Farmers & Merchants Bank, headquartered in Virginia. After his first semester at St. John’s, Mr. Driest took the initiative to contact various banks. 

“A local bank called me back and said, ‘We’d love to have you work for the summer,” he said.

His forward planning paid off, and he spent the summer working on installing software for loan processing, which launched his work in the digital side of banking. “It all started with understanding how the money is moving within the business,” he explained. “That’s a skill that I learned at St. John’s.”

When asked what his biggest accomplishment is, Mr. Driest doesn’t cite something from his professional experience; instead, it was running the Marine Corps marathon with a lifelong friend, who encouraged him to take on the challenge. Despite initially resisting, Mr. Driest now feels that it was a necessary push—something he embraces in work and play. 

“It takes a little bit of that open-mindedness, but sometimes you have to purposely stretch yourself in terms of what you think you’re capable of doing,” he said. 

It’s also crucial for him to build trust with the people on his team; very similar to how he prepared for his marathon, Mr. Driest takes the time to listen to the recommendations of those around him when he needs a push.

“I love seeking out new things, new experiences. You have to challenge yourself to say yes, whether that’s in work and saying, ‘yes, I’ll put my hand up and do that project,’ or in life, saying, ‘yes, you know what, let’s go on that trip.’ I think that’s where the growth comes from. Embracing adventure is my theme.”